While most people look forward to their holidays as a time where all the house chores, including cooking, are gone-bys, I always look at holidays as a time to experience cooking like a local, with local ingredients. And that’s exactly what I did during this holiday, too. We found the most magnificent market: my brain went into overdrive and I had to step out and smoke two cigarettes to gather myself. And then go back and start shopping (and cooking)!

We only ate outside twice, at one of my favorite spots, a workers’ bar, called Bar Dia. Only during the day, when all the (other) tourists were grilling themselves on the beach. I had to have my frito mallorquin: a local dish made of liver, lamb fat, potatoes & peas. We always sit at the bar, drink cheap beer and talk to the staff, whom we got to know a bit over the years. Truth be told, the food I cooked at home was better, but this place is such a big part of our trips on the island, that I feel I can’t skip it and I have to honor it properly. And then, there’s the frito!

All the other times, we ate at home. Lots of seafood, local charcuterie (sobrasada is my absolute favorite), tons of fresh, tasty veggies and, of course, lots of pork. One would imagine that pork is not really a staple on a Mediterranean island, but meat is very much a staple out there. It goes back to historical times, when locals were settling inland, to avoid close encounters with the invaders attacking the island. Will forever be thankful to those pirates! So here’s a snip-bit selection of what I cooked: most of the times, taking pictures was the last thing on my mind. Which is what one does on holidays, anyway 🙂

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