Rica! Rica! Comida!

This last week has been filled with many delicious endeavors. One day this week, we enjoyed the delights of the chocolate museum here in Barcelona. The museum explained the origins of chocolate (including the coco contributions of ancient civilizations to deities). 

Signs were posted all around with the origins of our current traditions with the delectable treat.

 Additionally, there were sculptures made entirely of chocolate and colored white chocolate. This made the whole museum area smell heavenly.

 The Spanish Christmas Cake, eaten on the 6th of January, is a sweet tradition. Inside there are two prizes. One is a King, and the other a seed. If your piece of cake has the King, you are considered the King of the party and will have good luck in the coming year. If you get the Seed, you will have bad luck at the party and in the year.

 At the museum, along with our tickets, we were given a piece of chocolate. It was a delicious dark chocolate and probably sells for about half the price of what our tickets cost.

 This chocolate depiction of a Barcelona street made me smile... an my mouth water.

 Ah, Segrada Familia. One of the most talked about structures in Spain. Still not complete one hundred years after the death of its architect, this chocolate version does not even do it justice.

 The tools used over the years in the process of making chocolate appear similar to many other mill and cooking tools used for grains and such.

 Saint Jorge and his Dragon are very popular in Barcelona.

 This chocolate grinding stone is among the more ancient pieces found in the museum.

That evening, we attended a cooking class through our academic program. Together we prepared and ate a number of traditional Catalan dishes.

 A professional chef over saw the entire process, explaining culinary details with every step.

Preparing dessert (Barcelona Creme Brule)

Prepping the potatoes for Tortilla and chicken for Paella

Tomato Bread

All of the dishes were delicious and beautifully displayed. Unfortunately my camera died in the middle of the process. Our menu consisted of a cold-tomato soup started, Spanish Tortilla, Catalan Tomato Bread, Chicken Paella, and Lemon Creme Brule for dessert. It was Fantastically delicious, and well worth the time we put into making it. I love the Tomato Bread, which is so simple to make, and could be eaten as a side with any meal.