When I first came to Spain, I didn’t have a kitchen. I didn’t have a refrigerator. I lived in a renovated convent in the midst of Toledo’s casco antiguo.

Then, in Salamanca, I had a small kitchen. Quite adequate, actually. At least I had an oven, which isn’t always the case, I’ve learned. I have always loved baking, so I started baking for Mario, who will never say no to a galleta, chocolate-chip or otherwise. The only problem? I had no measuring cups. Measuring cups are another one of the US’s particularities. Most of the world cooks and—especially—bakes in grams. It makes sense. A cup of all-purpose flour doesn’t weigh the same as a cup of another type of flour. Using grams is more precise.

That didn’t help me, though. I had to use Google to convert all my cups of flour to grams, often dragging my laptop into the kitchen and using flour-stained fingers to type “1 cup of flour to grams” into the search bar. Annoying. There had to be a better way.

I’ve found that following Spanish-language cooking blogs is the way forward. Not only do they use grams and milliliters, they also don’t call for ingredients that are difficult, if not impossible, to find in places like Zamora. (In Madrid, it’s not impossible to find anything.) Moreover, it was a way for me to explore new dishes, ingredients, and flavors. A win-win!

Thus, I’d like to present to you all, some of whom I hope speak Spanish, my favorite cooking blogs written by Spaniards. I hope that you find them as interesting and worthwhile as I do.

El Comidista. El Comidista is written by Mikel López Iturriaga, who started his blog, Ondakín, and was later picked by up El País, one of Spain’s national newspapers. Mikel doesn’t just share delicious, in-season recipes; he also talks about all things related to gastronomy: restaurants, kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, culinary pop culture, etc. It’s always an entertaining read. Check it out:

• Crema de castañas con setas
• Revuleto de trastos: especial Navidad
• Iceberg flotante en sopa de críticos
• Carajillo en el siglo XXI

Javi Recetas.  Behind Javi Recetas is José Javier Cabanas, a firefighter and student. Javi always proposes accessible recipes as well as useful information, like how to desalinate salt cod. I like his basic recipes especially.

• Crema pastelera
• Sopa de ajo (for good-smelling breath!)
• Roscón de reyes
• Mantequilla en punto pomada

Recetas de Mon. Recetas de Mon is run by Mónica, born in Barcelona.

• Jamones Cinco Jotas (5J)
• Pastel de carne a la irlandesa <— Made this!
• Tartaletas de queso de cabra con cebolla caramelizada y nuez <—I’ve based several other tartaletas on this recipe, including one with dulce de membrillo and cream cheese.

Cocinando entre Olivos. Erik pointed this site out to me (and to his other readers, of course). The only problem I have with it is the lack of recipe summaries, so to speak.

• Patatas con bechamel y atún <—I’ve made this twice!
• Chupa chups crujientes de pavo y queso
• Tarta de espinacas y bacalao

Biscayenne: para golosos irredentos. Since I have one major goloso (person with a sweet tooth) at home, I love the name of the site. I’m not very familiar with Spanish desserts, but I’m learning. Step by step. This site is a great way to learn about the very traditional desserts like flan and, like Emeril, to take them up a notch or two.

• Plum cake corriente y moliente
• Charlota de manzana Downton Abbey <—Spaniards also watch and love Downton Abbey
• Pannacotta de limón y menta

A Freír Pimientos. There’s an expression in Spanish: “¡Vete a freír esparragos!” (Literally, “Go away and fry asparagus!” It means, basically, get the hell out of my sight. So I can’t help but think of that when I read this website’s title, which means (in my loose translation)

• Sopa de calabaza, boniato y jengibre
• Natillas “sans vide”
• Bizcocho de pistachos

No Más Tuppers de Mamá. This blog is run by three guys in their 20s, and it all looks finger-lickin’ good. Their recipes are both simple and elaborate, delicious and simple. Also, they come with recommended playlists, if you’re into that sort of thing. The three guys—Carlos, Marc, and Adrià—met in Manchester during their Erasmus semester abroad. If you don’t enjoy cooking, follow their blog at your own risk—you may be tempted to start.

• Rewind this soup <—Made this delicious soup with homemade chicken stock. A definite recommend!
• Bizcocho de mantequilla, pasas y canela
• Horchata navideña
• Polenta con ragù

So there you go, the Spanish-cooking blogs I follow. What about you, any recommendations?