Las Paellas is a cooking and delivery service which will send chefs, ingredients, and utensils to your home to show you how to cook an authentic paella, or do it for you.
There’s nothing quite like a family holiday - especially when it’s in sunny Spain! A few months ago, after juggling schedules and travel wishlists, Chris, Axel and I joined both sets of our parents in Sitges, a coastal town, half an hour away from Barcelona. Sitges is known for its brilliant weather (there’s generally never a cloud in the sky) beautiful beaches, and tons of tapas restaurants within arms’ reach.
We’re a family of foodies and, since most of our family had never spent much time in Spain, we decided to give them a more intimate introduction to Spanish flavors. After all, one of the best ways to get to know a culture is through food! Considering we had a wide range of age groups and interests to cater to, a cooking class at home was a win-win-win; my father, who doesn’t care for cooking could busy himself with other activities. Axel, our toddler, could peacefully enjoy his afternoon nap and the rest of us could enjoy hours of fun and have some delicious food to eat at the end of it!
After doing some research, I came across Las Paellas, a cooking and delivery service that brings delicious Spanish flavors into tourists’ holiday homes. Las Paellas will send over a chef and team to your home and they’ll proceed to whip up a decadent feast, serve you and then clean everything up! Brilliant! They also have a cooking class aspect, where they will set up a cooking class at your home, and still clean up for you :)
As their name suggests, Las Paellas is best known for their paella; a traditional Valencian dish made with bomba rice, meat, and vegetables seasoned with a delicious mix of spices. However, they also come with so much more. During our cooking class, they prepared a mix of traditional tapas to share (like pan con tomato, an omelette, gazpacho and of course lots of sangria).
Las Paellas really has some great chefs and they’re not afraid to share their recipes! If you book a cooking experience, the chefs will give you a personalized cooking class, allowing you to be as hands-on as you want. This was perfect as an activity for a mix of age groups!
“Las Paellas was perfect as an activity for a mix of age groups! ”
Before our trip, enticed by the description of the service and by photos and reviews by thrilled guests online, I contacted Las Paellas to book a spot. Las Paellas is heavily in demand and we were travelling to Sitges during one of their busiest times, so be sure to book them well in advance!
A few months later, it was paella cooking time! Las Paellas arrived at our door right on time with bags brimming with ingredients, cooking utensils and bright, sunny smiles. They proceeded to set up on our outdoor patio and began serving us tapas and sangria for us to enjoy while we cooked. We also donned some cute, happy red aprons, that they later gifted us as a souvenir.
“Las Paellas arrived at our door right on time with bags brimming with ingredients, cooking utensils and bright, sunny smiles. They proceeded to set up on our outdoor patio and began serving us tapas and sangria for us to enjoy while we cooked. ”
We had decided on cooking a mixed paella which features both chicken and seafood. The chef allowed us to each choose our tasks; while some of us started chopping up red peppers, some of us gathered around the chef to learn more about the pan and cooking process.
While we did the prep work, the chef talked to us about how to make paella, taking us through how to choose the right rice and the freshest ingredients. Even my father and Chris, who weren’t into getting too hands-on, enjoyed watching us while they sipped on fruit-filled, cinnamony sangria.
Sometime later, we all sat down to feast on our creation. The paella that we had all contributed to was simply delicious! A wide medley of ingredients from mussels and prawns to chicken and chilies combined beautifully together to create a rich, flavourful dish. Paired with some more sangria it was a wonderful meal, made even better because we were all together. Even Axel gave the meal his stamp of approval by presenting me with a polished-clean plate!
In a matter of hours, we had learned the paella recipe and made some wonderful memories to take home with us. It was the perfect experience on our Sitges vacation and I really appreciate the flexibility of the chefs which allowed each of us to participate as much or as little as we’d like.
Next time we’re in Sitges we’ll definitely be inviting Las Paellas over for another cooking class - or maybe two :) Even if you’re not into cooking, hire the company to cater a meal for you...it really was that good !
“A wide medley of ingredients from mussels and prawns to chicken and chilies combined beautifully together to create a rich, flavourful dish.”
For more information about Las Paellas, please follow the link below: