Our time in Madrid has come to a close and we are off to Barcelona for phase two of this journey. And you know what that means dear reader. It’s train time! Woowoo!!!! (Insert train arm gesture)
On our last day in Madrid, we took a cooking class where we learned how to make Spanish tortilla, paella, and Tarta de Santiago (Spanish almond cake). Cooking classes are an excellent investment. You learn quickly that cooking is more than just following a recipe (or not following it in my case). It’s an opportunity to connect with family, friends, and one’s roots. Similar to the grilling culture in the US where the process itself often doubles as the main event. (“Looks like that one’s burning buddy.” - Annoying Armchair BBQ Guy)
Spanish tortilla (our starter) is a simple dish made of potato, eggs, olive oil, and possibly onions depending on which side of this most serious debate you fall. (I’m an onion man and I’m damn proud of it!) The dish can be found at all Spanish restaurants and is acceptable at anytime time of day. It’s also quite inexpensive costing 3-5 Euro. It tastes and looks like kiche or egg bake if you will. It can be runny or firm to your preference (I’m a medium well guy and I’m….!!!). And Spaniards have strong opinions on this like most things.
The paella was the star of the show. Paella is a common dish that nearly all families make on a regular basis, usually Sunday. And everyone’s grandma makes the BEST paella. ;) It’s named for the pan used to make it (a paella pan…good!). It’s thought of as “rice with things”. “Things” usually include whatever was available in abundance and generally include protein (seafood, pork, chicken, rabbit, snail) and vegetables (peas, carrots, onions, peppers, etc). It’s like stir fry…but don’t call it that for God’s sake! The process starts with browning the veggies in olive oil. Next you add saffron and spice into the oil which gives both flavor and color. Then the protein is added. Next the broth (in our case a broth made with prawn heads…that’s right) and then the rice. Bomb rice is a short grain rice that absorbs liquid well for a great flavor. A key to this meal is how long to cook the dish. The browning can go on for a bit with the intent of ensuring the liquid is absorbed and developing the crispy goodness that sticks to the pan. I’m told people will fight for these bits of culinary delight. I get it.
Lastly we made a Tarta de Santiago cake with almond flour, egg, cinnamon and sugar. The cake is topped with powdered sugar speckled onto the cake with stencil of the St Santiago symbol. This is easy and a very nice ending for the meal.
After cooking, we eat together and enjoy each other’s conversation. The meal, while delicious, is really a means to an end. The end being the opportunity to connect and share with those close to us. And our group has become remarkably close on this trip. I know more about these students after 8 days than I do most students I spend a full semester with. This makeshift family is now off to Barcelona (BY TRAIN!!!) to experience a new city and to close out our journey. I’m ready. Vamanos!! (Let’s go!!)
Baking the cake is an important step.
Ain’t she pretty?
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