It became a running joke with the people we lived with in Horty House in London that Ty loves cheese. While my boy was definitely partial to cheese and crackers back home the wide range of choices in Europe has broadened his fromage horizons and we have come back from many weekends away with parcels of cheesy goodness in our suitcases. Unexpectedly Poland was no exception! These delicious bite sized morsels were sold all over town. A friendly local explained that they are a smoked sheeps' cheese which is grilled over open coals and then served with cranberry sauce. The best bit though had to be the fact that they cost 2.50 zloty, about 50p each! such a cheap snack to warm you up on a cold day exploring!

Christina's mum is a chef and Ty's mum an avid fan of home cooking so its somewhat inevitable that we both grew up with a passion for food. We love to eat, and think there's nothing better than finding a new delicacy, made with fresh ingredients, that we can take home to spice up our recipe book and The Best Bites will be full of the tantilising and tasty dishes we find along the way.

We have visited Spain twice on our travels; the first time for a long weekend in Barcelona and again for 3 weeks last summer. Spain is a foodies heaven and we regularly found our mouths watering. Everywhere you turn in  Barcelona's food market your senses are intoxicated. Southern Spain is great for foodies on a budget like ourselves as its compulsory for free tapas to be provided at all bars when you buy a drink (what a problem!).
Here are a few of our favourite tapa's...  

Oh soooo good Oxtail

Delicious little packages of melt in the mouth oxtail goodness. The local we were with in Madrid ordered these despite our protests (I mean who eats Oxtail really?!) and we are so glad she did! 

Slow cooked Oxtail wrapped in filo pastry, topped with a roasted red pepper and surrounded by a spicy jus. 

Now that's the way to get a boy to eat Asparagus

So simple, how did I not think of this before? Take asparagus, wrap in prosciutto throw it on the barbie (or  griddle pan) until the prosciutto reaches the stage of crispy goodness. Eat. That is all. 

Mussel's even Christina will eat

After a few unlucky attempts at eating mussels in New Zealand (including biting down on a poor little baby crab inside one of them), Christina was ready to swear off mussel's, however encouraged by local Madrid-ite Jose even she had to admit these were worth getting a second (and third) round. It may however have had something more to do with the absolutely to die for spicy tomatoe sauce surrounding them which everyone was mopping up with fresh-from-the-oven baguette. The chef must have had aspirations to be the Colonel however as there was no way he was giving up the recipe for his secret herbs and spices!

Could show the Brits a thing or two

Fish and chips in New Zealand brings to mind happy memories of crispy battered fish and crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside chips wrapped in newspaper with the smell of the sea air and good old watties tomatoe sauce. Unfortunately in the UK, the supposed birthplace of the Fish and Chip meal, things seem to have gone a little astray and you are more likely to end up with stodgy fish sitting in oil inside a polystyrene container covered in gravy; so it was with big smiles on our faces that we visited Casa Labra. Founded in 1860, they serve succulent bite sized battered fish morsels that have the locals queueing up down the street at all hours of the day. It really is worth ordering more than one!

The best way to eat potatoes (possibly)

If you ask Tyro what the best way to eat potatoes is, chances are he will say roasted, and then pan fried with chorizo, and while there are many ways to eat the humble spud I have to admit this is pretty damn good! I can imagine that if there is ever left over potatoes from a sunday roast this is how they will be cooked up the next day in our house from now on.