A funny Tupperware party in Albuñuelas

Yes you read right....and please don't laugh at me ! Yesterday, for the first time of my life, I attended a Spanish Tupperware party at my friend Scarlett's home in Albuñuelas. Now, Scarlett made it clear that the whole point was to have a nice girlie evening with no obligation to buy. And fun, indeed we had....We were about 20 women listening to a very enthusiast Spanish Tupperware instructor who made a convincing demonstration of : how to cook a chicken in one of the brand new polyethylene dishes, stuffed with lemon and rosemary, no oil, no salt, and then tucked in a microwave. Cooked and ready to eat in 25 mn or less.

Scarlett who is a very charming hostess knew, we would be hungry with all that cooking demonstration and prepared a lovely buffet.....

......which would quickly have vanished if the Tupperware instructor had not summoned us to the second demonstration part : the bolognese. Ah yes ? bolognese spaghetti cooked in microwave ? In no time, the intrepid Tupperware instructor diced the onions in a red manual mixer (from the new collection), then placed them in a special dish which goes to microwave, adding a bit of olive oil. And while I admired the quickness of the process, I was thinking, oh dear, but where is the charm of listening to your food gently frying ? Mind you, the result was grand...The spaghetti were also cooked in the microwave and were wonderfully al dente. It took approximately 20 mn all in all to have the bolognese ready. And when we had the pot all for ourselves, I just couldn't move from it and kept eating. Same thing with the chicken, it was just right, very soft and delicately perfumed with the lemon. Still, after all these quick tour de force, I kept thinking this is very convenient when you rush or when you run a professional kitchen but that's just it : I hate to rush in my kitchen or else I make a sandwich and basta. For me, cooking at home is an enjoyable time, not just placing food in a dish and put in the microwave. Yes, I love cooking food for hours like traditional French boeuf bourguignon or the gigot de sept heures (7 hours lamb). I enjoy cooking pasta in a big pot of boiling water and stir them with a wooden spatula, which by the way, stressed the Tupperware monitor is strictly forbidden because of the bacteria. Ok, in professional kitchens but please at least, let me enjoy my wooden spatulas at home !

So to conclude : I didn't buy anything, not for lack of interest, but I gave my microwave long ago to a friend and never felt the need to get a new one. So I never cook food in a microwave. And also, the prices were quite high and frankly at that rate, you might as well go for copperware ! With not the same quick results ...of course....

Naturally, the cooking demonstration took place in Scarlett's kitchen, next to the terrace which has wonderful views on the sierra and orchards. Scarlett and husband Chris are the dynamic and happy team behind Casa Amelia. She loves food and cooking. And she's brilliant at it. He loves her and her energy. They both run a B&B at home, organize catering while keeping on their cherished project of an ecological farm. I remember once, having a beautiful lunch on their terrace, a new recipe Scarlett was trying. We were all going mmm...oh yummy and Scarlett started to laugh, saying : And to think, this is work ! Isn't that great ?

So tell me, what will you be cooking this week end ?

Have a fantastic week end !

pics : me