Two years ago, I met my parents in Spain for a two week adventure. My hit list included: Barcelona’s Boqueria and Cal Pep, the Dali Museum in Figueres, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Madrid’s Reina Sofia, Guernica and various Mesons (tortilla, champinion, croquetas), finding the best Gateau Basque in Basque country, and eating jamon no less than once each day (skipping was fine if the day included pulpo). Sure, we did city touring on bikes, met up with some extended family in Zaragoza, walked along the aqueduct in Segovia, but my imperatives included the above list.
My Dad and I having a seafood breakfast at the Boqueria. We tried to order a few a la cart items, and the Chef told us we were getting the seafood sampler. It roughly translated to “When I come to your house for dinner, I’ll eat what you serve me. When you come to my house, this is what I serve you.”
As Helen Rosner says in her Afar article, “if recipes were perfect portals to the thrills of travel—we’d never need to leave the house.“ Food brings about a Proustian memory flash. Not only of our own instance of first experiencing it, but also all we know about the place, a lesson in the history of trade routes, farming cultures, technological innovations and regional culture. How best to learn about other cultures than by going (and eating) there?
Churros y chocolate in Madrid
More and more articles are showing that consumers are spending their money on experiences, not things. Psychology research shows experiences bring people more happiness than do possessions. Even waiting for an experience elicits more excitement than waiting for a material good. While I may have a habit for collecting kitchen gadgets, I fully support the Foodventure.
*Toast Points will be published on an irregular basis. The daily habit is falling away as real life sets in. However, I’m bookmarking ideas regularly and looking forward to sharing more recipes, cultural criticisms, pop culture food trends and kitchen ephemera with you.
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