Global Grub's Blog: Adventures in Cooking

Ready to try your hand at making mochi ice cream? Then it’s decision time! What flavor combinations will you use? The options are only limited to your favorite ice creams. Use our ideas here, or get even more creative…

For many Mexican families, a tamalada (the Spanish word for “tamale party”) is synonymous with the holidays. Multiple generations gather around the kitchen to make a ridiculous amount of tamales, oftentimes in the hundreds. The tamales are shared and enjoyed with family and friends throughout the season, sometimes given as a gift (I accept!). Traditional rituals include the Grandma’s prayer to the tamales,Spanish guitar music...

With over 20 countries under my belt (half of which I credit to Semester at Sea; that's what really ignited my international interest), Europe had somehow escaped me and was calling my name. Plus I was in need of some inspiration for a new Global Grub kit... sounds like a good excuse to go, right? And with that, our mission was set: eat our way through Europe, with our 1-year-old in tow (that's a whole different story that you can read about here). With travel days factored in, we only had 8 days to complete our mission. 

First stop: Barcelona. I wish everyone adopted the idea of tapas, small plates so you can have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. One of our best meals of the trip was at Restaurant Rene, a little gem with nostalgic decor in the Eixample area. We ordered too many tapas to list, but here's what stood out the most: the melt-in-your-mouth trumpet mushroom croquette, Catalan cheese plate including the "best burrata I've ever had" and last but not least, seafood paella of course...

I was getting a serious travel itch when my mommy friend told me that some airlines provide bassinets for babies on international flights. Since the double-digit hour flight was my biggest fear of traveling with my 1-year old, the bassinet provided a glimmer of hope. Plus I thought, "now's the time to do it before he's completely mobile" and "let's take advantage of free airfare for under 2-year-olds"...

Menu:

• California Roll: crab, avocado, cucumber (or substitute crab with salmon or teriyaki chicken, or additionally top with a salmon or spicy tuna)
• Spicy Tuna Roll: spicy tuna, cucumber
• Tempura Roll: shrimp tempura, optional avocado  
• Philly Roll: salmon, cream cheese, cucumber
• Veggie Roll: any assortment of veggies
• Sushi Sides: optional
• Sake and Beer: optional but highly recommended