Now that the cold weather has undeniably arrived, a steaming bowl of soup sounds appealing. We could recommend places to get a bowl, like the game soup at Alkostat or Haddock, which offers a gargantuan themed menu on Fridays—wonderful and definitely not for those who have to work in the afternoon. However, if what we're looking for is a quick, affordable, and filling option, we have ramen, which is also designed so that, as many Japanese people do, you can devour it on your own. And speaking of the ramen scene in Barcelona, there's just been a very significant opening: Ippudo.

Who would eat a bowl of it in summer? The moment we write and pronounce its name, we start to sweat. However, cold creams are the dish of the season: subtle, refreshing, and capable of using up leftover ingredients from other prepared dishes. Creams are a sustainable resource: you have a piece of leek, an onion, and a pear, you add mineral water and a touch of perfume to highlight the flavors, and you've got one to eat with a spoon. In this sense, chef Carme Ruscalleda suggests cooking four traditional creams, classics of local and international cuisine that will always be relevant and, at the same time, allow for personal experimentation, so that each person can finish it with their own personal touch.

When the water is piping hot, add three handfuls of thyme (called timonetes in Pallars). On a plate, add the thinly sliced bread, a raw egg, oil, salt, and pepper. After the plant has been boiling for three minutes, add the water, cover, and let it sit for a while before serving. This is the traditional recipe for timonetes soup from Pallars. It seems to hold no secrets.

For Carnival, in many Catalan towns it is time to take the pots out into the square to fill them with soups, stews and bowls. A popular activity that involves many of the inhabitants of the towns where they are made and that has long been demanding more public recognition. Popular soups, stews and bowls are documented since the 15th century. Some historical research relates their origin to a caloric meal that was prepared before the obligatory fasting that would be carried out during Lent and that was made from the ingredients that were collected from all the houses. However, other sources indicate that it was a meal that the feudal lords and the convents offered to the neediest people in the town. Be that as it may, this tradition speaks of Catalonia is boiling. The book of soups, stews and popular bowls (Edicions Sidillà), by Judit Pujadó, where she not only explains the recipes for these bowls, which are very different, but also the history behind each one. "Overall, we are talking about a popular tradition that, from the beginning of the 20th century, went from being the soup of the poor to becoming the soup of the villages," says Pujadó to explain this more popular and festive character that still dominates today.