Bainbridge Style

Today our home exchange comes to an end.  Our host family is winging their way over the top of the world as I write this and we’re trying to fit everything into our bags.

Here’s our problem:

But worth the worry.  The food in Spain is superb, made with fresh, quality ingredients and craftsmanship.  Spaniards are justifiably proud of their pantries. 

Pictured: 

• Tuna.  Line caught in the Med and packed lovingly by hand.  (This tuna won the tuna taste-off on feelgoodeats.com blog and it costs half the price here as it does back home). 
• Chocolate made by the monks
• Honey from rosemary loving bees
• Sweet tortilla’s that I can get at Central Market but vow to master the recipe because I can’t otherwise afford them.  
• Chorizo that we’ll have to smuggle past the sniffing beagles
• Almond biscotti
• Olive oil (milder that what I buy at home, fabulous for aioli and salad dressings)
• Black truffle salt
• Strawberry sugar
• Herbs de Provence from our trip to France.

Doesn’t really justify the need for a new suitcase but there’s also the tins of duck confit (2),  fois Gras (1), Cassoulet (2), duck rillettes (1) antique wine bottles (2)  pottery bowls (2) and the really fabulous BOOTS that added considerablly to the problem since I wasn’t willing to abandon their box in Spain.

We bought a new suitcase which doubled as a stroller.  E fell asleep in there later and was most annoyed when we woke her.