The last time I was in Spain, I unfortunately got really sick and therefore didn't eat very much at all. The only food I was able to try was paella, so it's always the first (and to be honest, only) thing I think of when I think Spanish food. I was hoping that this trip would help me expand my repertoire, and I'm sure that taking this practicum will make sure of that.
I'm also hoping that taking this practicum will help me expand my general food knowledge. I knew nothing about the cured meats we looked at during the in-class activity, so it makes me really happy that I'll be able to try some of them while here (and without having to pay $200!)
The tapas I tried today (thanks again, Andy!) were croquetas, which were fried on the outside and had potatoes and meat on the inside. They were delicious, but deceptively hot, which resulted in me burning the roof of my mouth pretty bad. I guess I'll try to tone down my excitement to eat next time!
Linda - few items are so common, yet so good, that they can be considered a "benchmark" of how good a cook is. These dishes often cause difficulties for even the most experienced given how tricky their preparation can be. Croquetas are such a tapa IMHO: a little too much flour - they're too mealy. Not enough time resting in the fridge - they fall apart. If the oil is not hot enough - they taste too much like "olives" (if that is ever a bad thing, we can have a long debate). In the end, their simplicity is matched by how tricky it can be to make them "good". I'm glad you enjoyed them and how about we come up with a challenge: let's find the best croqueta in all of Spain! Sound appealing to you?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely sounds good to me!
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