When I received the email last week from Catriona Brown in Puerto Morelos, I
really wasn't sure what to expect. An empty seat had come available in her interesting new
endeavor, The Little Mexican Cooking School
and she invited me to sit in on the
class. I had been receiving information about these classes from the
founders Cat and Patti Murphy since the inception
of the school last Fall and, on paper at least, it looked very
promising. On
the other hand, I have been in Mexico long enough to see a lot of
poorly
conceived but well-meaning enterprises go up in smoke, so I was a bit
skeptical. I have also attended a few "cooking classes" in the United
States, most of which eventually degraded into a catered cocktail party
with the guests all getting soused and forgetting everything about the
meal. What if this class was just another hair-brained scheme designed
to
milk money out of unsuspecting tourists? What would I say to my friend
and fellow blogger? What
kind of a review could I possibly give if it totally stunk? So, as I
made the
drive to Puerto Morelos last Friday, I was excited but my emotions were
understandably mixed.
I had no trouble finding the school as there is a very clear map printed
right on the school's website. I pulled up to an adorable side by side Mexican
duplex, one side I was to learn was Cat's current home, and the other housed
the school with several bedrooms above, designed to accommodate visiting
chefs. The other students, eight of us in total, were already in attendance and taking their places in
the "classroom" as I arrived.
Chef Claudia welcomes the group.
I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a clean, bright well equipped
kitchen with long tables set up from which the students could observe the
Chef/Teacher and her assistants as they prepared the selected menu for the day.
The far end of the kitchen was open to the back patio which has a lovely pool,
a storage bodega for all the various ingredients we would require for our class
and an area for the "anafre", a traditional charcoal "grill"
of sorts, topped with a "comal" for everything cooking tortillas and
searing meat to boiling beans and roasting vegetables. In some regions the
"anafre" is used to heat the home. The room was just spacious enough to
accommodate all of us with room to move around a bit and take pictures.
Lucy toasting tortillas
Our Master Chef for the day was Claudia Garcia Ramos de Celis and she was
not what I was expecting. In my mind I had envisioned a nice old Mexican
"abuela" from the puebla, hired to cook a variety of traditional
meals while Cat gave commentary and provided translation. I could not have been
more wrong. Chef Claudia is a young, well-spoken, energetic mother of three who
is passionate about passing on the authentic Mexican cuisine to foreigners and
countrymen alike. Originally from Mexico City, Claudia first developed her love
of cooking while standing at the side of her grandmother preparing the daily
meals for the family. Her grandmother taught her the importance of using fresh
ingredients, employing traditional cooking methods and tools and putting care
and love into every dish. Educated at both the Universidad Motolina and the
Universidad Cedim Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, she later refined and expanded her
culinary repertoire at the world renowned Culinary Institute of America in New
York.
Learning about chilies
We began our day with an explanation of the various ingredients
common to
all authentic Mexican cuisine. The class was introduced to various
chilies,
both fresh and their dried counterparts and told in what dishes each
might be
used. A discussion of important citrus fruits followed including an
introduction to Yucatecan Limes! Next, we covered the various spices
and dried herbs, many of which were
cultivated by the parents of Lucy, one of the two girls prepping the
food for
the day and assisting Claudia. We discussed the various pastes unique
to Mexican
cooking all the while receiving a history of food in Mexico including
the
introduction and assimilation of ingredients from far off lands which
contribute to today's "Nuevo Mexicano" cuisine. There was a lot of
information to absorb and the participants had many questions as we
continued
through the day.
Daisy and Lucy hard at work
Our menu for the day was printed for all of us and included the
ingredients and cooking instructions for each dish we would prepare. We
were given the opportunity to make and cook our own tortillas. Some of
the "masa" was used to create the most delicious "sopes" filled with refried beans, a particular canned meat called "Chilorio",
white onion, cilantro, "queso fresco", "crema" and a salsa made on the
spot from vegetables roasted on the "comal". I have had many sopes in
my five years in Playa. None were as fresh and flavorful as these. As
we moved from menu item to menu item, Claudia described the ingredients
and the best way to handle and prepare them. She taught us how to cure
a "mocajete",
the stone mortar and pestle ubiquitous in Mexican kitchens and how to
prepare the beautiful earthenware pots used to cook soups and beans. We
learned to clean and cook zucchini blossoms and "nopales",
how to tame the heat from fresh chilies and what spices, if cooked with
beans, will reduce gas. All the while, our hostess Cat served
refreshments, Agua de Jamiaca, "Horchata" and small glasses of tequila and "Xtabentun".
Preparing salsa in a mocajete
Sopes
Once we had made our way through all eight of the menu items,
following along on our recipe sheets as the ladies cooked, we retired
to the dining room to a prettily set table. Here we were finally able
to taste the wonderful meals we had been taught to prepare! Each dish
was delicious, and the group finally fell silent as we all tucked into
our meals.
Lunch time!
A delicious meal.
At the end of the meal, Cat presented each guest with two wonderful
takeaway gifts, a Little Mexican Cooking School apron, made by one of
the girls, and a spiral bound cookbook chock full of wonderful recipes.
Chef Claudia signed each of our books and gave us her email address and
website, inviting us to contact her at anytime with questions or for
clarifications on what had been covered during the day.
As I mentioned earlier, I came into this class with a healthy dose
of skepticism. In the end, I could not have been more pleased with the
entire experience. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be and
actually far exceeded my expectations. The cost, $90 per person plus
tax, is well worth it and you can easily see just how much of these
fees goes right back into the business. They have an excellent and
engaging chef, two capable assistants and the best and freshest
ingredients available. The apron and cookbook are just icing on an
already splendid cake. Everything is so well thought in this intimate
cooking class.No detail has been overlooked. Congratulations to Cat and
Patti! They have really put together something special in Puerto
Morelos, an excursion I will recommend highly to local friends and
visitors alike.
Our hostess, Catriona Brown.
Classes are held at The Little Mexican Cooking School
every Tuesday and Thursday and most Fridays. Several guest Chefs are
scheduled over the next few months to be sure to check the Riviera Maya Events Calendar for upcoming dates and details.