COOK AND TASTE
Barcelona’s Boqueria has become as much of a tourist attraction as a marketplace, so it’s no surprise that a tour of the Boqueria is one of the most popular parts of Cook&Taste’s cooking classes (not all classes include this visit, so double-check when booking). The ‘school’ is a bright, modern kitchen in an apartment on the Ramblas, just a couple of blocks from the market. Up to 12 of them sit in front of a long work surface; on the other side is Teresa, a professionally-trained chef who started at Cook&Taste about a year ago after working in a four-star hotel kitchen.
Willing volunteers from amongst the students (usually two at a time) take it in turns to help cook the ‘traditional’ three-course meal of Spanish-Catalan staples: tortilla de patatas with pa amb tomàquet, paella and crema catalana.
Teresa expertly gives ample opportunity for participants to absorb each step without any long pauses in the action. The level of ability and knowledge in the group can vary a lot, but everyone can take something away from the class, whether it’s learning the best way to chop an onion or discovering the correct type of wood for a traditional paella spoon. Teresa also teaches that warming saffron threads in foil over a flame to release their essential oils and the signs to look for in a thickening crema catalana.
The classes last around three and a half hours. Plenty of wine is drunk during class, which helps break the ice, as well as with the consumption of the finished recipes. Other classes are available, including more in-depth three-day courses, and can be tailor-made for groups.
Great for: Entertaining visiting relations
Top tip: Save the skins from skinned tomatoes, dry then deep fry or crumble to a powder and mix with salt for an unusual seasoning
DOM'S GASTRONOM
Dominique Heathcote was born in Venezuela to an English father and Dutch mother; she has lived in Barcelona for over 35 years and is married to a Catalan, so she has real local insight. Her classes, held in a specially-built, light-filled extension to her home in Valldoreix, are veritable social events, with participants from all over the world swapping tips about any number of topics.
Latest Comments