Food!

Last night I went out for tapas with some of my friends from AIFS.  Tapas are very small portions of food that you share with a group of people.  It is customary to buy one round of tapas at a bar and then move on to another bar for the next round.  Sharing tapas is a very social activity and an integral part of Spanish culture.  Salamanca is known for having some of the best tapas around.  Our program sponsors nights like this, along with cooking lessons, dancing lessons, and intercambios, to help us immerse into the Spanish culture.  Our Resident Director took us to two popular tapas bars and we got to pick out whatever we wanted.  It was delicious!  At the first bar, I tried a type of tortilla española that had bacon and blue cheese on it.  Tortilla española is similar to a quiche and is made with potatoes, onions, and eggs.  It is one of my favorites and Angelita said that she would teach me how to make it.  Then I'll be able to make it home and share it with all of you!  At the second bar, I had a tostada with olive loaf, fig jam, and fruit on it.  A tostada is the Spanish version of an Italian bruschetta.  Spaniards love to mix flavors, like fruit and meat.  I know that it sounds really strange.  But it is so good! 

As much fun as it was to go out for a meal last night, I don’t think I’ll do it very often because Angelita is such a good cook.  There hasn’t been a thing she has made that I haven’t enjoyed.  Yesterday while I was eating breakfast she was making almendras garapiñadas, which are candied almonds.  She also makes her own natural jams and sauces.  For breakfast I usually have two pieces of toast with some of this jam.  It’s so funny to me because at home I never put jam or jelly on toast.  I’ve tried so many different types of food here that I refuse to eat in the States…like bananas.  I love the bananas here.  But at home I never eat them.  I have mentioned before that dinner is a fairly small meal throughout Spain.  Every once in a while, Angelita makes us toast with melted cheese and honey for the last meal of the day.  She uses a cured Spanish cheese called “queso castellano” or “queso curado” and then pours natural honey on it.  It is heavenly.  I’m so glad that I came to Salamanca with an open mind about the food.  The gastronomy is as important as the history and customs when integrating into a new culture.  However, I already know what my first meal will be when I get home in December:  Grandma Erma's recipe for stove-top mac 'n' cheese and a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dessert.  Yum!