One of the best parts about CEA is the excursions and activities around your city, and some you wouldn't have otherwise thought about. In my case, I signed up for a Tapas workshop (YUM) to learn a little bit more about where and how tapas originated and how they are prepared.
One of the classes I am taking this semester is the Culture of food and wine and Spain, so this was the perfect activity to take part in. My teacher ended up being the leader of the workshop, so it was that much more of a learning experience for me. It was nice to be in a casual learning environment, especially because of how interactive it was.
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| Kitchen at the Workshop |
The workshop was located on the famous Barcelona street, La Rambla, so the view from the kitchen apartment was very cool. When we first arrived, we were given aprons and we then stood around the kitchen table where Pep (my teacher) gave us a presentation. Pep explained to us that tapas are a relatively modern establishment in Spanish cuisine and that they are meant to be shared with friends as a social experience--not as a meal!
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| Kitchen Prep tools |
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| Mixing Gazpacho |
When we began cooking, every two people were given a different dish to prepare. The pots, pans, ingredients, and so on were all laid out for us next to the recipe we were intended to make. It was cool being able to actually make the recipes given (although they were very simple). We ended up making peppers stuffed with cream cheese and tuna, deviled eggs, gazpacho, tomato bread with Manchego, Spanish omelets, and calamari. After everything came together and everyone completed their given task, we cleaned the table a little and set out all of the dishes. The best part was we were able to eat what we cooked! As is tradition in Spanish culture, we stood around the table and casually ate and enjoyed the meal together.
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| Deviled Eggs |
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| Final Product! |
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| Stuffed Peppers |
Elizabeth C. is the Fall 2016 CEA MOJO in Barcelona, Spain. She is currently a junior studying American Studies and Marketing at Miami University.