When in Barcelona – eat! And if you can – cook! Because the Catalan cuisine is simple, seasonal, fresh and fabulous and a day cooking in a Spanish kitchen makes for a great memory.
I researched many options for cooking classes in
Frutes de boca
Barcelona. There were a lot. But I chose the Barcelona Kitchen, the cooking school housed in the Mercado de la Boqueria, for its class choices and menu.
Since I’ve been in Spain for two months and
Seafood so fresh it’s still moving.
traveled through multiple regions, I’ve tasted a variety of regional dishes as well as regional takes on national favorites. In Catalonia, the region where Barcelona is the largest city, food is celebrated every day and regional pride in the local Catalan cuisine is evident everywhere you go.
Catalan cuisine is not about heavily spiced or sauced dishes. Rather it is about the best, freshest and
Fresh picked today
most local ingredients. Right now in October that means frutas de boca (fruits of the forest) which includes a variety of mushrooms, snails, nuts and seeds. October is also bountiful in tomatoes, squash, fruit, greens, root vegetables, peppers, potatoes, onions, figs, and much more. Combine these ingredients with seasonal fish, shellfish, meat, fowl, and the unforgettably delicious Iberian jamon (ham) and you have yourself the makings of a special feast.
Stock simmering.
Add a little Spanish wine and as the Catalonians say Bon Profit! Muy Bien!
My class, led by Lena, began with a tour and shopping trip for our ingredients through the Mercado de la Boqueria, Barcelona’s famous and fabulous market. Here we learned about many of the products and producers from eggs to olive oil and saffron to cuttlefish.
Making the Crema Catlana
Back in the kitchen we set to work for three solid hours cooking and preparing five of Catalan’s favorite dishes; Tortilla – egg and potatoe omelette like pie (the national dish of Spain that sustained me daily on the Camino), Seafood Paella (the only
Finished Paella
way Catalans eat Paella is seafood), Pa amb Tomàquet – Catalan Tomato Bread, Gazpacho – cold tomato soup, and Crema Catalana – a delicious dessert similar to creme brûlée but better!
I was surprised at the amount of time the tortilla takes to make but I loved it. I also really enjoyed making the Paella from scratch including the stock which simmered and reduced on the stove for more than an hour. It was rich and delicious.
The beautiful Gazpacho
The Gazpacho was incredible, easy and fast. Unlike our chunky style at home this cold tomato soup was creamy and smooth using the food processor and adding lots of olive oil to emulsify it. Perfecto!
Our class enjoying the feast
As usual, I loved learning from a local and cooking this incredible cuisine. Spain has been many things to me over the past two months, including delicious!
Our time in this sweet country is ending and we move on now to Chapter Eleven – Tunisia, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa. But Spain will always hold something very special for us and we will definitely be back.
Muchos Gracias Mi Amigos. Fabulous!
good to stop and really absorb our own reality.
in our Fabulous Fifties our bodies did not fail us. It was about day 12 when one morning I got up to get ready to go and my body acknowledged it. I think that morning my body said “Oh – I get it. You intend to do this long walk EVERY day. Okay now I understand. I can do that. Let’s go.”
people it is who tackle a Camino walk. We met some fascinating people from all over the world, many who will live in our memories forever. I can’t think of any other experience we have ever had where it included so many people from so many cultures speaking so many languages but all sharing the same goal. That was a wonderful and inspiring lesson- one our world leaders should learn. We are all in this together.
that down.
experience and what this milestone means. But in the meantime, our Grand Adventure goes on. We have planes to catch and new adventures ahead.
weeks, then a quick five days in India and a week in Bangladesh visiting our friend Natalie before flying to the Maldives for almost a month. We plan to relax and do nothing here.
person’s journey is unique.
my Bunk – Ohio
Australia and she was walking alone. She said she was slow but could go far. I’ve thought of her every day since. Particularly on the days where I was struggling, when the weather was bad or the trail was tough. I hope she is still out there. I wish I had gotten her contact info. I’m worried for her. This isn’t easy.
for loved ones who have died on the trail. It happens more than you might think. So arriving at the iron cross means many things to many people and we certainly felt the healing power there.
wondering if it will include vegetables.
gotta go.