Obrigado, Portugal...Gracias, Madrid
I gazed out my window as our Boeing 767 made its way westward over the Atlantic toward home. TLOTH and I had just spent two glorious weeks discovering Lisbon, the Douro River, and Madrid. Now it was time to return to Destin. Still, one thought kept plaguing me. Why didn't I eat that last Pasteis de Nata offered to me by one of the waiters on the Andorinha, our beautiful Tauck riverboat? For almost two weeks I had been consuming these delightful little custard tarts by the bushel. They're kind of a national treasure. You'll find them everywhere in Portugal. For two weeks I never missed an opportunity to eat one..or seven. Their simplicity is their secret sauce: some flaky pastry filled with a beautiful custard. That's it. No frosting. No decoration. No cake flavors. Pastry and custard all over Portugal. What a country! Why did I decline this one last Pasteis? I suppose we'll never know, but take it from this custard-loving chubby wanderer: If you ever have the goo...