This week we revisited the town of Mijas. The wheel chair had to go back and we wanted to pick up a few euros doing the taxi thing. Kidding. The last time we were there it was cold and windy so we missed a few spots. Glad we went. It is such a quaint little village. We shared our visit with friends from France. Jean and Monique live very near Le Mans, the home of the famous auto race. We will be visiting them there later this year.
We had an enjoyable afternoon.
The big visit of the week was back to Torrox, this time for a thorough investigation of this mountainside village. Torrox has an interesting history. Starting back in the 10th century. The area, ruled by the Moors, had a governmental controversy. The king died, his child was too young to take over as the natural heir to the throne. So they did the next best thing and appointed the kings wife's lover to serve as the acting king. His name was Muhammed ben Ali Amir, better known as Almanzor. Not only was he a stud in the sack, it turned out that he was quite the industrialist,putting Torrox on the map as a must stop destination on the silk road.
Enough of that lets move on to 2014. Torrox is visited by tourists mostly due to the fact that it has remained true to its Andalusian roots. A co-op spirit exists here throughout everything the community does. They have a co-op bakery and olive oil production business to name a few. The town also has competitions by street, in the growing and display of flowers. Below is last year's winning street not quite in full bloom yet as this year's competition is a few months away.
The town has many more stories, however we came to eat. 8 courses to be exact. The meal was served at the mountaintop home of a local chef with the help of some ladies from the village. (the co-op). We are told that the hardest part of establishing this business venture was deciding whose recipes to use. Since each one had a slightly different method of producing the local flavours, the battle was on to choose the best. However, today they just cooked.
Our host greeted us with a Malaga wine. Johanne pictured below enjoying the wine and the view.
This local sweet wine. Tasted more like port. After making our way to the outdoor dining area we settled in. I took the opportunity to check out the kitchen. Very modest, a two propane fueled burners' a fridge and a big round table for prep. Needless to say they were busy, given 50 people just arrived. They took one look at me, passed me a cloth, pointed to the stove top asked me if I wanted to help. "No thanks", I would rather eat, I said as I scurry back to my seat.
Up first were some local olives and bread. Second was a Charcuterie Plate, Iberian ham and local cheese washed down with a nice little Tempranillo from the region. I agreed to taste the wine. They have a unique way to taste.
Didn't spill a drop!
A potato pie is third. It has a golden brown crust. Surprisingly, the inside has the consistency of a potato salad. Served at room temperature it is light and mellow tasting. More wine, a bright semi dry white. Perfect. The fourth course was lightly floured and fried egg plant with locally produced sugar cane molasses drizzled over the top. The fifth course looked and tasted like couscous... it was not. The dish is called Migas. It is a big deal here. Every Christmas there is a Migas festival in the main square of Torrox. The whole village shows up to decide who makes it best. Main square below.
It is told that during the 17th century St Francis D'Assissi, a famous Pilgrim who chased miracles, was in Torrox. While conducting his official duties celebrating the miracle of the fisherman saved from a sinking ship during a violent storm he was asked to be the celebrity judge at the Christmas Migas celebration. Big mistake!
Saint Frank might have know a good miracle when he saw one, but coming from the north he had never tasted a good Migas! He chose poorly, the riot lasted for days... i made up that last part to keep it interesting. LOL
Anyway back to the lunch. The base of the dish is bread crumbs fried in extra virgin olive oil. There are many different versions of this dish. The base remains the same. Ours had fruits mixed in it. It can be served with pork or beef or chicken as well. Of course the big debate in the kitchen is which is best. Best not to ask, we don't want another riot with this crew.
Course six was a soup. Tasty but not unique, chicken with rice and veg. Course seven Breaded pork meatballs in a saffron broth. I am going to blow up! Course eight. Fruit salad. Thank God I wore my stretchy pants.
