As part of our first week activities in Lisbon, our entire program was given the opportunity to cook a Portuguese meal. After taking the metro and making a long, uphill trek, we arrived at the Lisbon Cooking Academy. As we walked in, we were greeted by Chef Ana Martins and an entire charcuterie board set up. We all nibbled on our cheese and grapes (and some even partook in drinking some wine) and eventually made our way to the dining area. After washing our hands and putting on our aprons, we were split up into groups and began to cook.
As a vegetarian, I was hesitant to attend a cooking class. Most classes I’ve ever wanted to take only made non-vegetarian meals. Thankfully, Chef Ana was incredibly considerate and made an extra dish for the other vegetarian (shout out to Emma!) and me. So, what did we make?
The starter that we cooked was a Portuguese tomato stew. Those on tomato duty cut the tomatoes the traditional way (chunky!) and at the very end, we added eggs to create poached eggs and topped the bowl with slices of bread. I had never had poached eggs or traditional Portuguese soup, but the result was deliciosa!
As for the main dish, the majority of the program ate a dish that consisted of salted cod (a major staple in Portuguese cuisine) served with potatoes and a creamy sauce. From what I heard, it was very yummy. For us vegetarians, we prepared and ate bell peppers stuffed with tofu and mushrooms. It was pretty good! In addition to these main dishes, we were also served a type of coleslaw (salada de repolho) on the side.
Finally, we ended the meal with a dessert called torta de laranja, which translates into “orange roll.” As the name suggests, it was basically a fluffy cake roll made from orangey goodness, and it is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten in my life. If you like oranges and sugar, and you don’t mind eggs, you would go crazy for this!
Ultimately, this cooking class was an incredible experience. I got to indulge in some traditional Portuguese foods and get to know others on the trip a little better. The best part: getting to hug the wonderful Chef Ana at the end ?