Writing and Cooking in the Spanish Pyrenees

Sephardic cooking classes in the Pyrenees combined with food and travel writing workshops.

Immersion Workshop Will Offer Food & Travel Writing and Sephardic Cooking in Spain May 26 – 31, 2006

(PRWEB) April 18, 2006 -- With the Spanish Pyrenees as backdrop and Sephardic food on the table, writers and cooking enthusiasts will have a unique opportunity to learn the finer points of food & travel writing and Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish) cooking at Casa Mauri, a rambling, stone farmhouse in northern Catalunya, May 26 - 31. The immersion workshop features the talents of New York chef Janet Amateau and journalist Alison Fleming, and a spacious mountain setting that inspires thought and stimulates the palate.

Ms. Fleming, a former print & broadcast journalist and course writer for Goldsmith’s College, University of London, uses the natural environment to sharpen writers’ powers of observation and concentration. In this workshop she will focus on the tools for successful food and travel writing, including the components of restaurant and travel destination reviews, how to structure and conduct an interview, fact checking and self-editing. More information is available at www.WriteOnCourse.co.uk.

Janet Amateau teaches traditional Ottoman Sephardic cooking and writes about Sephardic food and culture at www.SephardicCooking.com. Cooking students will learn authentic traditional recipes plus the specific techniques that render this distinctive cuisine so delicate yet satisfying, and that translate seamlessly into everyday healthful cooking. They will come away with an understanding of the overall characteristics of Sephardic food and how to detect its influence in traditional Spanish gastronomy. Writers will be able to use the cooking sessions as a resource.

In between each day’s writing and cooking sessions there will be ample time for exploring this region of breathtaking scenery, with one day devoted to independent visits further afield.

The workshop is open to a maximum of six participants, who may choose writing, cooking, or both. The introductory price, €595.00 per person (based on double occupancy), includes 6 days/5 nights’ shared accommodation, the writing workshop, cooking classes, welcome reception with hors d’oeuvres and wine, all meals, wine at dinner, and applicable taxes. Limited singles are available on request and paying a supplement of €95.00. The nearest airports are Reus, Barcelona, Girona and Zaragoza (all served by either RyanAir or EasyJet) and a private car is needed to reach the retreat. For information on the writing program, contact alisonfle@yahoo.com. Cooking class inquiries can be directed to janetamateau@yahoo.com. Reservations can be made at either address.

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