Cooking for my Señora :-D

I don't cook. I honestly have never put in the time to learn how to. I am so busy with school everyday that I don't have time to spend an hour cooking and I never really enjoyed sitting around the kitchen with my mom. So, I was very nervous to cook for my señora. When Andy told us that we had to cook for our señoras, I went home and explained to my señora my problem: that I needed to cook for her but I had no idea what I was going to cook. She told me "Don't worry, be happy!", her favorite English saying. She said she could teach me how to cook something Spanish. She told me she would instruct me and help a little, while I did most of the cooking! I thought this would be a great way for me to learn about Spanish food and learn a little bit about cooking too!

With my señora's help, I was able to cook a Spanish meal! And I learned a lot! We cooked a tortilla española and una ensalada con arroz y verduras. The first thing I did was cook the rice. Next, I cut the onions and let them cook in olive oil. I peeled the potatoes, washed them, cut them and added them to the saucepan. I drained the rice and cut up vegetables for our salad. I added the vegetables and some olive oil and white wine vinegar to the cooled rice. Next, I added some tuna to the salad and mixed it all up. The salad was ready and the potatoes and onions were cooking :-) After the potatoes and onions were cooked, I added them to beaten eggs. We drained most of the oil from the pan and added the egg, onion and potato mixture. My señora had to help me flip the tortilla to bake the other side. After cooking the tortilla on both sides, we were ready to eat. I am so glad my señora helped me learn how to make some Spanish food. I enjoyed learning from her because she showed me how to do everything but then she trusted me to cook on my own, so I now feel confident that I can make a Spanish tortilla. We had a great time and we had a very delicious meal. I cannot wait to make the same meal for my friends back home!

Mi Señora!

As a pescatarian, after about a week in Salamanca, I'd already tried a lot of different types of fish. Now, after 5 weeks here, I've had a wide range of fish along with many different traditional Spanish dishes. About 2 weeks in, I finally sat down with my señora to talk to her about her shopping habits, eating habits, and Spanish food in general. Since then, my señora, Dayaneet, Zach (the other two foreign students), and I have talked about food during almost every meal. Dayaneet and I especially like learning about Charro's cooking habits. During our first conversation, Charro (not sure if I'm spelling her name correctly) told us that she goes grocery shopping almost every day of the week, and that in the past few years, the price of food has increased a lot. She says she tries to save money by going to markets with better prices, but she mostly goes to the ones closest to her apartment. Along with Carrefour, she said she enjoys going to fruit, fish, and meat markets. She says the markets are the best place to get the freshest food, although it's fine to buy things like bread, muffins, and cereals at Carrefour--she'll buy these items days or weeks in advance, while she says she always buys the meat, fish, and fruit the day that she's going to use them or a day before.

Charro really likes to eat healthy foods--usually our meals consist of some type of fish, cooked vegetables or a salad, and fruit for dessert. She's diabetic, which limits her options for sweets obviously, but we did have ice cream one night. I can honestly say I've enjoyed every meal she's cooked for me except for one, which was octopus (pulpo). I tried about 5 solid bites of it before I gave up. I think the meaty texture just did not sit well with me, but I do know that I've talked to other people here who have tried it and enjoyed it. When asked what foods she likes and dislikes, Charro immediately said that she likes everything. After more conversations with her over the weeks, I've found out that not only does she enjoy eating healthy, but her favorite meat is lamb. The one thing pertaining to food that she doesn't like is when different parts of her meal mixes together, like the vegetables and the meat. As for her cooking, Charro lightly fries the fish most of the time. The merluza she made was delicious, and my favorite meal of hers was tortilla espanola with eggplant instead of the potatoes. Overall, Charro is a great cook and I thoroughly enjoyed trying everything she made for me. It is very nice of her to go out of her way to make me fish instead of other meat, and I made sure to tell her how much I appreciate it. My favorite part about trying food in Spain was the fact that it's so much fresher than the food in the U.S. I genuinely feel better after eating healthy, fresh fish, vegetables, and fruit every day.

