Come learn Catalan cuisine in a traditional fisherman's house in the village, participate in the preparation of your meal in a friendly atmosphere and taste what has been fished, raised, grown, vinified and developed by the "small" producers closest to home, in the greatest respect for the environment and produce, and then meet them around the table… you are welcome in our kitchen, put one of our aprons upon arrival, we will quickly tell you all about the market-based menu, depending on the weather and fishing… Locally caught fish, lamb, beef, veal raised in the Albères, poultry and eggs from really outdoors, seasonal fruit and vegetables, natural wines, saffron, vinegars and olive oils… take a knife and slice, cut, mix, assemble, talk, listen, share, laugh, learn, season, simmer, deglaze, relax… EAT WELL AND DRINK GOOD!

Take some thick slices of country bread, even stale (garlic cloves but unpeeled) ripe tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt (and pepper) ... it is of course understood that the success of your tomato bread depends largely on the quality of its ingredients; ripe, the best variety is the tomato Tomàtigues de Ramellet , extra virgin olive oil, the bread must be dense but not impenetrable ... At the same time national dish and Catalan cultural heritage the tomato bread awakens nostalgic passion and revives romantic reminiscences. It is so inseparable from the Catalan daily life that some talk of an immemorial tradition. But in reality, the tomato, an american arrival, now so popular in Catalan cuisine, arrived during the 18 th century and the glorious union with the bread probably dates from the second half of the 19 th century. Some like it with garlic, some purists admit only four ingredients. If your bread is fresh, grill it, if your bread is old, raise it to the tomato. If you prefer garlic, also prefer toast. Rub it or not with a clove of garlic and then with tomato halves. There, everything must go; juice, pulp, seeds. start by rubbing the crust and the crumb after, then sprinkle generously with olive oil. Salt (and pepper) are all you now need to round off this simple work of culinary art, gently squeeze the bread between your fingers before you eat alone or accompanied. In the infinite realm of tapas, the tomato bread is king. Lonely but also incomparably friendly, it can not only be eaten alone and but also accommodates all the trimmings but is still mostly an excuse to eat more bread with tomato. To quote Manuel Vasquez Monatalban, "It makes sin simple and cheap ... do not make love, make tomato bread ... eat bread with tomato. Anywhere and in any circumstances. Bread, tomato and salt. And after sex, bread with tomato and a little sausage. " Take "Pa amb tomàquet" by Jaume Fàbrega for a read on the beach and "I pratica teoria del pa amb tomàquet" by Leopoldo Pomes. For your next vacation consider the Fira del pa amb tomàquet in Santa Coloma de Farners, and for all your comments on tomato bread, how do you eat it? with or without garlic? with what, who, when and where? ... we will attentively listen to your comments !

ANXOVINISME

Collioure is situated in the southernmost Catalan region of France, where the Pyrenees and the vinyards slide deeply into the Mediterranean. For centuries a much sought after treasure of nature has been part of Collioure's traditions... Anchovies are the basis for many typical catalan dishes and are still prepared here in the traditional way...

FOOD SHOPPING, COOKING, EATING, TASTING, DRINKING… …IN COLLIOURE

When I started to imagine my cookery workshop, one of the main things i wanted to offer was soemthing I’d especially like to find myself when elsewhere... a way to connect with the local food culture way beyond restaurants… Local gastronomy when counted by the locals, a mix of history, anecdote, observation and culinary formula, gives insight beyond the beaten tourist track. When a local introduces you to the food, tells you all sorts of things about it, tells you where to encounter the best produce, shows you how to cook it and cooks it with you, you can start to understand their cuisine, their culture, their "savoir vivre" (how to live). Discover the art of catalan cuisine which, despite it’s ancient origins, uses ingredients that are familiar, well-liked and easily found back home. What it does with those ingredients is, on the other hand quite unfamiliar. In fact, it’s not what we would expect at all, but very accessible to those who wish to learn. I dare to say that you will fall in love wth it! This is a cuisine where less is always more and you can learn how to make a meal based on dry bread rubbed with garlic and tomato, as pictured in the post above... Or try more exuberant combinations for something wildly sophisticated (keep on reading...) My workshops take place in the kitchen of my home, a traditional fisherman‘s house, on a small pedestrian street right in the heart of Collioure, only a few short steps away from the sea. While we are at it, there is even plenty of time to talk about the best places to shop, the best restaurants, the best places to visit this and that side of the spanish border, and even the best beaches ! When everything is ready we can sit down to taste and enjoy the dishes of our labour, and somehow local wines and very often local wine-producers, always seem to finish off at my table too…