BARCELONA: BCN Kitchen Cooking Class; Antique Market; La Ribera neighborhood; Placa de Catalunya

Hola Family and Friends: This morning the air was chilly as we stepped out of our apartment and walked toward the Santa Caterina Market for coffee. We tried out a new coffee place called La Torna. The staff were bustling about, as they always are in these places.

We looked forward to our BCN Kitchen Barcelona Cooking class this morning! We signed up for this class after discovering we'd learn to make paella, gazpacho soup, onion/potato tortilla, pan cot tomate, and crèmea Catalana. So, after coffee we made our way to Boqueria Market on La Rambla. We went through the market to the third floor of the administrative building to meet the Chef and fellow students. When we walked into the BCN Kitchen, we were introduced to Chef Alvaro, who would host and teach the cooking class. Chef Alvaro was born in San Sebastian - a city of around 200,000 in the Basque country of Spain. He explained to the group of 8 students, that he once had a restaurant in Brazil for a period of 3 years.

Our morning with the Chef began with a trip downstairs to the Boqueria Market where we made several stops. We purchased many of the ingredients to be used for our meal during the tour. The first stop was a meat shop called Can Villa. Chef Alvaro discussed the different varieties of hams. He talked about the Mediterranean climate and how it contributes to the taste of the meat. He said, "Fat is good! It's what gives the meat its flavor!" He stated that the Bellota (acorn) fed pigs eat whatever they want for the first 6 months of life, and must be at least 20 m apart (free range) from each other. The pigs are killed at 3 years, and the ham hangs and cures for 18-36 months. Chef Alvaro stated that this ham must never be refrigerated, but must be at room temperature and the meat must sweat. This is the way the meat is supposed to be eaten.

Our next stop was at a shop called Cus De Calaf. This was so interesting, as it was all eggs. So many different types of eggs!

On we went to Christine Pilarin which was a fish shop. The Chef talked about fish, how freshness can be determined by the eyes, the brightness of the blood, the gills, the flesh, and the lack of any strange odor. As we stood listening, a giant and aggressive prawn crawled over his mates, and crashed off the counter onto the floor in front of an elderly couple. The little lady retrieved him and tossed him back on the pile. The Chef purchased cockles, cuttlefish, and shrimp which would be used in our paella.

Next, we stopped at a fresh vegetable counter and Chef Alvaro showed us a substantial bunch of giant spring onions. He stated these onions were the best when they were charred and eaten at what is called a "Calcotada Celebration', where the charred calcot is peeled, dipped in Romesco sauce and eaten with Cava (sparkling white wine). He also purchased several Roma tomatoes for the Gazpacho soup, and picked other juicy tomatoes, grown only in Catalunya, for the pan con tomate. Chef Alvaro said there were 250 types of tomatoes grown in Spain.

Next stop was at La Torna for "Farmer's Bread", a crusty bread which would be used in pan con tomate. He said it could last up to one week, if kept properly wrapped in a cloth!

We walked by an olive shop. The counters were laden with many varieties of olives. I love olives, and happened to notice this display. What a great idea!

Finally, back to the Kitchen to start our many tasks in preparation for our fabulous meal. First Chef Alvaro made a beautiful fish stock which was used in the paella. Then, each student was given specific tasks, some tasks included cutting potatoes and onions; preparing garnish for gazpacho; cutting vegetables in chunks for gazpacho soup, and others preparing fish for the paella. Chef Alvaro kept everyone on task in a very pleasant and patient way, and all the while, taught us about the foods we were cooking and the history behind them. Fascinating! It was a very relaxed, and fun environment in which to prepare a meal. All the while, you could enjoy as much as you liked of red, white or rose wine. What more could you ask for? When our food was ready, we were all seated at a long table to begin the meal. It was a fun time with lively conversation. Here are pictures of our food... the tortilla, the gazpacho soup, the pan cot tomate We enjoyed these dishes first, and then came the feature - the seafood paella with cuttlefish, mussels, cockles, and scampi (large shrimp). If you love fish, you would love this paella! We finished off the meal with a delicious crema catalana.

At the end of the meal, Chef Alvaro was kind enough to share his thoughts about the best places to eat in Barcelona. So, that was the end of our 4 hour class. It was a delightful time, and one which I will always remember. To top it all off, I received all of the recipes by email from Chef Alvaro this afternoon! When we left the class, we came across an antique market on Avinguda de la Catedral. There were many tables set up, with a variety of trinkets, jewellery, books, stamps, glassware, etc. Ron bought a tiny, old Barcelona Football Club pin. We spent the afternoon wandering around, looking in shops, and strolling down the beautiful streets. We walked across the beautiful Placa de Catalunya which is a large square in central Barcelona. There were many people and a huge batch of pigeons scattered about.

Finally - we stopped back at Santa Caterina Market and purchased some fresh tomatoes, cheese, Iberico sausage, olives, bread and Manchega cheese for our supper later in the evening. What could be better?

Tomorrow we have a busy day ahead and it's our last day in Barcelona! Adios, Karen