My trip to Europe last December and January is one of the greatest memories I will have with me for the rest of my life...
Ofcourse the culture, sightseeing, people, and the nightlife were all unforgettable, but my fondest memory is the tortilla de patatas, otherwise known as a Spanish Omelette or Spanish tortilla.It's tough going on vacation with Celiac disease, and so finding a food that can be found in nearly every Spanish tapas restaurant, is gluten free, and is delicious, was definitely a pleasant surprise.
Besides being wheat free, the spanish tortilla can also be served warm or cold, another benefit to those who don't enjoy cooking everyday, or for those who are trying to save some money.
I realized upon arrival back to the U.S. that most of my favorite foods in Europe came with an incredible memory. You may wonder how the Spanish Omelette, a food so simple, can be so spectacular. The truth may be that it inst all that great, to you. I believe majority of the comfort received from a meal comes from the history and the personal relevance behind it.
The second country I went to on my European vacation was Denmark. I met two guys, Pedro and Fran, both from Valencia, Spain. The night before our flight to Milan, Italy, was spent at the disco until 6 am, even though we had a bus to catch around 7am. Megan, my friend who I travelled with, and I went into their apartment around 630am and found the two boys wrapping something up in foil... Too hung over and exhausted to care, we just picked them up and went to the bus station. Upon arrival to the airport in Denmark, the boys began to unwrap the foil and give us a baguette filled with eggs and potatoes. I was a little nervous, but one bite is all it took to realize my new favorite food. It was amazing.
The next day I had mixed emotions about trying the Spanish omelette again. I was afraid my love for the popular Spanish tapa originated from being extremely hungover, and very hungry. I was wrong, needless to say I ordered a Spanish omelette at nearly every tapas restaurant we went to from there on out...
To rehash the memories of Europe, I am making my very first Spanish Omelette....
...and so this is the journey of the Spanish Omelette made in my kitchen on 300 Berry Street with ingredients produced from all over the bay area and memories originating from all over the world....
START:
my condo at 300 Berry Street
(the first GREEN condominium building in San Francisco, yes everything is recycled materials!)
my condo at 300 Berry Street
(the first GREEN condominium building in San Francisco, yes everything is recycled materials!)
The trash: ...which is all compostable
cooking the potatoes and onion for about 7 minutes until tender
Next comes the addition of the eggs and cheese... The tortilla is left to cook for about 3 minutes on the stove top until it is transferred into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350. This helps to ensure all of the eggs are cooked thoroughly. You can either serve the tortilla warm or cold, or as a sandwich!
The final Product, in sandwich form:
Next comes the addition of the eggs and cheese... The tortilla is left to cook for about 3 minutes on the stove top until it is transferred into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350. This helps to ensure all of the eggs are cooked thoroughly. You can either serve the tortilla warm or cold, or as a sandwich!
The final Product, in sandwich form: