La Comida

(ok, having just finished writing this I realize it is a pretty damn long post about food. I urge you, please, before x-ing out and reaching for the bong, give reading it a shot, I don't think its THAT boring)
(also, wish i had some pics to post with it, sorry)

Que hay chicos? Alright, the following post will mostly just be me geeking out about food. Disclaimer: this is not a vegetarian/vegan blog, and I really do hope that none of my dear animal loving friends are offended.
Anyway, the food. Probably 90+ percent of the eating that I have done in Spain has been in the house of my host family. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do slightly regret not being able to try more food around the city of Bilbao. The Basque Country is known for its food, and San Sebastian- a one hour drive away- is home to some of the most highly regarded chefs in the world. So yeah, part of me wishes I could be eating around more but honestly, the idea of spending ridiculous amounts of money on one meal like I would have to at a place like Arzak in San Sebastian has never sat well with me. That being said, if people didn't like to spend a shit ton on food, I wouldn't have a job at Nectar at home. To get back on track- fortunately my host mom is a damn good cook. Even though I haven't been cooking at all while living here, I have learned from watching her cook. She cooks with the ease and cleanliness that only a grandmother, who has been cooking their whole life can have. From watching her, I have learned a few valuable things as a cook.
1. Cooking economically. Rosa cooks whatever is in the refrigerator no matter what, nothing is wasted. No fancy ingredients, just solid ass food
2. Cooking healthier. Ok, we do eat a lot in her house that is not very healthy as well. The point is that many of her best dishes have been simple vegetable or bean dishes, things that are enjoyable to eat and won't kill you(as fast). Another thing about Spain, and pretty much every country besides the US for that matter. Meat is used as a flavoring agent. Example: Patatas a la Riojana- a stew of potatoes, pimenton(spanish paprika) and chorizo. If this were an American stew, it would be loaded the fuck up with chorizo and yeah, it would probably be pretty damn good. The point is that the ratio of potato to chorizo is about 9 to 1, and you still get the chorizo flavor but rather in a healthier dish. Eating a little less meat would be good for our planet and for us as individuals.
3. Cooking organized. Something I have learned to do in a restaurant kitchen setting but have failed to master(as I'm sure Sammy/Jeff/Chris knows) at home. I tend to be less than organized cooking at home for friends and family.
So anyway, I have been eating very well in their house. On Spanish food: the main difference that I have seen is the importance of natural flavors. Spanish food tends to be very mild, which some people don't really like. For me though, I can tell what the Spaniards mean when they say that they like the flavor of the ingredients, instead of masking food in spices and overcomplicated sauces. The fact that the food is mostly locally sourced helps too. One of my favorite things to eat in Spain so far has been a simple fried egg. It just doesn't taste like a frieg egg I've eaten in the States. Probably because the hen didn't live in a 4 foot cage with 5 other hens...But really, you can even SEE the difference, the yolk is a vivid orange that contrasts significantly with the eggs I have eaten in America. And the taste is fucking awesome.
One last thing. I am very proud that I have proved wrong certain stereotypes of Americans with my host family. Because I am not afraid of food, my host mom has made me food that they consider delicacies, but is scary to most Americans. For example, she has made me morcilla(blood sausage) and patas de cerdo(pigs feet). She had never made these things for students in the past, and only served them to me after I told her about going to the Mexican restaurant in Bilbao and having tacos de lengua(tongue). I really do think that these "scary" foods usually end up being the most tasty. In addition, from a moral standpoint if we as humans are going to kill animals for food, we should not humiliate the animal further by wasting it. Americans generally like to eat chicken breast, chicken wings, and different cuts of steak. This leads to MANY more animals being killed than necessary, because little Timmy America is afraid to try anything other than dry chicken breast.
Man i rambled, I hope someone out there enjoyed it.