Local chef and former Orange City Life columnist Ruben Lopez Mesa will be sharing his passion for Spanish home cooking with Australian audiences as a guest on SBS Food’s The Cook Up with Adam Liaw.

The first of Ruben’s three appearances on the popular cooking shop will air at 7pm on Wednesday, July 17, where he will be discussing the Spanish zero-waste approach to home cooking, a topic familiar to readers of his past contributions to Orange City Life.

Born out of necessity, during the years of hardship following the civil war in Spain, comida de aprovechamiento or ‘zero-waste cooking’ is about making the most of humble produce – cheap cuts of meat, seasonal vegetables and legumes –  to create delicious and affordable meals for you and your family.

“It is exactly the same as the first time that you and me sat and talked. The same thing. So I think probably this is a consequence of what we started to be honest with you,” Ruben said.

“Because I haven't changed one word or one comma, my rhetoric is the same, but it is what is now necessary, especially now with the cost of living…

“Why would you keep buying first cuts and expensive whatever, when you can cook with legumes, with veggies. When you are free on Sunday, you are able to make a big batch or whatever and freeze it. But no one is talking about the necessity of using your freezer. For me, it's essential.”

“So Adam Liaw contacted me and he said, ‘I'm really interested in what you're doing, especially from the point of view that you are doing it.”

Ruben’s three episodes will each feature a recipe he has previously written about in Orange City Life: For the first on ‘Zero Waste Cooking’, he will be making Torrijas (the Spanish answer to French toast); then Sopa de Fideos, showing how to make three meals from one whole chicken; and finally his lentil stew with chorizo.

“I don't think that we speak in Australia enough about stews or soups and stocks,” Ruben said. “For example, the concept of roasting the chicken and using the bones to make a stock…  I think it was eye-opening for them to be honest with you.

“In Spain, we call it cocina de cuchara, food that you can eat with a spoon. For us, it's just healthy, simple, it's economical, it's cheap, easy and really delicious! And they were very happy to see that.” 

Ruben has long had a dream to see Spanish cuisine and recipes become a staple in Australian homes. In 2018, he founded Eat Spanish, an organisation dedicated to promoting Spanish gastronomy and showcasing Spanish chefs in Australia. But in the past 12 months, the organisation has really started to get traction.

Just a week ago, Ruben hosted a roundtable discussion about Spanish gastronomy at a major trade event in Sydney, a showcase promoting Spanish food and wines.

“It was like an expo in a way. So, in the same room, there were all the major importers… you could go around and start trying all these amazing chorizo, cheese, anchovy…  it was amazing!” Ruben said.

“I think Spanish is definitely the next big thing. I was dreaming it and now it's happening!”