I’ve traveled a lot since my last post and I’m totally beyond behind on updating you on our travels. My OCD tendencies appreciate my chronologically ordered blog posts, but I have to break my own rule just this once. I’ve got something really, really exciting that I must tell you (and especially those living in the Rota area) about pronto!
Before my sister, Whitney and brother, Seth arrived a couple of weeks ago, I started planning a dinner party for some of our friends to meet them. Both my siblings are adventurous food-eaters and since they were vacationing in Spain for the first time, I knew I wanted the dinner menu to only be Spanish food. But, what I really wanted was to 1) be immersed in conversation with my family and friends while sipping on Sangria 2) relax and have fun and 3) not a cook a thing.
As you could imagine, hosting a dinner party while not cooking would end up in having just a party with no dinner. So, I began trying to find ways to make this happen. On my quest, I was directed to a personal chef named Carlos. I met with Carlos once to discuss menu options and a few days later, he showed up to my house ready to cook me and my guests amazing Spanish food.
My sister and I took care of the drinks and dessert. Since it was Spanish-themed, we had tinto de verano and of course, Sangria! I also picked up several different kinds of Spanish beers (you can buy them individually) from the local grocery store for people to try if they wanted. Dessert was simple; s’mores over the fire pit! Carlos brought everything else for the meal.
Carlos was super laid back and friendly. He speaks really good English and was really good at explaining how things were made and the ingredients in them.
My sister even got her hands dirty while assisting with the squid.
One of Aliana’s favorite things to do is cook. She was so excited about learning how to cook Spanish foods.
Our meal started off with a couple different kinds of cheeses.
Accompanying the cheese was jamon.
Next were the delicious croquetas. Which, is now my favorite Spanish food.
Next up was the ensaladilla de pulpo y langostinos. Delicious!
Carlos served us this amazing Salmorejo, similar to Gazpacho.
The whole time we were being served all this delicious Spanish food, I kept slipping into the kitchen because of the overwhelming, mouthwatering smell of the Paella that kept drawing me near.
This entire time of being in Spain, I haven’t been a big fan of paella. But after eating the paella Carlos made in my home; I’m sold and I love it!
The delectable finished product. It was soooo good, y’all.
Not only did I accomplish my goal of not cooking, I had a great time with friends and the food was wonderful. As an added bonus, after Carlos finished cooking, he cleaned my kitchen and did my dishes. Seriously it couldn’t have gotten any better than that. By the way, his specialty is sushi. I’ve heard it’s absolutely wonderful. He’s available for show-cooking at dinner parties and also can provide a flamenco dancer. Yes, please!
So, to all my readers in Spain, if you’re looking for a dinner party where you basically don’t have to lift a finger, follow these simple steps:
1) Gather a list of some Spanish food items you’re interested in plus a solid number of how many guests will be attending your party.
2) Contact Carlos straight away at carlosmunicio@hotmail.com to reserve your date for your special Spanish Fiesta.
3) Once the time arrives to have your party, sit back and relax and enjoy great food and company while Carlos takes care of the rest!
Enjoyed reading about the exotic Spanish meal. Seth said it was probably better than a 5 star restaurant meal. Anxious to read about your other escapades. Dennis.