Travels with Craig and Jeri: Spanish Holiday Day 14

Day 14: Barcelona Cooking School and Barcelona Old City

Our plan for the day was cooking class in the morning followed by a tour of the old town in the evening. Weather forecast again was for rain and thunderstorms, so we were happy to be indoors at least in the morning. Again, the weather gurus were drinking too much Tinto de Verona. There was a passing shower during class and beautiful the rest of the day.

We had the option of taking a 13 minute cab ride or a 10 minute walk to get to the class (says something about the urban planning), so we opted for the short, healthier choice.

We met our teacher, Renata, and 6 other Americans taking the class. Renata studied in both Connecticut and Colorado, and had a degree in sports nutrition. She was extremely personable and enthusiastic, and her energy was infectious.

After introductions, we took a short week to the market we had accidentally discovered the previous day. La Bouqueria, but today we had an expert guide.

Renata explaining the layout of the market

Saffron sniffing

Cuttlefish preparation for lunch

Eggs of all varieties

Quail Eggs

Ostrich (equivalent of 2 dozen eggs) and Emu Eggs

After purchasing the necessary ingredients for our lunch, we returned to the school's kitchen to begin our class. We each had a station and worked as teams on the recipes. We all had the title of "Chef".

Lunch Menu:

Tomato bread

Tortilla de Patata (potato and onion omelet)

Gazpacho

Seafood Paella

Crema Catalana

and of course, wine!

David, Omelet Chef

Tortilla de Patata

Molly cooking the Crema Catalana

Paella was originally a farmer's lunchtime meal cooked over an open wood fire. It was cooked rice with whatever else was available (onion, tomato, beans, etc.). For special occasions, chicken and saffron might be added to the dish. It was traditionally eaten right out of the pot with wooden spoons.

The dish became a staple in the Valencia region and with fish and seafood widely available here, these became incorporated into many recipes.

There is some contoversy over the origins of the name "paella". One is that it is the Valencian name of the pan that it is cooked in, not the dish itself. Its root may be from the Latin for pan, "patella". A more romantic notion is that it was a dish first prepared by a man for his fiancee and it is the corruption of the phrase' "para ella", "for her". Like American BBQ, men traditionally were the paella makers in the house. Some think it may have originated in the Arabic, "baqiyah" which means leftovers. In any case, it was great fun to prepare, and incredibly delicious. Best we have had to date here in Spain!

Paella Ingredients

Deveining shrimp

Jeri, Cuttlefish Maestro

Tomato Bread and Tortilla de Patata

Gazpacho

The Masterpiece

We barely had room for dessert, the Crema Catalana. It is similar to a creme brûlée, but lighter. Like creme brûlée, we got to torch the sugar on top to obtain a nice caramel crust.

Blow torching the Crema Catalana

We waddled out of the cooking school with bellies full and plans for entertining friends at home with some new recipes.

After a siesta, we met our guide, Sonia, again, this time for a tour of the old town.

She took us to see remnants of the Jewish Quarter. As with the rest of the Spain, after the expulsion in 1492, there was nothing left of the Jewish community. Archeologists have discovered some sites that were patially intact like the Mikvah (purifying bath) which can be seen in the basement level of a home furnishing store. So many tourists had come to see this, that the store filled it in with flowers to discourage tours.

There is some controversy regarding the location of the synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, but this was probably the entrance to it. There was a mezuzah on th doorpost that was recently stolen

The alternate possible site for the synagogue

This bar was tired of giving directions

From the old Jewish Quarter, we walked to the Barcelona Cathedral. The renovations are being supported by Samsung and they put a huge sign on the tower as an advertisement. No matter how you slice it, this has to be the epitome of tackiness.