Around the world between stoves
The Mirallers street It is a continuous coming and going of tourists, although they all stop at number 9. Can I help you with something? - asks Toni Camí, one of the three entrepreneurs of Born to cook, the gastronomic place that takes all eyes of the neighborhood. Some do it by chance, called by the need to photograph the colorful tiles that decorate their floor. Others arrive looking for his story: “These were the old stables of the Columbus family. It is believed that they lived in the upper part”, Toni tells us pointing to the stone arches that separate the different rooms. A finding that was published by the Catalan historian Jordi Bilbeny in his book El dit de Colom in 2010 and that, despite his controversy, was supported by other Catalan and foreign researchers. In fact, as the author related, this immense property was the subject of dispute between the general's children after his death.
A journey through the palate
The rest of the tourists and locals who cross the glass door do so to cook. To travel through the senses. And that's the idea. Because there is no trip without gastronomy, just as there is no cuisine that does not take us to a specific place or time. We find that machine to teleport us here, in Born to cook, the new gastronomic proposal by chefs Álex and Marta López from the restaurant “El Groc” in Vilanova i la Geltrú, and their partner Toni Cam Yo. A space where the stoves that occupy the center of the premises are capable of delighting us with the best of Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Catalonia, among others.
“For the workshops we have chefs from the corresponding country. If we are going to teach how the main dishes of Mexican cuisine are made, for example, the teachers are Mexicans” explains Toni. “ The main characteristic is that we treat local and fresh, seasonal products . In the creative tapas workshop and the paella workshop, we take the students to the market so that they themselves can see the material we are going to work with and learn how to buy it in a traditional market”.
Christopher Columbus had to travel to America to get the ingredients for the tortilla, but in Born to cook you will have to move a little less. The visit is treated historic Santa Caterina market , an 1845 building that has been refurbished numerous times and is striking for its colorful patterned ceilings. It is one of the most popular spaces in El Born although, unlike La Boqueria, they are not so crowded by tourists.
Would you know how to conquer with a dinner?
This walk arose from the original idea of the project. “ We wanted to make tourist routes through markets and restaurants in which the attendees were taught the gastronomy of our country and that they could prepare some of the dishes such as paella or tapas. After 15 years in the kitchen, Álex López suggested finding a space where he could bring them together and teach them how to cook. This is how Born to cook was born. From our experience and passion for local and world cuisine”, explains Toni.
Although most of the attendees are North Americans, the workshops are not only focused on foreigners. In some courses such as sushi, Brazilian or Mexican cuisine the students are Spanish. The idea in the near future is to also attract the Asian public, although at the moment these classes are only held in English and Spanish.
Born to cook has just arrived in the neighborhood and is already becoming a benchmark as a gastronomic school in Barcelona. With only one month of life, these three entrepreneurs have already carried out some 15 workshops and several private events. The price of the course is around 50 euros and includes ingredients, class, dinner and wine . In general, most of the courses are two and a half hours long, with the exception of tapas and rice dishes, as one more hour would have to be added to include the visit to the market. It is not just about cooking, but about sharing and enjoying learning.
Here they give sushi courses, Mexican and Brazilian food
The maximum capacity of the workshops is 12 students , although if it is a showcooking then the number of attendees can be up to 70 people. The magnitude of its premises, facilities, history and location have also attracted the attention of companies such as Siemens, who, in addition to sponsoring them, have already held the occasional event there. "At the moment we do not work as a restaurant, although we do accept reservations from companies that want to organize a special private dinner or party," he says.
The next step, according to Toni Camí, will be organize wine tastings and ham cutting workshops that they address the local people; as well as making routes through the Penedés vineyards so that wine lovers can learn first-hand how it is made. "We are just starting, but we have many ideas in mind that we would like to carry out in the fall." for now, for next September they are already preparing a cooking workshop for children with the idea of bringing them closer to this art in a fun and entertaining way. For this, they will hold a day where the little ones will be able to participate as if they were in the popular television program MasterChef.
Born to cook lounge
This approach follows the principles of slow food, a new movement that has its origins in Italian cuisine and that promotes enjoy gastronomy through culture and knowledge. Savor each dish without haste and that the students can also know where each food comes from, how it is made and the options that exist to prepare it depending on the country and tradition. They say that the best way to conquer someone is through the stomach . However, to get to it, you have to know how to create the weapon of seduction that we will bring to the table.
Born to cook belongs to the I_nnovation Cooking Center_ network, a group of cooking schools in Spain that currently has five centers: two in Madrid, one in Cádiz, another in Valencia and east of Barcelona located in the heart of El Born. With this new opening, the most bohemian neighborhood in Barcelona adds another gastronomic corner to its wide culinary offer. Since the opening of the Mercat Princesa in 2013, which brings together more than 16 different cuisine proposals, it has become a cultural mix where the old traditional Catalan premises coexist with the new proposals most modern that encourage us to travel the world. The difficult thing here will be choosing what to eat.
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A very cultural kitchen.
Prepared?