Each winter, I head South with my family to Mexico, a country that has held a special place in my heart since I was a child. My parents lived in Mexico City before I was born and their tales of delicious street tamales, long, fancy brunches and parties that lasted well past midnight peaked my interest. My father and I would spend the better part of a weekend making mole on our suburban stovetop as he would tell me tales of living in Mexico. As an adult and a cook, Mexico holds even greater intrigue. My husband and I (and now our daughter) have explored the Yucatan Peninsula, the state of Oaxaca and Chiapas and found a second home in Mexico City, where I now lead workshops in the winter months. True Mexican food is as good as eating gets, with sour, spicy and and earthy notes that make the palate yearn for more. In this three day workshop, you will be introduced to three different regional cuisines of Mexico and my hope is that you will fall in love with the culinary landscape of country that I hold so dear.
Below is a description of each day’s focus:
The Cuisine of the Yucatan (Tuesday from 10am-2pm)
The Yucatan Peninsula cuisine is heavily influenced by its Mayan culture, but the region has also creatively integrated some European influence. Before airplanes could fly people over mountain ranges, otherwise impassable, the Yucatan was geographically quite removed from the rest of Mexico and therefore, leaned on its own cultural laurels. Staples on the peninsula include corn, squash, chocolate, cucumbers, chiles and wild turkey, which can be found on just about any menu in the region. Dishes may include prefect margaritas, fresh made guacamole, pico de gallo, ceviche, panuchos and chiles rellenos.
The Cuisine of Oaxaca (Wednesday 10am-2pm)
Oaxaca is one of the world’s greatest culinary regions with a wide array of landscapes and plenty of coastline, making the food of Oaxaca an encyclopedia into itself. Oaxaca’s major cultural influence is from the Zapotecs, an indigenous culture that grew corn, beans and squash for thousands of years. Oaxaca is probably best known for being “the land of mole,” sauces that are made of toasted nuts, chiles, spices, vegetables occasionally chocolate, which is nothing short of sacred in Oaxaca. The menu may include mezcal with chile salt and oranges, squash blossom quesadillas, tortilla soup, salsa chipotle, mole rojo and traditional rice and beans.
The Cuisine of Mexico City (Thursday from 10am-2pm)