To enjoy & share
Juan Manuel Garmendia Otegui, gastronome, activist and … above all, very enjoyable.
Guest article by Carmen Anderson
Once upon a time, a friend of a friend said “I have a friend who wants some help with his English. He wants to practice to keep his level up”.
I said “Sure, why not?”.
We met in a cafe. In an effort to at least appear conscientious, I had brought along my notebook and my grammar book and had a list of questions prepared.
I was blown away. In walked Juanma with a smile on his face, saying how pleased he was to meet me and how glad he was that our friends had connected us (the way things often happen here in San Sebastian). He then went on to tell me that he wasn’t interested in learning any grammar or using a textbook or anything like that, as he just wanted to practice so that he would feel confident when he has to use English.
“Oh my Lord,” I thought, as I quietly slipped my books back into my bag, “This guy could give ME lessons in English!”
Not long after, our meetings had become high moments of my week. We discovered a shared interest in food and all things related. With his interest and insurmountable knowledge of gastronomy, and my background in biology, environmental issues and organic agriculture, we found plenty to talk about, and still have, years later!
In one inspired moment, I said, “Juanma, you have to start a blog. It is a crime not to share your knowledge and adventures with others”.
And “Spilling the Beans” was born. I know he will guide us readers through the unlocked treasures of Basque and other gastronomy, and I can guarantee it will be an interesting journey.
Take it from me, a friend of a friend.
Spilling the beans 