Team Tapas Tasting

On the night of Tuesday, July 27^th, after a grueling day of cursos exams, Andy’s food practicum met up on the east side of town to go out for one last tapa hopping experience. After we had all arrived, Andy pulled out a deck of cards and had us each take one—we weren’t simply trying tapas bars as a group, like usual; instead, we were teaming up and making a game out of it. My group included Brandon, Sheri, Ashley, and Sydney, and we wasted no time deciding where to go first (this is a lie: we actually took about 5 whole minutes before deciding to wander down Avenida de los Comuneros, off the beaten path). We started at Los 3 Carabeles, a bar that I pass every day on the way home from class. Andy came with us, and due to the rules of the game, Brandon was our first waiter. Let me just say that Brandon was excellent: he could make a career out of waiting. I ordered an empanada that had tuna, tomato, and green olives inside of it, and it was delicious. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 9.5. And that’s only because I don’t like green olives. Sheri and Brandon each had croquetas that I’m pretty sure had ham in them, which they gave a 6 and a 5, respectively. Sydney and Ashley had patatas con alioli and gave them a 6.5 and a 7, respectively. I tried the patatas and really enjoyed them—the only problem with the patatas here is that sometimes they drown them in the sauce; otherwise, they’re almost always delicious (if you like fried potatoes). Andy let us in on a secret: he said it’s always best to go to crowded tapas bars, since more people usually means better food. Let’s just say Los 3 Carabeles wasn’t exactly bumping. But it was also 8:45pm, which is very early to go out in Salamanca. Either way, I have to say that empanada was my favorite tapa of the night.

Next, we wandered back to the park we’d started in (Parque de Pablo Picasso) and went to Devinos, a tapa bar that Andy highly recommended. I ordered one of the only pescatarian (spelling?) items on the menu, the bacalao con salsa y pan (fish with salsa and bread). The bacalao was very good, but it was raw, which I had trouble with. I ate a few bites and ended up eating the bread and salsa alone (yes, I’m embarrassed), which was delicious. I’d give this tapa a 6, only because of the struggle I had with the raw fish. Sydney tried it and really liked it, so definitely don’t shy away from bacalao if you have the chance to try it. Sheri, Sydney, and Brandon had pollo con queso (chicken with cheese) and gave it an 8, an 8.5, and a 7.5, respectively. Even as a vegetarian, the chicken with cheese looked really good. Ashley had panceta con queso, which is a type of pig fat (I think that’s correct) with cheese. She really enjoyed it and gave it a 9.

The last bar we went to was called Café Bar Crespo—we were lucky and found a table outside. I ordered tortilla, which is my favorite tapa in general (although the empanada definitely won out on this night), and I’d give it a 7 because although it was delicious, it was cold. Brandon got salpicon marisco, a mixed seafood salad sort of dish, which he gave a 7. Ashley had patatas bravas (potatoes in a red, sort of spicy sauce) which she gave a 7.5. After eating her tapa, Ashley had to leave to go on a date with a Spanish guy—really exciting! Hopefully she had room to eat after all those tapas! Sheri had a bocadillo con lomo y queso (sandwich with pork and cheese), which she gave a 5, and Sydney had fried pig cheek, which we asked the name of multiple times but never fully understood. Sydney rated the pig cheek at a 7, leading us to the conclusion that it’s always good to try new foods, especially in Spain (a conclusion I’m pretty sure we’ve all come to over the past 5 weeks). Since we had money left over, we ordered leche helada, a dessert that Sheri’s host parents highly recommended. It was delicious! It was a milky icecream with pieces of cone in the glass along with lots of cinnamon on top. We chatted and ate on the patio of the café for a while before splitting up for the night. Other than my slightly negative experience with raw fish, we agreed that Devinos was probably the best tapa bar we went to that night. Overall, we had a great tapa hopping experience!

-Emily

A Great Tapas Team

It truly is amazing how much 5 girls can eat and drink here with 50 euro. We really made the most of our money and filled our stomachs with delicious food last night. We managed to eat at 4 different bars and get ice cream! Our favorite place was De Vinos. We all had some kind of meat sandwich with cheese and everyone was satisfied. Also, we all agreed that De Vinos had the best drinks- both their sangria and white wine was fabulous. Most of us had chicken, which was a pleasant change after so much ham. The fact that we had chicken instead of ham could have been one reasons why we enjoyed this bar so much. Additionally, the bar had a hip and clean atmosphere that we all appreciated!

