Category: cooking

Chef & Company

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The other day I spent a lovely afternoon at Chef & Company, a new culinary school started up by Carmen de Lara last December. Carmen has lived abroad for many years, a large part of that time in Portugal, and has recently returned to her native Sevilla. The concept of Chef & Company is a simple one: to create a comfortable and relaxed environment in which to teach people how to enjoy making food. It’s a lovely ambiance, like walking into someone’s home, first passing through the cosy living room and then into the cheerful well-equipped kitchen.

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a real hands on cooking class

I love how relaxed and “Julia Child” Carmen is in the kitchen, easily chatting and pouring wine while preparing dishes. We enjoyed a special “St Patrick’s Day” lunch, which included pumpkin, turnip and portobello soup with Guinness bread, Irish beef pot pie, and apple crumble with ice cream for dessert. As this was a media event for food journalists and bloggers some of the food had been previously prepared, but we all had a chance to get involved.

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Chef & Company classes and workshops are limited to 12 people and last approximately four hours. Custom cooking classes are also available, as are private dinners, and can be given in Spanish, Portuguese and English. I had a great time and look forward to trying some other classes in future.

Chef & Company
Jesús de la Vera-Cruz 27
Tel 697 118 252

Málaga | Laboratoria de Sabores

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laboratorio de sabores
While I was out on a Soho Graffiti Tour with my friend Victor @welovemalaga during my recent Málaga Getaway, we turned a corner and Victor suddenly said, “you have to come and meet these people!”. Clearly we had stumbled upon a cooking class in session but co-owners Luís and Amparo were happy to take turns showing me around and telling me all about the Laboratoria de Sabores (the Flavour Lab). It is primarily a space where students learn the art of Mediterranean cooking in a relaxed and very “hands on” environment. Amparo is clearly passionate about keeping the old-style cooking alive and showed me several examples of not only dishes “on the verge of culinary extinction” but also of once-popular food items that are seldom used these days. Her mission is to keep these traditional recipes alive, and from what we saw being prepared by the students that morning, it is indeed a worthy mission.

Aside from offering a variety of cooking classes (beginners, fusion, vegetarian, cooking for singles, cooking for couples, kids classes…), the Lab can also be booked by others to use for their own classes, wine tastings, or private dinners. It’s a lovely and bright space, and Luís and Amparo are clearly in love with what they are doing. Do check them out if you’re spending some time in Málaga and would like to learn more about Mediterranean cooking. Week-long gastronomic holidays can also be arranged, including accommodation.

Laboratoria de Sabores
Duquesa de Parcent 6
Málaga
tel 951 391 487 / 634 552 625
Laboratoria de Sabores Website

Olive Oil Tasting Carts

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olive oil tasting cars
This is a fabulous idea! Fifty olive oil tasting carts will be placed around the centre of Sevilla 5-7 and 12-14 December – you can have a look here to see the exact locations. They will be out and about from 10.30 – 14.30 offering four types of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Arbequina, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca and spicy Picual) with fresh bread for dipping. Don’t forget to pick up the little brochure with info about the different oils and a few recipes using each of them. What a great way to learn more about this wonderful product.

Aceites de Oliva – Toda una Experiencia

Alternatours Sevilla

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sevilla alternatours

Introducing my new Alternatours Sevilla page.

One of the things my Sevilla Tapas Tour clients always ask me is what other tours or activities might be of interest to them while they are visiting Sevilla. Bear in mind that these are people who have already chosen a customised food and wine tour and are looking for the same sort of quality and personal attention. Over the years I’ve found a few that I can personally recommend with confidence, but I’m always on the look out for more. So I have started a new blog page where I can list these personal recommendations.

Tours, activities, gastronomy, shopping and entertainment. Places of interest.

If you’d like to be listed here get in touch and let me know about what you do.
Note: all tours and activities must be available in English.

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Alternatours Sevilla

Travel & Cuisine Cooking Class

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travel & cuisineI have long been looking for a Spanish cooking class in Sevilla that is offered in English because so many of my Sevilla Tapas Tour clients and visiting friends ask me about this. With friends I can oblige with a quick and casual “class” at home, but I really wanted to find a reputable place that could also show people a good time while learning about Spanish cuisine.

A couple of weeks ago I happened to mention this to my friend, tour guide Sam Lister @AndaluciaSam, and he told me about a local company called Travel & Cuisine @TravelCuisine1, run by Amelia Gómez and her husband, chef Jorge Rideo, along with their colleague Meli Rubio. And as my journo friend Fiona Watson @Seville_Writer also has clients who would be interested in cooking classes we arranged to do a class with T & C to see if we would be comfortable recommending them personally.

Well, we not only had a great time – and a great lunch – but we were also very happy with the quality of the class and Travel & Cuisine’s fabulous kitchen classroom. It was exactly what I had been looking for…

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