BCC is located in Donostia’s Miramón Technology Park. The building, designed by Vaumm Architects, is shrouded in lush green and looks out upon panoramic views of the city center and Cantabrian Sea below.
The first class was an introduction to the program. The other stagiaires and I watched a short film about BCC that featured some of the regions most heralded chefs. One of the messages that resonated most with me was that our industry is about more than just feeding people – we’re affecting their health, sharing with them local and seasonal products, serving them culture. The class also covered basic themes such as: what is molecular gastronomy and culinary urban legends (the avocado pit WILL prevent your refrigerated guacamole from turning brown, but only if the pit is unharmed; you can also use other antioxidant-rich products such as lemon juice or parsley). The second class addressed food safety and storage, and uninspiring as that may sound, I found myself fully engaged and posing hypotheticals about defrosting chicken in a microwave (okay to do, although flavor will suffer and you must cook immediately).
