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.
Our workshop will be taking place at Sobremesa, a gorgeous cooking school located in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood. Class will be from 10am-2pm on February 13th, 14th and 15th. The course will be $750 for three days and will include 12 students. We will focus on the regional cooking of the Yucatan, Oaxaca and Mexico City.
Below is a description of each day’s focus:
The Cuisine of the Yucatan (Tuesday, February 13th 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, February 14th from 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, salsa guajillo, mole rojo and traditional rice and beans.
The Cuisine of Mexico City (Thursday, February 15th from 10am-2pm)