La Foodieteca (Repost)
Flashback! This blog was originally written in February 2020, but it’s good one so here you go:
Our family has two very different teenagers, which sometimes poses challenges when traveling. A few years back, we were in Barcelona on vacation with them, and while one was determined to see the FC Barcelona club and stadium, the other would have nothing to do with that. Knowing that Barcelona is a food lover’s town, and that Teen #2 is a budding foodie, we seized on a recommendation from our concierge for him to experience a day of shopping, cooking and eating with “La Foodieteca”
While my husband and Teen #1 embarked on a subway and bus adventure to go to FC Barcelona, Teen #2 was zealously focused on La Foodieteca and I tagged along. Mentioned in Time Out, Cookly, and Trip Advisor with what are now rave reviews, at the time La Foodieteca was a just-launched venture for corporate events or private engagements for those that want to experience a bit of cooking school, a bit of the real world of Barcelona food markets, and a lot of great eating. Housed in a plain, unmarked building near the heart of Barcelona, and up a few flights of stairs, L.F. looks inside like a Soho loft with mid-century modern style and a kick-ass kitchen.
Our day began talking with the private chef/teacher about what we were going to cook and eat – not surprisingly, our culinary adventure was going to focus on fish, meats, spices, and the freshest of tomatoes, olives and peppers. We then left the loft and headed to the market to pick up our supplies – not the touristy Mercado de la Boqueria, mind you, but a real food market where chefs and home cooks alike go to purchase their groceries. We met the various vendors our teacher knew, and they explained why we were buying certain types of fish, what tomatoes were right gazpacho and why they could only be found in Spain, and where to get the best of everything. Teen #2 loved it, especially the ability to taste, smell and savor all of the vendors’ wares thanks to our guide.
Back at L.F., we set out to make a feast. While pictures have been restricted to protect the innocent (no teenager would dare have his photo featured on this blog!), I can attest that I did none of the work, and Teen #2 did it all, with the chef, often working to perfect Michelin level skill; to wit, I think Teen #2 made at least 10 versions of tortas de papas, a dish I have always liked but had to forgo for a while afterwards due to overload. There was also the pan de tomate, a flatbread with vegetables, salted cod (that the teenager – and my husband, who joined us late in the afternoon for the actual eating – still rhapsodize about like a ghost of culinary pasts), paella with shrimp, and more food than I can remember eating or cooking, although it was amazing.
If you’re in Barcelona, I highly recommend this culinary academy and kitchen – learn more about it at https://www.foodieteca.com
