PREVIOUS COOKING HOLIDAYS: THE CONQUISTADOR FEAST HOLIDAY AT FINCA AL-MANZIL, MONTANCHEZ, EXTREMADURA

A journey of discovery through delicious food, historical towns & the beautiful countryside of Extremadura 

COOKING WITH PIPPA

Enjoy the creation of imaginative dishes inspired by the history of Extremadura. We introduce this little know province of Spain through its cuisine, vibrant history, culture and incredibly beautiful landscape. 
There are three main cooking sessions at the finca, creating food for lunch and dinner, Pippa will prepare wonderful dinners on some evenings. 
Our cuisine is based on three different cultures, all related to Extremadura.
Latin America -Gorgeous recipes and ingredients introduced into Europe by the conquistadors creating a wonderfully imaginative cuisine.
Moroccan - Exotic dishes as a celebration of the 600 year old Moorish history of Extremadura.
Extremeno - A fusion  from many influences, a cuisine which is full of surprises and wonderful ingredients such as the famous Iberic jamon and pork, wild asparagus, local cheese, wines and sumptuous fruit.


The Latin American recipes use the ingredients brought back from the New World by the conquistadors; chocolate, peppers,avocados, quinoa, chiles,tomatoes and maize are just a few. What could be more appropriate than to use these foods in Extremadura where they were first introduced to the Old World and particularly Trujillo where many of the most famous conquistadors were raised. They returned from the New World with fabulous wealth to build a perfect renaissance town.

 The superb nature and countryside of Extremadura can be enjoyed whilst on our way to visiting  Caceres and Montanchez where there will be  guided cultural walks

Accommodation at Finca al-manzil

THE EXCURSIONS
TRUJILLO - Pippa will take you on guided tour of Trujillo, an introduction to your own wanderings through the atmospheric lanes and enjoyment of the vast panoramas from the castle walls. A simple but wonderful pleasure is to enjoy a drink at one of the open air terraces on the plaza, as the sun goes down the ancient buildings glow in a golden light.

  

CACERES - A fascinating UNESCO world heritage town with a medieval centre and  renaissance palaces of the conquistador era. 

A walk around the nearby Barruecos, an amazing area of huge granite boulders home to a huge stork colony. This area fascinated the Fluxus artist Wolf Vostell, we visit the wonderful 18^th century wool washing complex where he made his home and studio in the 1960s, it is now an enthralling permanent collection of his work and other famous Fluxus artists including Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, George Maciunas, Joseph Beuys etc.

MONTANCHEZ- A wonderful opportunity to visit this perfect hilltop village famous for jamon production. We visit local jamoneras and the cork oak forests where the pigs roam freely feasting on acorns. Situated close by is the haunting Visigoth basilica of Santa Lucia, a sacred place since pre-roman times. Naturally we sample the famous jamon for lunch and then take a walk up to the moorish castle with amazing views across Extremadura. 

PRICES

7 nights eXTREMENO COOKING holiday - double bedroom with en-suite bathroom : €950 pp 
10% dISCOUNT IF TWO FRIENDS SHARE ROOM  
4 NIGHTS - DOUBLE BEDROOM WITH EN-SUITE BATHROOM : €700 PP 

10% DISCOUNT IF TWO FRIENDS SHARE ROOM   

Discounts are available if you are able to arrange your own group of 4 -6 friends. 

 
Non-cooking partners and friends are welcome, they can arrange cultural tours, single cooking mornings or simply enjoy the wonderful location, food and wine. Please ask for prices.

WHEN DO WE OPERATE?
April is the prime spring month, everything in full bloom, lovely weather, pool is open
May is late spring time, a wonderful time in Extremadura.

June is starting to get hot but better to enjoy the pool and a taste of summer without the intense heat.

Autumn starts in late September - October usually delightfully warm and sunny with some rainy days but never continuous.

WHAT DOES THE HOLIDAY INCLUDE?

Accommodation and breakfast at Finca al-manzil for 7 nights,  3 days with 3-4 hours of cooking tuition. Dinner every evening at the finca. Lunch on 4 days, 3 days of alternative activities and excursions.

 All ingredients, equipment and pick up/ drop off in Trujillo bus station. 

Food and beverages and entrance fees whilst on excursions are not included.

BOOKING POLICY

A deposit of 40% of the total price for all persons to be paid to secure the reservation .

The remaining balance to be paid 8 weeks before the date of arrival.

We accept payment by bank transfer OR through paypal  http://www.paypal.com/

Which is reliable and safe method of international payment.

A typical holiday will consist of the following programme

1^st DAY

Arrival at the finca

Time to get to know your surroundings, meet the other guests and relax after your journey.

