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COOKING WITH SAM CLARK IN MAIRENA, THE ALPUARRAS, SOUTHERN SPAIN       Sam and Sam Clark have just won the observer newspaper best restaurant Award 2009 for their wonderful restaurant Moro - congratulations from all of us at Tasting Places. Experience Sam's expertise first hand... Sam Clark, who has a home nearby, will be giving the cookery classes and showing us first hand his recipes that reflect his deep love of Spanish and, in particular, Alpujarran food. Some of his recipes are given that occasional Moro stamp with the exotic flavours of North Africa, which on a clear day can be seen from Las Chimeneas terrace. There will be a chance to visit a local award winning vineyard, a demonstration of local cheese making as well as an afternoon trip to Casa Las Chimeneas’ own organic farm to pick local produce followed by a visit to the Mairena olive oil mill. This new short break offers you the chance to discover one of the most delightful and hidden corners of Southern Spain. Described so vividly in Chris Stewart’s book “Driving Over Lemons,” which recounts life in this stunningly beautiful remote mountain region, things have changed little over the centuries since the Moors first cultivated the terraces.   Chris Stewart will also be attending the course and will give a talk during the weekend on life in the Alpujarras, You will see donkeys toiling in the olive and almond fields, have the chance to pick mulberries, walnuts and chestnuts , and join in foraging for herbs, milking goats or making cheese with Carmen and her family heirloom wooden ladle. You will stay at the beautifully restored Casa Las Chimeneas which has featured in the Spanish equivalent of several Home and Garden magazines. There are eight en-suite rooms each with its own terrace or balcony and lovingly decorated with local antiques. There is also an option to extend your stay to an 8 day tour which will include other activities in Mairena as well as a night in a 4 star hotel in Granada. (See below for more details) FOUR DAY GOURMET BREAK WITH SAM CLARK SCHEDULE: Day One Collect from Malaga airport. Transfer to Mairena, tapas stop en route. 5.00pm Welcome drink and introductions at Casa Las Chimeneas followed by orientation walk up through the village to a view point from the old threshing circles of Mairena Dinner Day Two Breakfast, then morning visit to the local market town of Ugijar trip to buy local produce and a visit to the local award winning vineyard. Afternoon cooking class with Sam Clark Dinner Day Three Breakfast followed by morning cooking class with Sam Clark An afternoon of foraging for herbs with Juan el furtive (the poacher!) who will show us where to find the best local edible plants as well as give us fascinating information as to the traditional medicinal uses. Followed by a visit to the olive mill for an explanation of olive oil production and olive oil tasting. Day Four Breakfast followed by morning cooking class with Sam Clark and demonstration of traditional local cheese making Afternoon visit to Casa Las Chimeneas’ organic farm to collect figs, walnuts, almonds and wild grapes, with talk about local history and traditional farming methods Day Five Return to airport     EIGHT DAY GASTRONOMY / ACTIVITY IN MAIRENA As above but to include 3 extra days in Mairena and one day in Granada, including visit to the Alhambra the world famous Moorish palace and gardens of the Alhambra with its magnificent back drop of the Sierra Nevada and views to the old gypsy quarters of Granada city below.”, guided tour of the city, tapas lunch, dinner and night in 3* hotel Extra three days in Mairena includes a selection of the following possible activities: Visit to wine growing area of Laujar and walk along ancient waterway through caves A morning with Sole, Casa Las Chimeneas chef and demonstration of traditional Mairena recipes Off road trip in 4x4, and guided walk to the peaks above. Half day mountain bike adventure Half day horse riding (40 euro supplement) Half day walk across the olive terraces from Yegen Evening stroll to see ancient Moorish settlement, and to include a private visit to see the murals in the temple at Jubar, part mosque, part synagogue, part Catholic church….. In addition for those who like walking we have a wide range of walk notes and maps following the ancient pathway GR7 along the almond and olive groves. For the more sedentary Casa Las Chimeneas has a lovely secluded terrace with spectacular views and small dip pool as well as a modest library .     4 Days 8th October to 12th October 2010 Price Euros 895 To include airport transfer from TBA 4 days Full board, meals and wine, all trips and tastings. Three classes with professional chef Sam Clark Flights are not included Single supplement 180 euros 8 days 8th October to 15th October 2010 Price Euros 1365 To include the 4 day program the additioinal 4 days with a selection of the activities above Flights are not included   Single supplement 180 euros           Our other spanish experience Seville, Spain 3 day and week long courses Seville, the great southern Spanish city, has inspired travellers for centuries. Its beauty and charm come from a mixture of many things; the great Moorish and Christian heritage, the myths of Carmen and Don Juan, flamenco music, rilliant sunshine, incomparable fiestas and the inhabitants who live life to the full. Seville is also the perfect place for discovering the cuisine and wines of Andalusia. The city itself is considered by many to be the best place in Spain for tapas. These reflect the wide variety of food on offer and include anything from clams to aubergines and olives to the finest charcuterie. In the cooking classes which take place in a superb location overlooking the cathedral and Giralda tower you will learn how to make some of the best tapas and regional dishes. These will include such things as: classic Andalusian cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco, salmorejo), stuffed squid, fried fresh anchovies, steamed aubergines with sherry vinegar dressing, shoulder of lamb flavoured with saffron, honey and cumin, sea bass in sherry sauce, baked orange custard and figs with thyme. Thanks to Seville´s location you will also be able to vist the areas which produce high quality olive oil, the finest sherry wines and the best ham in the world, sampling all of them – naturally! Hotel Las Casas de la Juderia History certainly comes alive at Las Casas de la Judería, formerly part of the Duke of Béjar’s residence, patron of Miguel de Cervantes and lover of the art of Sevillano living. His legacy has today been transformed into a magnificent hotel with the bedrooms offering a real taste of Seville. Its courtyards are fabled, its fountains sublime and its rooms are reached through a web of enchanting arched walkways and ornate patios following in the footsteps of the Spanish nobility of old. The hotel offers an impressive buffet breakfast which includes fresh fruit, a variety of breads and pastries plus local cheese and ham. For lunch and dinner guests can make the most of the hotel’s central location and savour the best of Andalucían cuisine in any number of tempting local restaurants. The Barrio Santa Cruz is not the easiest place to navigate by car, designed, as it was, for horsemen. Thankfully, friendly hotel porters are on hand to garage your car (parking charges are payable directly to the hotel) and once parked, all the famous sites are within walking distance. Hotel Casas Juderia - Las Casas de la Juderia is located in the Jewish Santa Cruz Quarter, one of the most charming neighbourhoods in Seville where important families of the Spanish high nobility like the Zuiiga, the Padilla or the Manriquez dwelled. The hotel has 95 rooms, of which 24 double rooms are suite styled with a lounge area and all are complete with air conditioning, TV, mini bar and telephone. Bathrooms have a hydro massage bath tub, shower unit and WC. The hotel comprises a number of houses and former palaces which are nicely preserved to show the historical moment in which this city was so highly regarded. For dates and prices, click here