A tie for the best tapa was a meat and cheese dish that we tried at Café Solo. When I asked what it was, she said it was la saña, with a pause between the la and the saña, so I didn't realize she was talking about the very familiar dish that we call lasagna. Later, when I asked my señora about saña, she told me she had never heard of that and she was pretty sure I meant lasaña, which I did. This makes total sense now, especially because the first thing out of Emily's mouth was "This is great. It's like lasagna!". So, our favorite dishes turned out to be chicken and lasagna, which, are not very Spanish but they still tasted amazing!

The lasagna at Café Solo was great, but we were not fans of the calamari there. The calamari was hard and cold and pretty bland, so we would definitely recommend trying calamari elsewhere. As for the worst drink, we did not like the tinto de verano at Café Bar Sprint- it was bland and tasteless, so before you get a tinto there, try walking over to De Vinos first!

Mi señora y la comida

It was harder than I thought to pin down my señora for a quick chat about food, but justifiably so: our apartment is a constantly revolving door of international students staying for two weeks (Italians), three weeks (Americans), or six weeks (myself), and cooking and cleaning everyday for six students is not quite the recipe for a señora with free time. However, when she could spare a few minutes for my little interview, the results were insightful and well worth the wait.

Given the amount of students my señora must host at any given time, it’s common for her to have to make shopping trips at least twice a week, depending on what she plans to cook for the week and her stock of staples (such as galletas for breakfast, coffee, milk and juice). She does a large portion of her food shopping at Carrefour, where she can usually find good deals on staples when she buys things in bulk, as well as lots of microwaveable food. Most importantly, Carrefour sometimes stocks a small range of Mickey Mouse-themed products, and with a two-year-old with an unhealthy Mickey Mouse obsession, it helps to have those products nearby during her shopping trips. Fortunately for my señora (and for us students, as well), her family often stops by to drop off extra fruits and vegetables (and if we’re lucky, her mother’s famous croquetas!). This is particularly helpful, as the cost of fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods has risen exponentially. This is something I’ve really started to notice over the past few weeks, because fried foods and meat always seem to take up more space on my plate than healthier foods. I’m not one to complain, however – three home cooked meals a day is something I am truly grateful for!

My señora learned how to cook from her mother from a very early age. I asked her if she ever wrote any recipes down but she told me that was unnecessary – everything is in a big recipe box in her head from which she can pull out hundreds of different meals without a problem, thanks to several years of repeating her favorite recipes and cooking for international students. She usually plans what she is going to cook for the household a few days ahead so that she can plan her schedule around cooking and cleaning the kitchen when she isn’t taking care of her two-year-old, Daniel. One of her favorite summer foods to cook is her version of pisto, a ratatouille-esque dish usually served warm with bread. My señora’s version is made with eggs, tomatoes, onions, peppers and olive oil. For some reason she doesn’t cook it often, but when she does, it’s absolutely fantastic!

I have two parents back in the States who work around the clock and who don’t often have time to cook anything special for family dinner. When we do sit down for family dinners about three or four times a week, the food is always super healthy and usually much of the same thing: grilled chicken, salad, and a piece of fruit. I have grown to truly appreciate what my señora does for me and my roommates on a daily basis – cooking for six students, a husband, and a two-year-old son, with something different to eat for every night of the week, is a miracle in my mind. I have so much respect for mothers around the world who work to keep their households happy with food and a comfortable atmosphere. Even though I can’t wait to get back home and eat some of my own mother’s mustard-pretzel chicken and bok choy salad, I’m really enjoying the varied menu of pisto, tortilla and croquetas in my Salamanca home. Muchas gracias, Irene!

The Tops of Tapas

For the less adventurous Tapa-Tasters (a.k.a. those who do not like seafood) I would recommend all of the pinchos I have tried thus far. Before coming to Spain, I knew that I adored tortilla de espanola, and after failing to make it myself at home, I knew had to come back here to get some real tortilla. Like much of the food here, the tortilla is a strange combination of food you might never think of putting together: egg, potato, and onion. So simple, yet so delicious.

Next is the famous croqueta. I've heard it described as a gooey mozarella stick and that seems to be pretty accurate; there are different fillings but most involve cheese, ham, or potato.

