3 April 2019: Preparation of the Slow Food menu for Thursday
The students worked in four groups (cold and hot kitchen, patisserie and service) in different departments and prepared menus. Par example students of the patisserie prepared the traditional „Torta de Manteca“ and the „cheese cake“ for the coffee break.
After the coffee break, master baker José Antonio Donaire Diez introduced us to the traditional art of baking the geographically protected bread „Pan de Cruz“, which has been baked in his family business for five generations. The name derives from the sign of the cross, which is carved into the loaf of bread before baking. Interesting for the consumer is that this bread stays fresh for up to a week due to its thick crust. The „Pan de Cruz“ is unique in appearance, consistency and manufacture. So it contributes to a variety of goods that would be lost in a solely conventional food production. The preservation of the culinary heritage of the regions contributes directly to the preservation of regional and thus also European culture through, for example, the special production process of the bread with special machines and a special oven.
At noon we were able to get to know a typical regional menu with Andalusian gazpacho or Piquillo peppers filled with Spanish omelet and blood sausage in the first course, vegetable and potato pie or Tempranillo stewed pork cheeks and milk and wine „torrijas“ on English cream for dessert.
After a short break we continued to the organic goat cheese dairy „EL Peral“. Shepherd dogs, who take their job very seriously, received us there. The goats live together with their protectors in a species-appropriate enclosure and enjoy their freedom. The organic farmer and his wife have successfully run their business for five years. Their aim is to preserve the traditional processing of goat’s milk and to arouse the interest of (potential) customers with traditionally handcrafted food. The young entrepreneurs informed us about their corporate concept, showed us the production process and the food-specific storage. The students were able to contrast the farming of the goats and the production of dairy products in the organic farm with conventional animal husbandry and food production with all its disadvantages. Of course, we could also taste organic goat yoghurt.
German