Submitted by Tara Vaughan on the 2024 Winter EDUC program in Barcelona, Spain…
During our final week in Barcelona, we attended a Spanish cooking class, gaining advice from a professional about how to make authentic dishes. As a person who is still working on her cooking skills, I was eager to learn how to prepare these recipes and bring a part of Spain back home with me. Upon attending the class, we were welcomed by our teacher, a Spanish native with loads of cooking experience. Throughout the time, he shared Spanish history and tidbits about his upbringing as a chef. In this class, we made several courses, including steamed vegetables in romesco sauce, the famous Spanish omelet, tomato bread, paella, and crema catalana. My friends and I learned about the ingredients, preparation, and execution of these dishes and took part in creating them. I helped make the crema catalana, which is a creme brulee like dessert with notes of cinnamon and citrus. In addition, I did prep work for the steamed vegetables, as well as plated them. After the crema catalana set, we used a traditional press to caramelize the tops of the desserts. Having my own hand in cooking my dinner was very exciting as I felt inspired by the Spanish culture that I have been so immersed in. I also got to see how some of my favorite dishes that I have had here are made. It was by far the best meal I have had on this trip.
This cooking class was such a fun way to dive deeper into Spanish traditions, as well as engage with authentic ingredients and recipes. I had a smile on my face the entire time and pushed myself to try everything, something that I am not likely to do back home. I even enjoyed romesco sauce, made of tomatoes, peppers, and nuts, something that I would never have imagined that I would. During nearly all of the courses, I cleaned my plate and savored every bite. Attending this class enhanced my appreciation for food and Spanish culture, while creating a memory of Barcelona that I will never forget. (Submitted on January 28, 2024)