I also tried the costillos (ribs) at the place where it was supposed to be the specialty. Although extremely flavorful, my piece was very disappointing as there wasn't much meat at all on the bone, so I definitely felt cheated.

After sampling these two, I kind of thought Spanish pinchos resembled bar food far too much for me to enjoy on a daily basis. However, I discovered the elegance in other pinchos that seemed like delicacies to me. For instance, the champinones rellenos (refilled mushrooms) were delicious. I really had no idea what to expect here, but I think they were stuffed with some kind of meat and I'm not sure what else, but they were delectable! Definitely a good idea for a classy party snack.

Having never tried sangria before coming to Spain (something about wanting to wait for the real thing) I had made it a point to sample it at each new establishment. To my amazement there has actually been quite a spectrum of quality. Clubs around here serve terrible juice-like sangria, but in tapas bars (especially those on the Plaza Mayor), the sangria is wonderful and refreshing. Tasting so much sangria has also steered me in to trying more red wine here. At home, I am not a red wine drinker at all, but I've wanted to become one. I think that once I go home, I will want to start trying more, now that I've had everything under the sun mixed with red wine: limon, coke, casera, and various other beverages.

La cocina de Pauli

Talking with my host mom about food was one of the most rewarding experiences I could have here in Salamanca. The excitement about being able to have full conversations in complete Spanish was exemplified by the fact that my host mom happens to be a fantastic cook. So, as a result, you can imagine the conversation was pretty great.
I start off every meal by asking her what it is I’m eating. The answers range from the simple “pan-seared pork” to a much more complicated “arroz cubano, lomo, alioli, y huevos.” However, regardless of what is on the plate, it always ends up tasting great.
The first question I asked was about where my host mom buys her food, and how often she goes there. She replied that she buys some things only once a month, at the compramayor; essentially the Spanish equivalent of a large superstore. At the compramayor she will buy cleaning supplies, salt, pepper, all the sorts of staples that won’t go bad. When she does a trip to the compramayor, she makes sure to have a list of the things she needs, so that she can go to the store with a plan of what to buy.
Next she goes to the mercado. At the mercado she buys the meat, vegetables, and fruit needed for the entire week. Although she has some idea what she wants, when she goes to the mercado she doesn’t have a specific list of items. She said it is important to look at what is fresh, cheap, and healthy, at the time. If she sees something she likes, and it looks like a good deal, she gets it, but generally she has no specific plan.
My host parents, though youthful for their age, are still quite a bit older than my parents in the states. They are each within their 70’s, and therefore remember a time that was quite different than today. My host father chimed into the conversation by saying that he remembers a time when not only the fruits and vegetables were much cheaper, but the water and electricity as well.
Finally I finished off the conversation by asking about their favorite foods. My host mom’s favorites are ensaladas, most specifically ensalada Rusia, or anything with fresh vegetables and fruits. Her cooking is incredibly healthy and I’m very lucky to have her cook for me everyday. She also mentioned that she really likes paella, but that you need to be very hungry to eat it. My father’s favorite is pescado. He actually goes and fishes almost every week in the summer and then brings home fish for Pauli to cook. Hopefully I get to try something he has caught during my time here. And at last I have to jump in saying that my favorite food is filletes de lomo enpanado a la pina, a specialty of la cocina de Pauli!

Tome siestas, come tapas... la vida.

What is my favorite tapa so far?? Gah I could never choose! They are all so different and wonderful. The first night here my señora served me a toritilla españa which I wolfed down. It is made of eggs, potatoes and onions – basically a Spanish frittata. But I also love el salpicón de mariscos. It is light and refreshing with delish seafood and a hint of vinegar. The least tasty tapa for me so far has been… nothing! I love them all. I have yet to be adventurous and try the tongue of an animal but that is definitely on my bucket list.

Without a doubt my favorite drink is sangria. I gulp it down as if it is fruit punch (I admit its not the smartest thing to do considering I get tipsy off a drop of it. I have loved all of the drink so far though. I cannot wait to go home and try making them myself. Mixing wine with coca cola is definitely on my to do list, as well as veranos tintos… muy refrescante.

The next time I go out I hope to muster up the courage to order una lengua. Wish me luck!

