Espai Boisa cooking classes held in Spanish attended mostly by locals

My friend Anjalina (www.rainbowspoon.com) has been at me for months to try out this space. “You will love it!” She enthuses, “Not just because I am teaching.” she laughs.* She’s right. Espai Boisà is a great space with a large cooking island set up as you enter and a dining area with benches off to one side. There is even a dark grotto with a ficus, festooned in a sprinkling of sparkling white lights.

The brain child of Pep & Claudia, who previously worked in pharmaceuticals and became convinced that the answers to health and happiness were good, safe ingredients and knowing how to cook them. When they opened up in 2010 – there was no one else doing anything similar. It’s really popular now, a great evening out, alone or with friends. You can also book the space with a chef and have him cook for you and a group of people – perfect for a big birthday or a team building evening.

Besides the appeal of the high quality organic ingredients – the main draw of Espai Boisà is that it doesn’t target tourists. This evening, for example, our class is made up entirely of locals and although it is taught in Spanish, the class speaks Catalan to each other. Other classes include Sicilian (€35), Nikkei (€45), Sushi (€59.90), Inca food (€45) and of course Angalina’s course “Curries, No Hurries” (€45).

I arrive 15 minutes late (I seem to have a genetic disposition for lateness). This means that according to cooking classes formats I have encountered thus far in Barcelona, the presentation is over and it’s time to delve into onion chopping. We are cooking in fours today. After initially being shooed away by some girls who are saving seats for their besties, I settle in with Gemma, Cristina (friends) and a guy named Toni.

I glance at the three recipes (written in Spanish) we’ve been given and have half a heart attack when I see the long ingredients list. Anjalina comes over – “You ok?” She asks scanning my stricken face. “Just chop the onion and tomatoes. Blanch and buzz the spinach. Then I will come back and check on you.” Alrighty then. With Angalina guiding us, the meal comes together quickly and the long list of ingredients is mostly just spices which have been measured out for us in advance.

We sit down to a good looking spread of Indian food that we’ve cooked and a few extra dishes that Anjalina made for us. Some of us haven’t put in enough salt but all of us have been heavy handed with the garlic (oh the Spanish love their garlic). Wine is poured and we all get to chatting. It turns out, Toni is a translator of medical texts. This insight is partly responsible for his family’s conversion to Pescetarianism, a favouring of organic ingredients and a conscious effort to spend time outdoors. Usually with their mare, Audrey, whom they keep up by Montjuïc at La Foixarda.