20.00 Drinks and Dinner at 20.30 prepared by Pippa

2^nd DAY 
09.30 Breakfast

10.30 -Introduction to Moroccan cuisine and ingredients. Preparation of a typically Moroccan dinner including tagine, couscous, spicy side dishes, delicate pastries and delicious desserts.

Lunch- Some of the dishes prepared in the morning

Free afternoon.

20.00 Drinks and Dinner 20.30

3rd DAY 
09.30 Breakfast
10.30 Depart for guided walk around Trujillo with Pippa, through atmospheric lanes lined with secret gardens, jasmine and orange trees glimpsed over high stone walls, conquistador palacios with exquisite facades and beautiful interiors, sublime churches endowed with impressive works of art.

Lunch- In the splendid plaza.

Free afternoon
Dinner at the finca prepared by Pippa.

4th DAY
WALK TO MONTANCHEZ

09.30 - Breakfast

10.00 - Departure for Montanchez famous for the production of jamon. Walk around the Moorish castle and visit a typical jamon curing house Lunch in local restaurant to sample some local cuisine. After lunch we visit the dehesa where the iberic black pigs are allowed to roam freely gorging on acorns. A look at the Visigoth basilcia of Santa Lucia which is nearby.

Free afternoon

20.30  Dinner prepared by Pippa

5th DAY
Introduction to Extremeno cuisine, some superb recipes using the wonderfully varied ingredients of Extremadura

09.30 Breakfast
10.30 -14.00 Preparation of dishes for lunch and dinner
Lunch 

Free Afternoon

20.30  Extremeno Dinner

6^th DAY 
VISIT TO CACERES

09.30 Breakfast

10.00 Departure for Caceres

A walk around the Barruecas lake and park with a visit to the quirky Wolf Vostell museum at Malpartida de Caceres. Continue to Caceres for a guided walk within the Moorish walls, through the medieval town visiting the museum and Moorish algibe.
Lunch in typical bodega.

Back to the finca.
Free afternoon.

20.30 Dinner prepared by Pippa.

7^th DAY 
Introduction to New World cuisine. Some interesting dishes using ingredients introduced to Europe in the 16^th century and also dishes with an ancient Inca or Aztec history using typical ingredients and spices

9.30 - Breakfast.

10.30 -14.00 - Preparing the Conquistador Feast, some very special dishes featuring ingredients brought back from the new world and lots of chocolate
 Free afternoon for a last walk around Trujillo or just relaxing by the pool.

20.30 Conquistador Feast

DAY 8

Departure 11.00

EXTREMADURA COOKING HOLIDAY - FABULOUS JUNE COOKING WEEK AT THE PALACIO IN TRUJILLO

Another wonderful week at Palacio de Piedras Albas. Perfect weather, super guests and the bonus of watching the Corpus Christi fiesta from the loggia of the palacio.

We tried some new recipes and ingredients during the week. It seems that
cassava/manioc/yuca was not familiar with any of our guests so making some intensely flavoured and delicious yuquitas as tapas was fun, the boiled yuca is sticky and makes it easy to form into these pefect balls.These have a Extremadura twist with the addition of jamon.
Here is the recipe.

Yuquitas Rellenas
Yuca is a root vegetable, also known as cassava and manioc root. It can be peeled and boiled just like potatoes, and it's a staple food in many parts of South America. These crispy little balls are made by shaping the mashed yuca around  queso fresco and jamon, then rolling them in bread crumbs and frying them until golden brown. The result is a crispy shell around a soft starchy filling, with melted cheese in the very middle. Fried yuca balls are excellent dipped in a spicy salsa.
Ingredients:
•1 kilo of yuca root
• 100 g queso fresco and 100 g jamon mashed together
•1 egg
•2 slices of bread
•10 saltine crackers
•Vegetable oil for frying
•Salt and pepper to taste
•Huancaína sauce for dipping 
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the yuca root and cut it into 3 inch long pieces.
2. Add the yuca to the boiling water and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the yuca is very tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. It should be fall apart when poked with the fork.
3. Drain the yuca in a colander. Remove as many of the woody stems from the center of the root as possible. Pass the yuca through a potato ricer, or force it through a colander, to remove any remaining fibrous strings.
4. Season the mashed yuca with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of mashed yuca in the palm of one hand. Make a small well in the middle, and place a piece of cheese in the well. Wrap the mashed yuca around the cheese and jamon and roll between your hands to make a round ball. Repeat with the remaining mashed yuca.
6. In a deep skillet or deep fat fryer, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees. Fry the yuca balls in batches until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels.
7.Crack 1 egg into a bowl and whisk lightly with a fork. Process the bread with the crackers.
8.Roll each ball in the egg and then in the bread/cracker crumbs, until well coated with crumbs.
9.Fry the yuca balls a second time, just until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and serve warm with huancaína sauce for dipping.
Note: Yuquitas can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes until ready to serve.