Hasta luego,

Katherine

Tapas for Everyone!

Tapas are a great piece of the culture of Spain. I had so much fun going out for tapas with the class earlier this week. Calle Van Dyck has many good tapa bars! My favorite tapa was the first one I had, which was Brocheta de Sepia (on the left). It was absolutely delicious and was quite filling. I love seafood, so I continued to get seafood tapas.

At the last bar we got tapas at I ordered a Brocheta Longorinos (to the right). I was completely caught off guard when I realized I had to take the shells off the lobster, which I didn’t know how to do. As good as it was I prefer to eat my food with as little work as possible.

I also had many kinds of drinks last night, of course including wine and sangria. My favorite though was the Rebujito, which is white wine with sprite. It was delicious. I had to do a shot of tequila at a bar in the plaza so I could use their bathroom, and it was the best tequila I’ve ever had (as hard as that is to believe). I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get an “acorn” shot at Bar Su Casa because everyone who had one said it was delicious. I suppose I’ll have to go back and get one another time. Tinto de Verano, while it does not have that much alcohol, is good and is less sweet than Sangria if you’re not feeling that much sugar. I have also gone and bought wine from the store because it is so cheap and it’s actually pretty good!

I definitely forsee many tapa hopping nights in my future. My Senora told me that her favorite kind of tapa is lomo. I didn’t have any last night, so I will need to go have one for her and see how delicious it is. I have not been disappointed by any of the meals she has made me, so her taste must be similar to mine.

Tapas 'Til I Drapas

How did we get so lucky to be able to take a class that lets you eat, eat, and eat some more delicious Spanish food? I am confident that tapas hopping with Andy’s class will always be a favorite memory from my trip to Salamanca.

It’s very difficult to choose my favorite tapa thus far, let alone my least favorite. However, if my life truly depended on it, I would have to say my favorite tapa has been the croqueta. I’m a sucker for anything cheesy and breaded, and this particular croqueta really fit the bill: a small fried food roll, the croqueta makes for a delicious delicacy as well as tasty and efficient fast food. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the croqueta I sampled, but just imagine a five-star mozzarella stick filled with potatoes, cheese, and ham. Perfectly fried on the outside with a soft and flavorful center, I would recommend croquetas to anyone and everyone who is lucky enough to be able to tapas hop in Salamanca.

My favorite drink so far has been the rebujito. After a little research, I discovered that “rebujito” comes from the Spanish verb “arrebujar,” which means tangle, muddle or jumble – which makes perfect sense! The rebujito is a refreshing jumble of white wine (served over ice) with a generous top-up of lemonade or soda water to take the edge off the alcohol content. Yum!

As for what I liked the least, (as much as it pains me as a dedicated meat-eater), I would have to choose the mini ribs. Although tapas portions are almost always quite small, I was fairly disappointed with the lack of meatiness on these ribs. As you can tell from the picture, it seemed like the majority of the meat on the bone was fat - normally I wouldn’t complain about this, since fat is often the tastiest part, but it seemed to be the only thing I could taste on these little guys. But as with most things in life, we all deserve a second chance – I guarantee I’ll be trying more ribs here in Salamanca in the near future.

Ribs

Prawns

One other thing that I really can’t wait to try is prawns, or gambas. From what I’ve seen this week, bars and restaurants tend to put whole prawns into the dish, so eating requires tearing apart the tiny crustaceans to get to the good stuff inside. The mess makes it all the more fun to eat, ¿no?

- Allie

La cocina y la compra de Mamen

My senora, Mamen, happily agreed to sit down with me and answer questions regarding my curiosity as to the processes involved in preparing meals for us.

First she told me that she mainly shops in Dia, un supermercado barato. I noticed that most of the brands of the packaged food she serves us is indeed branded with the Dia logo. Mamen also frequents local fruterias y carnicerias to obtain fresher items. There is also the nearby Mercado San Juan. She goes shopping for food everyday to ensure the freshest items possible. She told me that the best day for fresh carne is on Tuesdays.

