| Easter week, or "Semana
Santa", which falls during 9-16 April this year, is one of the highlights
of the Spanish calendar. As always, the local TV channels will be broadcasting
the magnificent processions as the parades pass through the narrow cobbled streets
and magical at night, garlanded with flowers, candles and flickering candelabras. Every
bakery window in Andalucia is packed with displays of Easter biscuits made from
flour, sugar, eggs, honey and almonds, not unlike the sweet mini-cakes served
with mint tea in Morocco. "Torrijas" are typical Easter treats.
These cinnamon French toasts are deep fried then dipped in wine, honey, or sweet
syrups. I make them for breakfast on Easter Sunday - perfect with a tall cappuccino
while I'm reading the Sunday papers! Anyway, switching from comfort food
cooked at home to some seriously good cuisine, I thought I'd share with you two
of my favourite places to eat and meet. Delight
Last week some
girlfriends and I visited Delight a real feel-good place that serves good food
that's good for you, at great prices! The food is the inspiration of Delight's
brilliant young chef (who trained with Gordon Ramsay, no less!). Lee Varhos,
Delight's owner, is a man on a mission: to tantalise your taste buds using 80%
organic foods and he might even lower your cholesterol…no cream-laden sauces,
lashings of butter or sugar overdoses here! A simple starter is a work
or art: crispy mini-salmon cakes on a bed of baby salad leaves that come with
an aromatic coriander, cucumber, tomato and mango salsa, and chipotle mayonnaise.
Delight uses only top quality seasonal ingredients so your Grilled Wild Alaska
Salmon or Sizzling Greenland Garlic and Chilli Shrimps are super-fresh. All
this goodness doesn't mean you can't be naughty. so be a devil and have the sugar-free
chocolate fondue cake…pierce it and out oozes a rich, dark fondue made from
pure cacao.
A double delight. Urb. Garden Club, Local 1, Nueva
Andaluc?a, Marbella (benid the Hotel Andalucia Plaza) Open Mon-Sat for breakfast,
lunch and dinner from 9.30am, kitchen closes 11pm. Call: (0034) 661 618 267. La
Comedia Bar & Restaurant
Owned and managed by Damien and Marian Smyth,
La Comedia has a special place in my heart. Tucked away in Marbella's charming
old town overlooking the Plaza de la Victoria, this stylish restaurant has carved
its own unique niche on the Coast. Their experimental menu works beautifully.
You'll discover flavour combinations you've probably never experienced, like fried
marinated baltic herrings on dark brown bread with Swedish roe and herb crème
fraiche. Dishes have names like Gala in Versailles (pan fried foi gras with apple
and pear chutney served with balsamic reduction) or A Night In Acapulco (grilled
pepper steak with smoked chilli butter, sauerkraut and deep fried potato cubes).
As you'd expect the wines are superb and the desserts are dangerous! From
Playing Around (a rich, gingerbread butter pudding) to Caipirinha Cachaca (marinated
berries with lime and mint ice cream), La Comedia is dessert heaven and it's the
perfect place for "dinner for two". (Trust me, I deserve a La Comedia
"frequent diner card".) Open for dinner Tuesday - Sunday from
7pm onwards. Plaza de la Victoria, Marbella Old Town, for reservations call: (0034)
952776478. | 
