Practice about sharing culinary knowledge and learning in areas related to local gastronomy such as ingredients, cooking methods, food prices, places to buy ingredients, habits…
An activity to learn recipes of traditional Spanish cuisine, in this case, ratatouille and breaded anchovies, using the theme of gastronomy to create a space for debate, exchange of experiences and knowledge and enjoyment.
Aim of the best practice:
The main objective of this practice was to create a space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences using the theme of gastronomy.
Objectives of the best practice:
This practice sought to achieve different objectives such as: that the participants know the ingredients and recipes of two typical dishes of local gastronomy: ratatouille and breaded anchovies; that they know the most commonly used cooking techniques in Spain, the necessary products, the places to buy them and their price; the exchange of knowledge and experiences related to gastronomy to learn from the different cultures that participate; create links of union and future encounters; enjoy a pleasant space and a meal together.
The main actors that have participated in this practice are the group of TCNs and locals. In addition, another of the main actors is the instructor or cooking teacher who will be in charge of giving the information and the appropriate indications for the preparation of the recipes.
The facilitator of the experience, who is in charge of coordinating the activity, is included as another important actor.
For the correct implementation of this practice it is necessary to have a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 20. This number is adequate for the participants to interact, communicate with each other, express their doubts and experiences, etc.
The approximate duration of this practice is between 4 and 5 hours. The first part is an introduction to local gastronomy and more specifically to the food recipes being made. After this, the preparation of the recipe begins while a debate and exchange of experiences is created. Finally, it’s time to celebrate and taste the prepared food dishes.
To carry out this practice it is necessary to have certain resources:
Humans: group of TCNs and locals participants in the practice with a certain interest in culinary issues. Teacher or cooking instructor. Facilitator of the experience that coordinates and stimulates the participation and involvement of the participants.
Materials: ingredients for cooking recipes (ratatouille and fish), kitchen utensils.
Infrastructure: kitchen and dining room with capacity for all participants.
The most outstanding strengths of this practice are: the scope and commonality of the theme of the activity (the gastronomy), the interest that this type of gastronomic experiences arouses; the flexibility to modify recipes or vary products and ingredients; the replicability in any other context; the participation of everyone in some of the different tasks involved in cooking (peeling, cutting, frying, cleaning…) and the value and enjoyment of having a joint meal after having prepared it together.
The degree of complexity of this practice can be controlled by choosing between some recipes or others.
The activity itself has few weaknesses, although scheduling a pre-activity session to buy ingredients and visit the market can be an area for improvement, thus complementing the practice. In this way, participants will be able to know first-hand the ingredients and their prices, as well as similar products that can lead to other culinary activities.
To carry out these types of activities related to gastronomy, it is advisable to include a previous session to go to the market to buy the necessary ingredients for the recipe. In this way, an introduction to the activity is made.
It is also advisable to choose simple recipes, with common and affordable ingredients. In this way, participants will be able to make these meals at home.
Likewise, thanks to the theme offered by this practice, it is interesting that significant informative materials are given to the participants such as the recipes, information about food and culture, festivities, similarities with other cultures … that help us to open debate and exchange of experiences.