On the topic of the rising cost of food, she sighed and replied, "Muchisimo." She then proceeded to give numerous examples, stumbling over the conversion between pesetas and Euros, and in turn making it a little difficult to follow her. So I decided to ask her more about her feelings on Euros, sensing some discomfort and frustration, not only with high food prices but with the change in currency. She, like many other people of the older generation, really do not like the Euro. They have grown up with the peseta and so they still must do conversions in their head to know how much something actually costs (which, as tourists, we do as well). I fully empathized with her frustration, thinking about how if the US ever tried to change its currency I would vehemently oppose it. Mamen also discussed how switching to the Euro has produced inflation. For instance, la sandia, which used to cost around 15 centimos, is now running about 60 centimos (I don't know if that's per kilo, that's where I got lost). All fresh products, she says, have increased in price and decreased in quality. She says that "mas notara la subida en las cosas mas necesitadas" like bread, fruit, milk, patatas. She also discussed the differences in the cost of lomo do cerdo over the past few years; it used to be around 3,50 Euros, and is now around 4,50 Euros.

After exhausting this topic (I think we were both getting a little muddled in the numbers), she explained that she usually knows what she is going to cook each day, but if there is a special oferta, she will likely buy that item instead of her planned list. Mamen also told me she spends only about an hour and a half cooking each day, which surprised me I guess, but it makes sense. Breakfast is no time at all, and the most she spends cooking is for la comida in the middle of the day. Dinner is often simple and doesn't take much preparation. However, she made me tortilla espanola last night, for which I thanked her repeatedly, and she told me that it usually takes her 2 hours to make just that, which is why she doesn't do it often. I appreciated it even more.

Mamen and I have been going crazy over patatas fritas this week (potato chips, not fries) and she admitted to me that they are her favorite food. She has been giving us packaged chips which have been delicious, but says she also makes her own and I cannot wait to try them. She also wanted me to add, on a more serious note, that she loves el cocido madrileno (which I just realized now means "stew" rather than "cooking" and thus makes my request that she specify moot).

I'd always appreciated the work Mamen does for me on a daily basis in preparing my meals, but knowing now that there is quite a science to pricing and waiting in lines and going to the best and cheapest stores, I really am thankful for her daily efforts.

¡Mi Señora, Mi Señora!

My host mom and I get along great so when asked to interview her about food and post a blog about it, I knew there wouldn’t be a problem. When I first approached her about the interview, she was more than happy to do it. In fact, I think she kind of felt like a star. I mean, who doesn´t like to be interviewed? Only people with a purpose gather this kind of attention. :)

I kindly reminded her of the interview while watching one of her favourite shows. I assumed we would do it later in the evening but she wanted to do it right then and there, so I dropped everything and became a high school journalist again. The interview went as follows:

¿Dónde hace Ud. la compra? ¿Cuántas veces a la semana hace Ud. la compra? (Where do you buy your food and how often in a week do you shop for food?)

El supermercado mas cercano de mi casa. (Supermarket closest to her house).
Todos los días por ejemplo, para las frutas, carne, leche… (Everyday, for example for fruits, meats, milk, etc.)


¿Ha notado una subida en el costo de la comida en los años recientes? ¿Por que? ¿Puede dar un ejemplo de sí o no ha subido el costo? (Have you noticed an increase in the costo of food in recent years and can you give an example whether the cost has increased or not?)

Si, mucho. Por el cambio de la moneda al euro. (Yes, a lot. The increase is due to the higher value of the euro.)
Si, la luz subido mucho, gasolina, productos alimentisios… (Yes, lights (electricity) has increased a lot, gasoline, food items…)


Cuando va a la compra, ¿ya tiene una idea de lo que va a comprar / hacer para la comida? (When you go Shopping, do you already have a general idea of what you are going to buy or make?)

Si, tengo una idea para prepara la comida. (Yes, I have an idea of what I am to prepare for meals.)


En un día normal, ¿cuánto tiempo le lleva hacer la comida? (In a normal day, how long does it take you to make a meal?)

Una hora, aproximadamente. Depende. (Approximately an hour. It depends (on the meal)).


¿Cuál(es) es/son su(s) plato(s) favorito(s)? (Which is (are) your favorite meal(s)?)

(Excited sigh haha) ¡Patatas a la importancia, paella, sopa de pescado, etc.!

