Food of Art

The FOOD of ART is a cultural culinary project in a continuous state of development based at Cortijada Los Gázquez. As Los Gázquez is an arts centre which promotes ecological awareness through creative endeavour, where better to locate a culinary project other than at the heart of such an organisation, it's kitchen.

Central to the Food of Art is a philosophy that emphasises the value of food as essential to a creative and sustainable way of life. The project promotes the functions of tradition, provenance and quality in practical and effective roles, as a central principle of wider culture and society. We focus attention on local, fresh and seasonal food, directly to the table or naturally preserved.

The dissemination of ideas central to this ethos is expressed through regular food culture courses, 'Cooking Around the Mediterranean Basin'. These are held several times a year (check our calendar for dates).





Upcoming food culture courses
Donna and Simon made me feel so much at home, I felt I should get up and help with the dishes. The beds are wonderful and the facility is beautiful. Clearly it was designed by an artist. A really nice mix of working on food and books in the studio and touring the area. It was fun to enjoy the sausage maker and see how much he loved his work. The visit to the local market was terrific, and the botanist was so knowledgeable about edible foods on the property. A very special experience.Donna & Simon, love them both. They are so positive, extremely professional, but have so much to offer. It's wonderful to meet these two who gave me so much energy and knowledge. Their attitude about living, about art, about being is a joy.I learned so much. My cooking will improve as a result.We did so many things, from olives and humus to complete meals; and from typical Southern Spanish to Mediterranean. I was amazed at the amount and variety of foods we covered. Great attention to detail, and fun besides. Loved it all. I was fortunate to have such a great group. The food experience was spectacular. I wasn't expecting such variety and such depth. Thanks to Donna and Simon for the experience.

Mary Harris



Thanks so much for an excellent and incredibly memorable vacation! It was well beyond my expectations, I tried new things I had no idea were in store and made new friendships that I might not have otherwise had. I can not tell you how unique and exciting your Institute (NO better word for Los Gázquez) is and I'm happy to have been introduced. Emily and I can't wait to come back. Keep up the wonderful work- what you are doing is FAR more than giving folks like us a break from our jobs.

Christopher M. Estes



Nothing could have been done differently. The art books were a surprise and I loved them and Simon did an excellent job of making the first time painters in the room feel good about their work. There were absolutely no low points. The whole location and it's tranquility was something special. Donna has an exceptional aura of peace around her that permeated the whole experience. That added a real 'get away from it all' quality that I particularly enjoyed. We were lucky to have the five people we did in the group. There was quick bonding and lot's of laughs.

Deborah Cross