Food is always much more than just food. The evidence is everywhere: when a recipe is recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), when adding or removing an ingredient is decisive in recognizing a dish as one’s own, when everything surrounding the act of seating people around a table is valued, or when events called “Recipes of Yesteryear” are organized.
The latter is an initiative promoted by the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Restaurant-Museum in Chinchón (Calle de Benito Hortelano, 13), and it is not surprising that an establishment with such a long history—which proudly bears the title of museum and a respect for preserving tradition that can be felt even in its architecture—is characterized by a special sensitivity when it comes to recovering a popular recipe book that many cannot remember because they have never even heard of it.
The conference, as they themselves explain, is based on two fundamental pillars: the emotional and the cultural —food, as we said, is always much more than just food. With it, they want to build a bridge between generations, so that young people can discover new flavors and older people can return to the flavors of their childhood.
“The initiative aims to generate a dialogue: for the grandchild to ask their
grandfather what the dish tastes like, and for the latter to share how it was prepared at home. The true spirit of these conferences lies in this exchange of memories, knowledge, and emotions,” they emphasize.
What dishes can you try during ‘Recipes of Yesteryear’?
The dishes that can be sampled during these events not only revive flavors in danger of extinction, but also highlight the variety and richness of traditional Spanish cuisine.
Among the options are olla podrida (typical of Burgos), gachas manchegas (a porridge dish from La Mancha), patatas a la importancia (a traditional recipe from Palencia), duelos y quebrantos (a scrambled egg dish from La Mancha that, incidentally, mentioned in Don Quixote), atascaburras ( or ajoarriero, typical of both La Mancha and Murcia) and rice with beans and fennel (typical of the Andalusian tradition).
When are they held and how to book
The ‘Recipes of Yesteryear’ events will be held every Saturday and Sunday between February 28 and March 29, 2026. Reservations can be made by phone at this number: 91 894 02 06.