Learning from the Best: An Introduction to Spanish Grocery Shopping with My Señora

Earlier this week, my classmates and I hit up a local meat/seafood market with our professor, an experience only strengthening my love for this class. Collectively, this market is like nothing I've ever seen in the United States, and here's just a couple of shots I took that portray what takes place on daily basis here in Salamanca:

Above: some of the "mariscos" (seafood)

Above: some of the "carne" (meat)

Above: some of the more interesting delicacies available (i.e cow snout, cow tongue, pigs feet, tripe, etc.)

Anyway, now to the point. Being that we have now experienced one of many local markets, we were instructed to interview our host-moms about their habitual shopping routines, and my host mom, Carmen, had some pretty interesting things to say. Although it can change depending on the number of students she's housing, my host mom usually goes shopping around two times a week almost habitually. She usually has a pretty solid idea of what she's going to buy and usually abides by those expectations. I told her that I usually try to plan out what I want to buy, but if I go shopping when I'm hungry, I buy too much. She couldn't comprehend how that could happen though: you only get what you need, when you need it. I say that's quite wise because I often tend to be wasteful with food at home.

When I asked my host mom where she likes to shop for groceries, she had quite a lot to say. She said she divides her shopping into two different parts: meat/seafood shopping and fruits/vegetable shopping. When shopping for meat, my host mom told me that she's been shopping at the same place for years; to her, it's become a special experience to have a confident relationship with one of the local "carnicerías". For produce like fruits and vegetables however, she can usually find a place closer to home and isn't connected to any one market.

Over the years, my host mom has noted an increase in the cost of fruits, vegetables, milk and on occasion fish, but she said that the price of meat has typically remained pretty constant. Again, however, she hasn't really let prices affect her buying habits: she understands very well how much to buy and when to buy it.

When it comes to preparing food for the day, she explained to me that she usually gets up and starts cooking the food for the day between 8:30 and 9:00 and continues cook until 11:00 onwards. That's depending on the type of food she's going to cook though. We just had a meal yesterday that took a total of 24 hours of preparation, so I get the impression that food plays a significant role in her life. Although we haven't had it yet, she said her favorite food is paella and she'll eat any kind. I'm always appreciative of the food she cooks for me and say "gracías" so much I worry it's going to lose it's meaning. I show my appreciation, however, by sitting down with her after meals for anywhere between an hour to three hours and talk with my host mom about life here in Spain as well as life at home. I'm living a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm taking advantage of every second.

My First "Tapas Crawl"

Last night was my first, of what I hope to be many "tapas" nights, or, as I like to call it, my first "tapas crawl". Although I unfortunately don't remember the names of the places we ventured to, I most certainly remember what I at. Moving from place to place as a class, not only was I able to try the "tapas" I ordered, but I also tasted some of the dishes my new eating buddies had chosen. My favorite food of the night was "cochinillo asado", or roasted suckling pig. It was absolutely delicious, and the compliment of my "rebujito", a drink of white wine and Sprite, made for an incredible combination:

Above: Cochinillo Asado and Rebujito

I was able to try many delicious local foods while I was out, trying patatas alioli, patatas bravas, castillas (ribs), pulpo (octopus), etc. The most adventurous food I tasted though was thanks to Sheri, who ordered cow tongue. Believe it or not, it was surprisingly delicious. I’ve always said that while in Spain, I’ll try anything once, and cow tongue is something that I would most certainly eat again if given the chance:

Above: Patatas Alioli

Above: Castillas (Ribs) and Sangría

Above: Tostada con pulpo y gamba (Octopus and Shrimp) and Sidra (local hard cider)

But last night was only a small taste of what Spain has to offer. I’ve enjoyed a lot of pork dishes, but I’m a huge seafood guy and would love to venture into this part of Spanish cuisine. In class this week, we learned about “chipirones en su tinta”, translated to be “squid in its own ink”, and I want more than anything to try this. If I’m remembering correctly, it’s a little bit on the expensive side, but if given the opportunity, I’ll most certainly try it. I also really want to try various types of paella, and since it’s my host-mom’s favorite food, I’m sure I’ll be given the opportunity. Spain has not yet failed to both impress and excite me when it comes to food. With the weeks that lie ahead, I wait patiently with a smile on my face and an adventurous mindset to continue on this journey with Spanish food.