Cook and Taste

HOLA de ESPAÑÁ!!! (hi from spain)

Friday was a spectacular day in my book! We met up with Mary Carmen (?) sp and talked a little about working with her. Different things the church is involved with, how we can get involved...ect. She spoke english, which was a huge blessing to me! We did a bible study after meeting her...although it was in spanish so it was hard for me to follow along. The language barrier has been the hardest for me. Many people can switch back and forth between Catalon, Spanish, and English like it´s no big deal. I wish I had that talent, kind of inspiring to learn spanish...maybe i should pick up another major! JK

During the afternoon we took the metro to Las Ramblas where our cooking class was. The three of us walked around and did some sight seeing before going up to the class. Kelsey decided to stay behind to work on a few papers...boo homework!

The cooking class was so much fun! Our teacher was very outgoing and friendly. She took us to the biggest outdoor market in Barcelona! It was absolutely huge! Meet legs were hanging from cords, dried chili peppers decorated windows, lobsters and crabs started staring contests with us, it was absolutely unforgetable! Seriously, the lobsters stared back at you! And they moved and made bubbles, it was so crazy seeing live lobsters on the market. There was fruit upon fruit upon fruit and dried candy, and nuts....just everything you could imagine. We picked up some olives, clams, squid (the kind that inks), and cuttlefish and went back to our kitchen.

We started preparing a 4 course meal. What I loved most about this experience was meeting 12 new people from all over the world. A cute asian couple from Australia, a family from Canada, a couple from California, and the UK. So much fun AND we all helped prepare the meal in some way. Annie and I were both on tomato soup patrol. She started preparing the soup and I finished and did the presentation. I know you are all dying to know what we made so I will spare you the time and lay it out for you.

Course 1: Chupito de sopa de tomate al aroma de idiazabal de peio carcia amiano (tomato soup flavoured with idiazabal smoked cheese) This was a very interesting dish...cold tomato soup! Very delicious, we had it with a homemade pesto made of parsley, walnuts, and hazelnuts, and finely shredded sheep cheese. The flavors were absolutely amazing!

Course 2: Tortilla de patatas y pan con tomate (potato omelette with tomato bread) this was sooo interesting to eat. We made this out of potatoes and cooked it similar to an omelette. We mixed the potatoes and egg mixture together and cooked it in a pan and then rubbed garlic and tomato on top of broiled bread and placed a slice of the "tortilla" on top...it was so good! And I don´t even like eggs!

Course 3: Paella de marisco (seafood paella) Paella is like a rice dish with random vegetables and meat....this was where my nerves came in....we put cuttlefish (the kind that inked again), prawns, and clams in it....it smelled good! I was daring, for all of you out there who know me, I absolutely despise any sort of fish and seafood. But I was open about it, I tried it! Did I like??? Parts, the rice was good, the cuttlefish was ok, the prawns and clams???? NO WAY! They were not good! Esta bien, because when I come back to the US I will make it with real meat....Note to you mom and dad....have meat ready when I come home...I´m like dying here, there´s no meat around!

Course 4: Crema Catalana (Catalan cream) This dish is quite tasty! It´s a cross between a creme brule and flan....pretty decent! Kind of reminded me of pudding a little bit. Our instructor put sugar on it and torched it so it bubbled and browned...tasted like burnt marshmallows!

So far, this is my most memorable experience! Great food, lots of fun people that we got to know, and I expanded my knowledge of cooking! Don´t worry for $5 a pop you can buy the recipes from me! Just kidding! This will be one meal that I am going to experience with when I am in my own kitchen again, you just might be lucky enough to come over and try it! :)

Pictures will be posted soon. You all know that I can´t go anywhere without taking pictures of the 10 square feet around me. I bet you are all interested to see what a REAL sheep´s head looks like without the skin when it stares back at you...oh you will all find out shortly...hope I made you hungry! Love you all and miss you!

ash