We had our quiz this morning. It seemed kinda long, but I think I did ok again. Especially the questions about stock! Since we do that all the time in GardeMo.
Today was kind of a fun day! We learned about Spain and the food of Spain.
Spanish tastes in foods have been molded over the centuries by availability of ingredients. Although Spain's mountainous terrain is generally poor dairy country and not spacious enough for cattle to graze, it is idea for growing olive trees and grape vines and raising small animals, so the Spanish have naturally developed a taste for eggs, pork, lamb and veal, using olive oil as a cooking base and wine as an accompaniment to all meals. Vegetables and fruits, then and now, are eaten when in season and according to region. In coastal areas, of course, a superabundance of fish makes the diet entirely different from that of inland areas. There are several other general characteristics of Spanish cuisine: Spaniards are inordinately fond of garlic, they love green and red peppers, sweet as well as hot, fresh as well as dried, and there beloved jamon serano-cured ham- is not only eaten as an appetizers, but is Incorporated into a wide variety of dishes. Seafood and meat are frequently found in combination. Ground almonds-in soups and sauces, as well as desserts-lead a subtle savor to foods, while Spain's most famous wine-sherry- both dry and sweet, flavors main dishes and desserts alike. The paprika and garlic-scented chorizo sausage is commonly used to fill sandwiches or is sliced as an hors d'oeuve, but it is also sometimes slowly simmered, lending its unique taste to a variety of soup and meat dishes. The golden aromatic spice, saffron, is added to many foods, most notably, paella.
Spanish cooking generally depends on basic, down-to-earth ingredients and should present few problems for the American cook. Most preparations are quite simple, and the flavors, although often quite new and exciting, are not so exotic that you can't enjoy these dishes on an everyday basis. And don't look only to meat and fish sections for ideas for meals: one of the beauties of Spanish cooking is that many beans, rice egg, and even some of the vegetable, tapas, pate, and savory pie dishes make wonderful and very inexpensive meals. Often a restaurant menu is not divided into appetizers and entrees-rather, it is broken into categories such as meats, poultry and game, fish, vegetable, eggs and rice, enabling the diner to choose what he pleases for each course.
Although Spanish cooking adapts admirably to the American kitchen and to American eating habits, any visitor to Spain realizes immediately that the Spanish life-style is vastly different from ours. What is most impressive is the Spaniard's overpowering love for life, which carries over into all aspects of work and play. If it is true that a country's cuisine is a reflection of the character of its people, then Spanish cuisine should be the most colorful, lively and exciting on earth! Spanish joie de vivre, however, does not allow for moderation in any area of life and definitely not when it comes to eating. A typical day usually involves the following breaks for food:
8am light breakfast
11am mid-morning breakfast
1pm tapas
2pm three to five course lunch
5-6pm tea and pastries or a snack (merienda)
8-10pm evening tapas
10-11pm three course supper
It seems that the day never ends in Spain, beginning for most before 8am, with hot coffee or chocolate, toast, or those wonderful strips of freshly fried dough called churros, and continuing well past midnight for many, especially in summer, when the cooler evening hours are the most inviting. For Spaniards, eating is a social occasion that often takes place outside the home. The two main meals of the day, la comida-lunch-and la cena-dinner- are no less opulent because of in-between snacks. Rather, lunch is observed religiously by Spaniards. At 2pm, the country comes to a halt, as everyone either returns home or heads toward a favorite restaurant to meet friends or family. The 10 o'clock dinner hour finds Spaniard's either back home for a quiet evening or very often preparing for another round of eating an partying.
After our lecture, we went to our respective kitchens to make our assigned dishes. Chef Pete is teaching the French cooking class tonight so Chef Lexie went between Pastry and GardeMo helping us. I was in charge of making crab stuffed pepperdews (little hot red peppers in vinaigrette. They turned out well! I put a small dab of cream cheese in the bottom of the pepperdews, then dressed the crab in a seasoned creme fraiche. I got lots of compliments! GardeMo also made Crispy Chard Chips. You take chard leaves, take out the spine, rub them lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, then put them in a 375 degree oven for at least 7 minutes until dried. They really are tasty and better for you than potato chips! We had our chicken terrine from the other day and then made a chorizo and chickpea stew. We also served cod with bitter orange sauce. There was roasted pork (done on the rotisserie outside, shrimp cakes with romesco sauce, three types of cheeses and phyllo wrapped cheese. I took pictures of our table, so I'll try to add them here.
I also astonished myself at the end of the day when I realized, I no longer feel "shell-shocked" by the end of a week of school. That things are getting easier and I can enjoy myself more. It was a lovely revelation! Not to say school is not a lot of work and that I still have more to learn, but at least I feel more comfortable at school.
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