the teachers' barbeque

The Event:

Recently, my school put on a barbeque for all of the teachers. The food was astoundingly delicious, made by the chefs of our school cafeteria, who, in my opinion, make the very best tortilla de patatas (spanish omellete or spanish tortilla) in all of Spain.

The Setting: 

The school gym. No heating. No seating. It's very common in Spanish culture to eat while standing.

The Vibe:

The barbecue epitomized Andalucían culture. Everyone standing around, drinking, chatting, eating. Chatting, chatting, chatting. Eating, drinking, chatting, (and sometimes even smoking - on campus!). Whereas in the presence of a buffet style meal my mind sets off on one single train of thought: food food food food (hence the American stereotype of fast and big eaters), the teachers lounged around, even in the freezing cold, perfectly relaxed. If you think Southern California is laid back, try coming to Southern Spain. No one thinks about what they need to do later, because this meal, lunch, with friends and co-workers, is the most important part of their day. Socializing over food could be considered the most important part of every day. And they do so for hours on end. When Don Antonio, the principal, told me about the barbecue, he explained, "we will eat, will we drink, we will chat, starting at 3pm and ending...I don't know. We will keep going until we want to, probably well into the evening."

Additionally, although they provided small plates for people to serve themselves, everyone just dug right into the plates. When I was prompted to try a casserole, I looked around for the plate, and they told me, "no! just eat it with your fork!" I doubt this would ever happen in the states, but as a non-germaphobe, I didn't mind. Everyone just walked around with a fork, picking as they pleased. Like I said, it was very relaxed.


The Spanish Pride:

I had nearly every teacher come up to me each time a new dish was brought out to make sure that I tried it, and even more so, to make sure that I liked it. I frequently heard, "you don't have this in your country...", referring to the Spanish foods. I tried to explain to them that although paella isn't common, we do actually have Spanish restaurants that serve paella, and that we do have sliced, cured hams and good cheeses, it's just that, in the states, not everyone eats ham and cheese three times a day. They would correct me and say, ah, but no, you don't have this. Okay, I resigned. I suppose it is difficult to procure some tortilla de patatas in the U.S. (But that's the distinction between Spain and the U.S...In the U.S., it is difficult to find a certain Spanish dish. In Spain, it is impossible to find certain American foods. And I'm proud of America's food diversity.) The pride that the Spanish have in their cuisine (especially the people of Andalucía) is shared by all, and becomes evident in any social gastronomical setting.


The Menu:

The first course consisted of mucho jamón ibérico, cheese, and tortilla de patatas, along with wine and beer, served readily throughout the course of the afternoon.

Next came the bacalao, which came in the form of a casserole. Bacalao is the Spanish word for cod fish, and it came in a casserole with vegetables and tomato sauce.

And then of course, the meat. Several different cuts of pork, grilled, and eaten alone or with bread. I've had to grow to appreciate pork while living in this country; I started with prosciutto and cured hams, but after this barbecue, have come to realize the excellent flavor in barbequed pork meat. (Interestingly enough, there are "vegetarians" in Spain who do not eat any meat except pork. In the states, those vegetarians who choose to still eat one form of meat usually pick a light meat, such as fish or turkey. Pork is nearly as ubiquitous in Spain as the Spanish language.)

The chefs cooked paella in a pan with a three foot diameter. Before, I had only eaten paella at a restaurant, and was unimpressed. After having homemade paella, I have changed my mind about the typical (and famous) Spanish dish. It, too, was excellent.

And then came the dessert, of which I only had room to try the lemon mousse made by one of the teachers, which was perfectly sweet and sour.