Today was the unofficial start of the conference. For those of us who arrived early, we had a choice of activities, like a city tour, rowing in the bay, a boat trip along the Basque coast, surfing, hiking, and the one I selected “cooking like a Basque chef.”
We started in the market where the chefs buy all the food we prepared. While we didn’t buy any food, we got great explanations about the ingredients, including the fact that everything is local and seasonal.
Then off to Mimo, a cooking school located in the center of town. On arrival there, we each got an official apron and a glass of wine. By the time we’d finished with preparations and eating a meal, I’d probably drunk six glasses (of several different varieties paired to the food.
After an explanation of what we’d be cooking, we split up to help with one (or more of the dishes). The first course was a leek, potato, and ham fritter in a green sauce. The second course was sautéed white asparagus on a bed of carrot puree. Next came fish with mushrooms and ham (they do like their pork). For dessert, most people had a tart made with vanilla cream and covered in almonds, served with homemade ice cream. For those of us who don’t eat wheat, we had flambeed fruit accompanied by vanilla cream. It was incredible fun and fabulous food.
When the class was over, I met up with my apartment mates to exchange experiences. They went off to take the funicular up the mountain. I’d been up there when I came on Sunday. Instead, I walked around town on streets I hadn’t been on before, visiting a church and walking to the beach. San Sebastian oozes charm and on a warm, sunny afternoon it was delightful.
By the time I returned to the apartment I was ready to lie on a heating pad. Nothing, not even dinner, seemed worth the effort of going out again. I munched on fruit and nuts. Not exactly the thing to do in a city that prides itself on its culinary expertise, but it was all I could manage.