NOMS

Who could have guessed that I would be lucky enough to be placed in the family that owns a pizzeria. Apparently someone at CGIS knows me pretty well or can guess that carbs are my favorite food group. In addition to making the best pizza, pasta, calzones, and tortellini in Granada - my family goes all out on Tuesdays (their only free day from work) with all kinds of different Spanish food. The Italian influence in the pizzeria is obvious and I have seen a few cross-overs in my host mum's home cooking as well - but usually it seems that they're a little sick of pizza by Tuesday. My family is from Bilbao so I'm not sure if that has something to do with the Italian influence. Although my whole family works and cooks at the pizzeria, it's my host mum that cooks all the meals in the house. As a vegetarian, clearly I haven't been able to fully experience the Spanish cuisine that my host mum would usually cook for the family, but she has been extremely gracious in her interpretations of traditional dishes into those without meat (even though my family still thinks I should eat seafood).

My host mum shops at both the large supermarket chain and at the stores in her neighborhood equally. She has her favorite vendors that she always goes to and others that she avoids.
Usually she will shop for groceries 3 times a week, whenever she needs more food (I fear this might be a bit more often with me here). And she cooks for about 2 hours a day in the house - although technically she's in the kitchen of Pizza Tutto all day.
The influences she has are her mother's cooking and her aunt's - as well as her own influence from cook books and tv shows. Her favorite cooking show is La Cocina de Karlos Arguiñano a chef from the north of Spain that cooks many different kinds of Spanish food from all over Spain and Latino America.
When shopping, she has a list of everything she needs and the meals that she is planning to make.
Her favorite is arroz a la cubana - arroz blanco con tomate frito y huevos frito. To me this doesn't sound overwhelmingly appetizing but she said she's making it next week so I guess I will get to try it!
My entire family has definitely noticed an increase in the price of all food. Especially, flour, cheese, olive oil, and fruit. Now they are seeing simple vegetables like iceberg lettuce go for .60 - .90 euros which they find ridiculous. There is much injustice in the food system here, and much of their native crops are being shipped out to other places that they are in demand - and cheaper foods are imported for sale to Spaniards. This is especially seen with oranges and nuts.