Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen

Pedro multi-tasking with a Tortilla Española and... whatever he is chopping.

One of the best things about being married to a Spaniard, or at least my Spaniard, is that he does all the cooking in our house.  Why?  Well, that’s a question that requires some digging into the Spanish and their relationship to food.

Much has been written about the Spanish culture and its special connection to food.  I would characterize this relationship as sacred.  Food, on a daily basis, is something to be revered and prepared and enjoyed at its highest level.  Spaniards, for the most part, shun frozen food - as well as fast food - in favor of fresh, home-made fare.  In fact, in many food stores in Spain, there is only one, small frozen food case as opposed to multiple aisles of it in the typical American market.  While many Americans were raised on frozen food and think nothing of eating it (and think it’s pretty good!), most Spaniards seem pretty “grossed out” by the idea.  That’s not to say a Spaniard won’t eat frozen or fast food at all, they just do not eat it in the quantities near that of Americans.

Spanish Deviled Eggs - to die for!!!

That may change in Spain someday, as families simply do not have the time required to prepare a complicated meal.  It seems that nowadays, many a Spaniard will still go to grandma’s house or mom’s house for the main meal of the day (everyday) and consume the home cooked meal they are used to. But I can’t think this will go on forever, and the next generation may succumb to the American way of eating more fast food and yes, even more of the dreaded frozen food, simply due to the time constraints.  Spaniards, however, I’m sure will deny this. 

 

 

Anyway, when Pedro and I first got married, we had a plan to share the cooking responsibilities.  But that didn’t last long, as Pedro, like his compatriots, preferred Spanish cooking to my plainly prepared American food.  I don’t remember using a lot of frozen food as I don’t care for it much myself, but what I prepared was no substitute for the taste of his mom’s kitchen, which he really can reproduce quite accurately.  Fast forward seventeen years, and the kitchen and the food we eat are wholly his domain and with a few exceptions, pretty much all he prepares – and all we eat - is Spanish food.

A tableful of Spanish goodies including Sauteed Mushrooms with Ham (Champiñones al ajillo con jamón),
Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española) and Gazpacho made with Beets (Salmorejo de Remolacha)

And that brings me to a new feature of this blog:  Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen.  I think deep down inside Pedro has always longed to be one of those Food Network chefs, sharing the appropriate way to cook Spanish food with the masses.  While I can’t make that happen, I can share with my readers the things he makes and a bit about how he makes them.  To an American audience, some dishes will look great, others not so much (I just missed an opportunity to document a soup he recently made with baby octopi that I promptly named “Spider Soup.” Use your imagination!).  Other things will not be “dishes” per se, but little treats from his childhood that he makes for me today. 

If I am fair, it is really though his cooking – and the stories the surround it - that I have learned about his family and Spanish culture.   And now I am hoping to share this with you.

Buen Provecho!!