Nicaraguan Cooking Classes at Villas de Palermo Hotel

May 26, 2012 – Visit San Juan del Sur and learn more about Nicaraguan cultural traditions and local food. Visit the food fair and taste dishes including yoltamal, nacatamal, indio viejo, guiso de pipian, sopa de albondigas, vaho, vigoron, chancho con yuca, salpicon and more. Visit the rodeo grounds and gasp with the crowd during bull riding events, then retire to the pool at Villas de Palermo and enjoy a cooking class with our chef to learn how to make the Nicaraguan dishes you enjoyed most. Or join a bartending class to perfect your mohito and macua!!

Meet our chef and learn how to prepare your favorite Nicaraguan dishes. Each class is one hour long and includes all food, transportation and drinks during your cooking class. Each class is available most days, upon request, and will be scheduled based on the availability of the chef. The fishing class does not include the cost of the fishing trip – but you can expect to catch red snapper throughout most of the year on a day trip, sunset cruise or night-fishing trip. You may charge the cost of the class to your hotel folio – US$20 per person, plus tax and service, including food, transportation and drinks.

Typical Nicaraguan breakfast on a local farm – fetch your eggs, milk a cow, enjoy gallo pinto with fresh, fried cheese. Meet a local family running a small farm near Villas de Palermo, and see how Nicaraguan families have lived for centuries. Gather eggs for your breakfast and experience breakfast as eaten by most of the Nicaraguan population each morning.

Introduction to Nicaraguan Cuisine – select the local meals that you are interested in making during your cooking class:
Yoltamal: A milk/cream and sugar tamale.
Nacatamal: A tamale stuffed with pork or chicken, using the achiote spice, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and green peppers.
Indio Viejo: A stew made of corn tortillas, cheese, chunks of beef, orange juice and other spices.
Guiso de Pipian: A vegetable stew made with the vegetable that looks like a zucchini, tomatoes, onion, butter, milk, sweet cream, cheese and some wheat flour
Sopa de albondigas: Soup made with corn flour, chicken, eggs, mint, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, chicken broth, orange juice, achiote and other spices. The meatballs are made of the corn flour with some chicken inside.
Sopa de Mondongo: Soup made with beef stomach, yuca, another vegetable called quequisque (in the tuber family), corn cobs, chayote (small green squash-like vegetable), tomatoes, onions, garlic and diluted achiote.
Vaho: served on a banana leaf, this interesting dish includes beef chunks, green bananas, plantains, yuca, tomatoes, onion, red and green peppers, spiced with garlic, orange juice and vinegar.
Vigoron: This is a main plate, but it is put together almost like a salad and includes: chunks of chicharron (pig skins) and yuca placed on top of cabbage, tomatoes slices, carrot slices, beets, and onions. Then use vinegar and hot sauce to taste.
Chancho con Yuca: This is a very popular plate of chunks of pork and yuca spiced with achiote, onion, garlic and salt to taste.
Salpicon: This dish is made of minced beef, garlic onions and peppers. You fry everything together and add salt to taste.
Atol: A corn drink made with different ingredients such as carrots, coconut, rice, etc.
Arroz con pina: Rice with pineapple drink.
Fresco de cacao: Cacao and rice drink with cinnamon, vanilla and sugar
Avena con leche: Oatmeal and milk drink with cinnamon, vanilla and sugar
Tiste: A cornmeal drink with cacao, cinnamon, black pepper and sugar to taste (made with water)
Pinol: A white cornmeal drink with cinnamon, cloves and sugar to taste (made with water)
Chicha: A white cornmeal drink with raspberry juice, sugar cane, vanilla and more sugar to taste.

Decorative Art from Fruits and Vegetables – carved doves and flowers. Learn how Nicaraguan chefs create spectacular table decorations from fruits and vegetables. Add a carved dove to your dining table during your next dinner party, after you return home.

Bartending with Fresh Tropical Fruits – and the Nicaraguan Macua. Learn how to make the local drinks – both alcoholic and virgin. Enjoy a pizza of your choice while learning to make several tropical drinks. Impress your friends with a new tropical flair to your BBQ’s when you return home.

Serve up your fresh, whole fried snapper – after your fishing trip! Bring your catch of the day to our chef and have him prepare your dinner – or spend an hour together and learn how to make a whole fresh red snapper shine at your dinner table when you return home! The cost of your fishing trip is not included, but we will help you schedule your trip and provide round-trip transportation to and from the port.

Marinated and charred – Nicaraguan BBQ over hot charcoal. Make your next BBQ special with the Nicaraguan specials you have enjoyed during your stay at Villas de Palermo.

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Visit Palermo Hotel & Resort and take schedule a cooking class in Nicaragua now, or check out other exciting activities to make your vacation a memorable one.