One of my favorite local interactions with the native Spanish community was making a traditional dinner with my friend Anton’s host father from Basque Country. I was very touched that I was invited to their home since inviting guests into private spaces is not interwoven into Spanish culture like it is in the United States… since most urban citizens live in small apartments above restaurants, it is more common to spend hours on end in public spaces such as bars and cafes, having discussions over as little as one piece of cake over the course of three hours. This is also the reason why it is considered just as rude for a waiter to bring you your check as it is for a friend hosting a party to push you out the door since both actions suggest that it is “time to leave”.
Once I arrived at the apartment, I was automatically offered a glass of coca cola with a splash of red wine, the most typical drink of the region in Northern Spain where Anton’s host father was from. He informed us that we were cooking tortilla española and gazpacho, which I would describe as a light egg omelette eaten at all times of the day with a crisp cold tomato soup. Since my mother ran a bakery out of our home as a child, I have been around/ learned to appreciate quality foods my whole life (at four years old, I caught my hair on fire reaching over a candle for my favorite food, mushrooms stuffed with elk, chili peppers, chives, and parmesan in a white wine sauce). What I found myself most surprised about through the experience of flipping my own tortilla española and blending the tomatoes was that Spanish cuisine has nothing in common with Mexican cuisine. Spicy food is nowhere to be found, wheat and corn “tortillas” found in America are nonexistent, and wine is served with nearly every meal. Instead of mixing flavors and spices, optimal Spanish cuisine is achieved through minimalism and quality. Whereas I cook at home by blending spices, vegetables, and sauces to create depth and complexity, a Spanish soup such as gazpacho may call for only five ingredients: a three+ day old bocadillo loaf to absorb the tomato juice, a peeled and seeded cucumber, minced garlic, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Though the ingredients list is simple, the food remains exquisite because of the freshness of its components. Fruit is to be bought the same day as the food is intended on being eaten, which is a completely different philosophy from my rural upbringing in which weekly trips to the grocery store supply my entire family until we drive 25 miles to the nearest supplier again.
Though one night of cooking with another family seems like a simple event, I felt very loved throughout the experience since we were all so excited to be performing the task together, both in teaching and learning. I am ecstatic to bring the recipe back home to “cook up” some new memories!
“family dinner picture”: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOUQxxMRSJ7Srd01hc7wAMG5uGxDyxtxJntrrj4