Idioms are amusing and sometimes bemusing. Consider the Spanish “more lost than an octopus in a garage” or “if my grandmother had wheels, she would be a bicycle”.
Some phrases, however, are immediately understood. For example, “the shamed one,” which the Spanish patron “Kevin” of The Black Hoof tells us, refers to the person taking the last piece of food on a plate.
This is a situation we can all relate to.
Eleonora and I are being polite over the last slither of acorn-fed, Iberico cured meat. Eventually, she surrenders. The rosy flesh was hand-carved from the parade of counter-top shoulders and jamons. Their black hooves point upwards.
The meat is the finale to tapas meal eaten at the end of a scorching July day in the barrio of Dalry.
As The Black Hoof is BYOB, I had scooped up some Cava from the co-op opposite. We enjoyed the chilled fizz with boquerones, glossy Padron peppers, pan con tomato, salt cod croquettes and an excellent black pudding from Burgos mixed with rice and onions.
It is a small operation, and Kevin told me he took the helm in March 2020, just in time for COVID-19. Despite everything, they have survived, and he tells me one man comes from Glasgow every week to buy Jamon. It’s addictive.
You can also nab cheese, chorizo, horchata, olive oil and a selection of additional Spanish grocery items.
I am looking forward to sampling some of the more robust Spanish dishes come, Autumn, like slow-cooked beef cheeks with a bottle of red.
There is plenty to look forward to, and next time perhaps I will be “the shamed one”.