After the meal, coffee was served. Then something really cool happened. The crew of women and one young man started to sing. They used serving plats as drums, their feet to stomp out the rhythm and their voices to share their joy. The music was infectious. Soon we were all connected to the performance. Joining in, without knowing the words. Johanne was in the middle of it. Dancing with the chef adorned with a hat given as an invitation to join the group.
A Magical end to a Magical day!
Be well.
The big visit of the week was back to Torrox, this time for a thorough investigation of this mountainside village. Torrox has an interesting history. Starting back in the 10th century. The area, ruled by the Moors, had a governmental controversy. The king died, his child was too young to take over as the natural heir to the throne. So they did the next best thing and appointed the kings wife's lover to serve as the acting king. His name was Muhammed ben Ali Amir, better known as Almanzor. Not only was he a stud in the sack, it turned out that he was quite the industrialist,putting Torrox on the map as a must stop destination on the silk road.
Enough of that lets move on to 2014. Torrox is visited by tourists mostly due to the fact that it has remained true to its Andalusian roots. A co-op spirit exists here throughout everything the community does. They have a co-op bakery and olive oil production business to name a few. The town also has competitions by street, in the growing and display of flowers. Below is last year's winning street not quite in full bloom yet as this year's competition is a few months away.
Our host greeted us with a Malaga wine. Johanne pictured below enjoying the wine and the view.
This local sweet wine. Tasted more like port. After making our way to the outdoor dining area we settled in. I took the opportunity to check out the kitchen. Very modest, a two propane fueled burners' a fridge and a big round table for prep. Needless to say they were busy, given 50 people just arrived. They took one look at me, passed me a cloth, pointed to the stove top asked me if I wanted to help. "No thanks", I would rather eat, I said as I scurry back to my seat.
Up first were some local olives and bread. Second was a Charcuterie Plate, Iberian ham and local cheese washed down with a nice little Tempranillo from the region. I agreed to taste the wine. They have a unique way to taste.
A potato pie is third. It has a golden brown crust. Surprisingly, the inside has the consistency of a potato salad. Served at room temperature it is light and mellow tasting. More wine, a bright semi dry white. Perfect. The fourth course was lightly floured and fried egg plant with locally produced sugar cane molasses drizzled over the top. The fifth course looked and tasted like couscous... it was not. The dish is called Migas. It is a big deal here. Every Christmas there is a Migas festival in the main square of Torrox. The whole village shows up to decide who makes it best. Main square below.
It is told that during the 17th century St Francis D'Assissi, a famous Pilgrim who chased miracles, was in Torrox. While conducting his official duties celebrating the miracle of the fisherman saved from a sinking ship during a violent storm he was asked to be the celebrity judge at the Christmas Migas celebration. Big mistake!
Saint Frank might have know a good miracle when he saw one, but coming from the north he had never tasted a good Migas! He chose poorly, the riot lasted for days... i made up that last part to keep it interesting. LOL
Anyway back to the lunch. The base of the dish is bread crumbs fried in extra virgin olive oil. There are many different versions of this dish. The base remains the same. Ours had fruits mixed in it. It can be served with pork or beef or chicken as well. Of course the big debate in the kitchen is which is best. Best not to ask, we don't want another riot with this crew.
Course six was a soup. Tasty but not unique, chicken with rice and veg. Course seven Breaded pork meatballs in a saffron broth. I am going to blow up! Course eight. Fruit salad. Thank God I wore my stretchy pants.
After the meal, coffee was served. Then something really cool happened. The crew of women and one young man started to sing. They used serving plats as drums, their feet to stomp out the rhythm and their voices to share their joy. The music was infectious. Soon we were all connected to the performance. Joining in, without knowing the words. Johanne was in the middle of it. Dancing with the chef adorned with a hat given as an invitation to join the group.
Be well.
Love the pic of the wine tasting! I am definitely hungry after reading this - but maybe not 8 courses! Sounds like you are having the time of your lives - miss you guys!
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