When I traveled to Spain, I thought the food might resemble Mexican cuisine with its spiciness. However, black pepper was the most piquant seasoning in the Fundación Ortega y Gasset kitchen in Toledo. I was happy not to burn my tongue, but my Mexican roommate imported a suitcase full of hot sauce to survive the four months of mildly seasoned meals!

I hadn’t heard of gazpacho, paella, or calamares fritos (cold tomato and onion soup; a seafood and saffron rice dish; and fried breaded squid), until I tried them in Spain. New foods expanded my palate. I had never eaten lentil soup before it was weekly fare at the Fundación Ortega y Gasset dining hall. Tortilla a la española (Spanish potato omelette) was my inexpensive lunch of choice visiting Madrid. Thank you plentiful and delicious tapas – Spanish bar food!

Many Spanish dishes I savored have become part of my repertoire of core comfort foods. I love a hearty lentil soup to this day. When I returned home to Minnesota, I learned to make tortilla a la española from Penelope* Casas’ Tapas book. When I was a teacher in Minneapolis, I cooked tortilla a la española and brought it to my middle school Spanish classes on special days. Later, when I lived in Texas, I met a wonderful Spanish friend, María Dolores*, who cooked me Spanish green bean omelettes. Here’s my recipe based on watching her cook.

Enjoy a taste of Spain! –Rebecca

*P.S. Sadly, both women who taught me about Spanish food passed away in 2013. To learn more about Penelope Casas, click on this NYT article.

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