(There was too much potato. I ended up using 8 eggs.)

TORTILLA ESPANOLA

and

TOMATO ONIONS

When I was 15 or 16 I spent a summer in Segovia, Spain. Tortilla espanola was so ubiquitous I ate it at home and at every bar and small cafe I visited. It's considered a snack food and the portions always left me wanting more. I also loved the idea that Europeans ate delicious room temperature eggs. I had always had to deal with a lot of grief for bringing cold scrambled egg sandwiches to lunch in middle school in Avon, CT.

Tortilla Espanola:

Using enough salt during the cooking process is key. Also, use a pan that is small enough to let the onion and potato form a thick pile so that the tortilla has lots of dense height and can be cut into fat slices.

I used a lot less oil than most recipes called for and think this still came out really well. Chop a yellow onion. Thinly slice about 1 and 1/2 times as much potato. I used new potatoes with very tender skins and so just left those on. Heat a generous amount of olive oil and cook the onions and potatoes until the potatoes can be pricked easily with a fork. While cooking, salt generously and move around a bit. Do not let brown. Meanwhile, beat about 6 eggs and salt and pepper (lots of pepper). Once the potatoes are down, add eggs. Move around a little to let the egg run into nooks and crannies. Let cook until set but wobbly. Flip onto a plate and slide back into the pan. Let cook until just firm. Take off the heat and let cool before eating.

Tomatoes and Onions:

My Spanish host mother also introduced me to raw tomatoes dressed with just a touch of salt, pepper, and vinegar. At first the pepper and vinegar tasted really strong to me, but I've come to love this combination. If the tomatoes are really fresh, they don't even need vinegar. I think I first ate raw tomatoes and onions together in a really well done wedge salad at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse in Grand Central.

You need brightly colored, fresh, ripe tomatoes and sweet onions for this dish otherwise it will not taste good. Slice 2 ripe red tomatoes. Slice half a white sweet onion (ideally picked only a week ago and has the word candy in the name and is uncured). Place tomato on a plate, salt and pepper, arrange the white onion rings on top.

Raw onions are one of those unexpectedly good foods. There was an Iranian restaurant in LA where they served white raw onion and bread as the appetizer. You just peeled off the onion layers and ate them with the bread.