A TASTE OF SPAIN

I’ve been eating a lot of great Spanish food lately, checked out Contigo and Coqueta in the past few weeks. The summer is always my favorite time to offer our Spanish cooking class because the ingredients are just amazing. Gazpacho was originally just a modest bread and garlic soup but now it relies on the most flavorful tomatoes to really shine. It’s still thickened with day old bread to get the texture just right. It’s refreshing and delicious.The Spanish tortilla is one of the most versatile dishes. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it will always be satisfying (even cold from the fridge). It’s a dish that demands the absolute best quality ingredients: eggs, potatoes and olive oil. Simple but not easy. A large family style paella certainly makes a dramatic presentation and will always delight. I learned how to make this dish one summer in southwest France from a Spanish chef/surfer who had a Paella stand. Every night he had the biggest crowds in the entire town and I love paella so I knew I had to stage with him. The key is the broth,we use a fish fumet that’s infused with saffron and several other spices. This is always one of our most popular classes every year.