With the guidance of Chef Jorge and Sous Chef/sister Vanessa, the intimate group of ten aspiring cooks and foodies gathered around the prep table with whisks, knives, measuring cups, peelers, and more to start assembling a menu consisting of:

Tostada Catalana with Serrano Ham

Classic Tortilla Española

Torrijas with Jerez

Paella Valenciana

Sangria

On the menu, I immediately noticed a couple of my favorites; one in particular, I cook to this day.  While in Spain, like many travelers or expats, I gathered many recuerdos including pictures, artesania, jewelry, and more, but what has come in most handy have been recipes. I returned from my travels with numerous handwritten recipes from my friends’ grandmothers and family cooks. The one that I perfected was the Tortilla Española. In fact, it has become a staple at my dinner parties. However, the other recipes on the class’ menu, I needed to polish OR completely learn from scratch.

Always eager for a never done before recipe, I stood in front of the prep table for Torrijas with Jerez. Basically, this is a very light dessert similar to the breakfast favorite French Toast. Day-old or stale bread is soaked in an egg, milk, cinnamon, and sherry. Then, the slices of bread are fried and covered with a reduction of orange juice, sugar, maple syrup, more sherry, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. As this was one of the last dishes to be put together and requires the least amount of cooking or prep time, I had plenty of time to assist in the flipping of the Tortilla Española, enjoy sangria, and dance a little flamenco (music is always played to create a more festive ambiance).

Included here and throughout the post are links with recipes for your enjoyment.

Buen provecho!!

Here’s to more GOOD TIMES AND GOOD STORIES!

I experienced my first tortilla española over ten years ago in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. A tortilla española or Spanish omelet is the most commonly served dish in Spain.  It is a peasant, comfort food that is simply potatoes, eggs, onions, olive oil, and salt.  It can be eaten as a mid-afternoon snack, light dinner, or even a sandwich, called a bocadillo.

Although you would think that an omelet would be something that you could just improvise, I actually knew that in order to prepare an authentic tortilla española, I would need some insider tips.  After eating numerous tortillas and reading recipes on how to do it, I took a long bus ride from Madrid to Murcia in Southern Spain to have one of my friend’s family members show me step by step how to make a tortilla española.  My friend’s grandmother’s technique has served me for over a decade. In fact, it was part of this week’s menu at Chez Ms Traveling Pants. See the recipe below, try it, and insert it into your culinary repertoire.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes, peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 6 large eggs
• olive oil for pan frying
• salt to taste

How to in 25 minutes:

• Heat frying pain to medium heat and add olive oil to liberally cover the pan
• Peel and dice potatoes (make them all similar in size for equal cooking time)
• Dice onion
• Add all veggies and cook until soft
• For best results, stir often, reduce the heat to below medium, and mash the ingredients a little bit to get a good binding capacity
• Take the pan off of the stove and cool for 5-10 minutes
• In a medium bowl, crack all eggs and stir
• Add all veggies to the eggs
• Reheat the pan and cover with a small amount of olive oil
• Add the egg and veggie mixture
• Scrape the sides of the frying pan and the underside of the omelet to prevent sticking
• When the omelet turns yellow in color, it is time to flip (a challenge!)
• Put a large plate over the open pan, remove pan from stove top, and flip (can be messy)
• Slide that half cooked tortilla back into the pan until both sides are fully cooked
• Always present the best looking side to your guests

Buen provecho!

p.s. There is an actual tortilla española pan to make the flip work, but I dare you to try the flip and master it. The challenge is part of the fun!