{"id":14075,"date":"2025-11-10T10:23:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/stews-and-stories-comfort-food-just-like-grandma-used-to-make\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T10:23:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:23:56","slug":"stews-and-stories-comfort-food-just-like-grandma-used-to-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/en\/stews-and-stories-comfort-food-just-like-grandma-used-to-make\/","title":{"rendered":"Stews and stories: comfort food just like grandma used to make"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are days when a meal begins long before you take your first bite \u2014 a scent drifting from the kitchen that takes over the whole house: paprika, garlic, broth. Outside, the sea breeze still lingers softly, but inside something is simmering that tastes like comfort. On the Costa, November isn\u2019t just the month of chestnuts<\/a>, but also of Spanish stews \u2014 the season when patience becomes the main ingredient. <\/p>\n

The soul of the Spanish stew<\/h4>\n

The Spanish kitchen has dozens of stews, each with its own story. In the east, there\u2019s olleta alicantina \u2014 a hearty mix of beans, potatoes, cabbage and pork. Further south, you\u2019ll find olla gitana, the Andalusian \u201cgypsy soup\u201d with chickpeas, pumpkin and mint. Simple, nourishing dishes born from modest origins \u2014 yet today they\u2019re making a comeback in modern kitchens, where chefs are rediscovering the power of slow cooking. <\/p>\n

A few simple tips for home<\/h4>\n

You don\u2019t need Spanish heritage to fill your home with the scent of comfort food. Start with dried legumes \u2014 beans or chickpeas soaked overnight. Add smoked paprika<\/b><\/span>, a bit of chorizo<\/b><\/span> or aubergine<\/b><\/span> for depth of flavour. Let it simmer slowly for hours with a sprig of rosemary or bay leaf. The longer it bubbles, the more the flavours melt together. And when the sauce clings thickly to a wooden spoon, you\u2019ll know it\u2019s just right. <\/p>\n

Where to taste it on the Costa<\/h4>\n

Along the coast, you\u2019ll find them everywhere \u2014 from humble village eateries to modern bistros. In small restaurants from J\u00e1vea to Estepona, November menus often feature dishes like olleta alicantina<\/g>, potaje de garbanzos<\/g><\/g> or fabes con verduras<\/g><\/g> \u2014 stews of beans, vegetables and herbs that smell like Sunday. At local markets, they\u2019re sometimes sold in small terracotta bowls: warm, simple, and perfect after a brisk afternoon walk. <\/p>\n

The taste of patience<\/h4>\n

There\u2019s something comforting about food that takes its time. Stews don\u2019t just teach you how to cook \u2014 they teach you how to wait. The aroma fills the house, the steam fogs the windows, and somewhere along the way, the rush of the day quietly disappears. <\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s not the flavour that comforts you, but the patience within it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are days when a meal begins long before you take your first bite \u2014 a scent drifting from the kitchen that takes over the whole house: paprika, garlic, broth. Outside, the sea breeze still lingers softly, but inside something is simmering that tastes like comfort. On the Costa, November ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":14074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[176],"tags":[2491,1944,385,2494,849],"class_list":["post-14075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gusto-en","tag-comfort-food","tag-seasonal-eating","tag-spain","tag-stew","tag-traditions"],"yoast_head":"\nStews and stories: comfort food just like grandma used to make - The Sound Of The Costa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Authentic comfort food with a story: discover the Spanish stew, rich in tradition and flavour.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/en\/stews-and-stories-comfort-food-just-like-grandma-used-to-make\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stews and stories: comfort food just like grandma used to make - 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