Marina Fabic and Faye Mallia are organising a holiday with a difference, where participants can learn the secrets of Spanish gastronomy while trying their hand at preparing traditional recipes.
What better place to indulge in a culinary vacation than Catalonia, Spain. Now, foodies Marina Fabic and Faye Mallia, together with Villa Bologna, are organising a unique foodie visit to Spain – including cheese tastings and vineyard visits, as well as fun cooking classes with talented chefs and, of course, incredible meals and superb wine. All this, while enjoying the architecture of Barcelona and Costa Brava seaside.
Participants will be able to discover the exquisite and typical dishes of the area, the famous miniature canapés known as pintxos, some of the best wines in the world and an avant-garde cuisine.
Together with a local chef, the group will prepare regional cuisine recipes such as the paella catalan and visit traditional markets and places to enjoy genuine Spanish gastronomy.
The group will be hosted at a seaside villa perched in the coastal town of Roses, with its long sandy beach, many restaurants and the fishing port that sells its fresh catches of fish daily.
The villa offers the perfect location for a pleasant coastal walk, while a two-minute stroll from the house leads to Almadrava sandy cove and onto the rugged coast on a path to Canyelles Petites beach and further on to the larger town and beaches of Roses.
Food at the villa will be in the hand of a local chef, who will focus on Mediterranean cuisine – foodies will also be able to enjoy several Michelin star restaurants. One unmissable restaurant is Can Roca, lying in the middle of the gastronomic belt of Spain, and touted by foodies as one of the best restaurant in the world, following in the footsteps of El Bulli, which can be found in Cala Montjoi, Roses.
Restaurants, bars and terraces all offer splendid panoramic views and the cuisine of Girona, including the famous cod salad, cold roast vegetables and the xató (escarola lettuce with anchovies and cod).
Together with a local chef, the group will prepare regional cuisine recipes such as the paella catalan, and visit traditional markets and places to enjoy genuine Spanish gastronomy
The combination of mountain and sea also reaches the kitchen in the form of chicken with spiny lobster or rabbit with snails. Grilled fish and shellfish, stews and rice dishes are other tasty recipes. Among the desserts, the crema catalana (a kind of custard with caramelised sugar) and fresh cheese with honey (mel i mató) are outstanding. The best wines for this menu belong to the Ampurdán-Costa Brava Denomination of Origin.
Wine lovers will enjoy many cooperatives and vineyards in the area, selling very high quality local wines. The Mediterranean character of Roses is reflected in the products of the land, as the wine. In Roses begins the Wine Route DO Empordà. This constitutes the main focus of winemaking in the Empordà, providing an essential yardstick with which to discover and understand DO Empordà wineries, landscapes and wine, while exploring the zone with the highest density of vineyards and wineries that may be visited.
Traditionally, Roses’ fishermen cooked suquet de peix, a simple dish of freshly-caught fish boiled with potatoes. Over time, this recipe has experienced an evolution and has been enriched with the incorporation of typically Mediterranean products.
The holiday will also help the group become acquainted with some of the different regions in Spain through its most popular appetisers, desserts and main courses – the world-famous tapas, paella from Valencia and Andalusian gazpacho, Basque pintxos, bread, cakes and pastries from Galicia and others.
From Roses, a good part of the province of Girona as well as Cadaqués or Port de la Selva can be toured. Empuries preserves important Greek remains while, inland, at Figueres the Dalí Theatre-Museum offers tribute to the master of surrealism. The medieval town of Pals, declared a historic-artistic site and Girona, with its walled town known as La Força Vella, are some of the many other possibilities offered by this Catalan region.
There will also be visits to traditional Catalan markets, attractive cities and natural environments. And of course you’ll enjoy the dishes you yourself have cooked, along with other typical delicacies from Spain’s gastronomic culture.
For more information send an e-mail to Creative Holidays Malta on info@creativeholidaysmalta.com.