Submitted by Meghan Rydell on the 2024 Summer SPAN Intermediate program in Granada, Spain…
As someone who loves cooking and baking, I was delighted to attend a cooking class this week! We made four dishes: gazpacho (a cold tomato soup), chicken paella, vegetable paella, and a fruit salad. I was surprised by the simplicity of most of the recipes; granted that quite a bit of ingredients were required for the paella (spices and vegetables wise), I could easily see myself replicating these recipes in my kitchen at home. One thing I love about the food in Spain in general is the freshness of the food. When making the gazpacho, for example, the vegetables were ripe, the olive oil was locally sourced, and the bread I had dipped the finished product in was from a local bakery down the street. It tasted so much better because the ingredients were organic. Throughout the class, it was evident that our cooking professor, Annabel, saw cooking as a love language, a common theme I have experienced around Granada, especially with my host mom. I loved the atmosphere of the class and that cooking was not necessarily about how the food tasted (though it was excellent) but about the process of using what you have around you (in terms of vegetables and spices that are native to the climate), trying new flavors, and having fun! I was horrible at identifying the different olive oils and their unique features, but I had yet to learn there was a proper way to eat the bread sample and that there were so many different types of olive oil. Additionally, I loved our dance party between cooking and our olive oil tasting, which made the kitchen even more lively. Overall, I had so much fun trying new foods and practicing my cooking skills and vocabulary while spending quality time with an incredible group of people! I will definitely make paella for my family and incorporate my appreciation for locally sourced fresh ingredients when I return to the States! (Summitted June 2, 2024)