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!