Tortilla Española (Authentic Spanish Omelet)

5 medium sized potatoes

1 large onion

7 eggs

Cooking oil

Cube potatoes and dice onion. Fry potatoes and onion in about one inch of cooking oil in a fry pan until the potatoes are soft and a little browned around the edges. (Relax, the oil will later be drained) Drain oil. (See?) Put cooked potatoes and onions in a bowl. Beat eggs thoroughly and add to potatoes and onions. Put mixture in a clean frying pan (Teflon) with a “tiny bit” of oil. Cook one side thoroughly. Wiggle the pan while cooking to prevent sticking but without “scrambling” the mixture. When one side is cooked well enough to retain its form, use a dinner plate (to keep the omelet from breaking) and turn the omelet over. (Here is a YouTube video to show how it is done.) Cook this side thoroughly and if necessary repeat the flipping process. When the omelet is done, it should have the form of the frying pan and be cooked all the way through.

Gazpacho (cold tomato-based soup)

This is a summer-time dish popular in all of Spain but which originated Andalucía in the south of Spain.

2 stale rolls of bread

2 pounds red tomatoes

1 cucumber

2 large bell peppers

1/4 cup pimientos (canned)

2 small onions

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil.

1 teaspoon vinegar

Grind rolls to crumbs with a rolling pin. Soak in a little water until it becomes a thick paste. (Do not use too much water)

Blend all the other ingredients together in an electric blender.  Then stir in the bread roll paste and refrigerate until very cold.  Add water until about the consistency of tomato soup.