Search results matching tags 'playa del carmen', 'Cooking', and 'Events'

Notes on Napkins - Breakfast is Served at Co.Cos Cocina!!

435836 — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:15:00 GMT

Coty Villareal has made a quite a splash in our culinary community since beginning her top notch cooking classes to Playa del Carmen. This week Coty invited her friends and supporters for an Open House to inaugurate the new "Breakfast and Deli" at Co.Cos Cocina Cosmopolita where she will be serving breakfast and lunch. The casual bistro dining space is set up in front of the cooking "theatre", spilling out onto the covered terrace surrounding the impressive Aldea Thai complex.

If you haven't participated in one of Coty's cooking classes, I highly recommend you do so. Those of you who have enjoyed her classes already and love her cuisine will be happy to know that Co.Cos will now be open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 8:00am - 4:30pm.

For the Open House, Coty and her team set out some light fare to give us all a small taste of what we can expect from her deli lunch menu. Everything was fresh and full of flavor and the prices are very reasonable. I see no reason why this new aspect to her already booming business should not be an overwhelming success!

Chicken Caesar Sandwich on whole grain bread with Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing

Marinated Tuna on freshly grilled bread with cucumber, avocado, sprouts and mango-mint sauce

Sopa de Limon

Shrimp Salad with jicama, avocado, mango and tamarind dressing

Co.Cos Cocina Cosmopolita is located on Avenida Cozumel in the Aldea Thai resort complex in Playa del Carmen. For more information about the new cafe, the cooking school or catering services you can contact Coty at info@cookinplaya.com or 984-803-0743.

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

UNO to Go! Celebrates with a Grand Inaugural Party!

435836 — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 11:19:00 GMT

Friday night, Susan de Lima and her team opened the doors of UNO to Go for their long awaited Grand Inauguration Party. Her chic UNO sign could be seen for blocks on all sides, lighting up the Colosio at the new gourmet deli on 5th and 48th, a new base of operations UNO Events & Catering. Nearly 100 people turned up to check out Susan's latest endeavor and to celebrate the success of a friend and fellow expat! Cameras were flashing everywhere as guests mingled and chatted and enjoyed the menu offerings for the evening paired with hand selected wines.

Rob and I have always been a big fan of Susan's catering and personal Chef services. It is so nice to know you have someone as professional and creative as Susan and her Chefs to recommend to our friends and customers. We can always rest assured that we will hear rave reviews about her food and event planning services! As a matter of fact, a few people who we have referred to Susan over the years were in attendance on Friday night, lined up to congratulate her in person.

Susan had a chance to show off some of her most popular hors d'oevres as well as a few of her new culinary creations. There was a little something for everyone, including the considerable number of vegetarians and vegans in the group. It was all delicious and really showcased the fresh healthy cuisine that Susan is known for. Inside, the cold case was stocked up with perfectly seared sesame tuna, quiche, vegetarian calzones, fresh crisp salads, a large variety of dips and sauces and Susan's own gourmet aguas frescas.

A small sign in the deli case announced the services of a certified holistic nutritional planner and eating plans. Each meal will come with a complete nutritional analysis and be prepared by Susan and her Chefs in the UNO To Go kitchen on a daily basis or as needed. As Playa del Carmen grows, it seems more and more people arrive who are diabetic or suffer with food allergies or gluten sensitivities. There are others who are looking for guidance with a weight loss plan or require meals to support an established weight loss plan like WeightWatchers. This nutritional counseling is going to be a great resource and UNO to Go makes it all manageable!

What kinds of cuisine can you expect to find at UNO To Go? Asian, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Caribbean, Vegetarian, Vegan and meals to accommodate special dietary needs.

When will UNO To Go be open? Monday - Saturday from 1pm - 5pm. Following the current food truck trend, a certain amount of meals will be created every day. When they're gone, they're gone so don't wait until the last minute if you are hoping to grab dinner to go!

Where is UNO To Go located? The new shop is located on 5th Avenue and 48th street. A word to the wise: Drivers may no longer turn north onto 5th Avenue from CTM. You must head north on 10th and swing back down to 5th at Calle 50. There is plenty of on-street parking near the new store.

How will you find out what is on the UNO To GO daily menu? The daily menu is announced via email and various social media channels, so be sure to follow UNO To Go on Facebook!

If you would like to make a special menu request or would like to inquire about chef/catering services, call Susan at 984 129 8902 or shoot her an email at susan@unoevents.com. UNO Events & Catering will also be a participant at Taste of Playa 2012 so be sure to stop by their table and say "hola"!

Playa Kids Learn Side by Side with Master Chefs!

435836 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:58:00 GMT

"Los niños exploran la gastronomía a través de sus sentidos"
~Children explore gastronomy through their senses~

One of my biggest frustrations when we first moved to the Riviera Maya was the lack of activities for children. Besides going to the beach or visiting a local cenote, there was just not much out there for kids to do on the weekends or after school. Organized educational kids activities in Playa del Carmen were practically unheard of. Over the past eight years, a lot has changed! Many new schools have opened and the extracurricular options for children living on the Riviera Maya are many and varied. There are so many great sports, arts and other recreational programs available for local kids that is difficult for a parent to decide which to choose!

One annual program I have always wanted to get my kids involved with is "Aprendiendo con el Chef". For the 5th year in a row, Vatel Club de Mexico and Flora, Fauna y Cultura Mexico have joined together to present "Aprendiendo con el Chef", a wonderful culinary event for children ages 5 to 12. This is the second year that this event has been held at Parque la Ceiba in the heart of Playa del Carmen. All the funds raised by this event go toward maintaining the park and its facilities and creating even more great programs for local kids. This master cooking class for children is actually one of their oldest running programs and was started before the park itself was inaugurated! This year, I was able to reserve a place for both Cat and Cole to attend!

Throughout the morning, working side by side with distinguished Chefs from Cancun and the Riviera Maya's finest restaurants, resorts and culinary organizations, the children learned to identify the five "tastes" - sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami - and develop new cooking skills. Clad in authentic white chef's coats and hats, the children learned to make cookie dough from scratch, build their own pizzas and even decorate their own petite cake! At the end of the day, each of the Chefs, big and small, were presented with official certificates of completion and their delicious creations to bring home!

Some of the amazing and talented Chefs who participated in this year's "Aprendiendo con el Chef" are:

Chef Alex Alcántara - Bluebay Esmerald & Bluebay Diamond
Chef Danton Valle - Fairmont
Chef Jorge Hidalgo - Omni Cancún
Chef Dennis Radoux - SIlversands
Chef Jose Mena - Secrets Maroma
Chef Hector Rosales - Sea Adventure
Chef Hector Escobedo - Banquetes Chef Escobedo, ACRIM
Chef Eric de Maeyer - Live Aqua Cancun
Chef Abel Navarro - Coral Beach
Chef Pepe Barrientos - Wicky´s Playa del Carmen
Chef Jorge Cordova - Occidental
Martin Vazquez - Live Aqua Cancún
Alfredo Santamaria - Live Aqua Cancún
Leo Zurita - Omni Cancun
Ana Manrique - NTD Ingredientes

A special thanks to Gina Taboada, Lei de Landero, Grisel Alcantara, Hector Escobedo and all the Chefs and event organizers who participate in this class year after year. Through programs like this, Parque la Ceiba and Flora, Fauna y Cultura Mexico are working towards environmental and cultural education for children and hope to encourage the greater Riviera Maya community to respect and protect the delicate natural resources of our region.

Chef John Gray Launches New Menu Concept

435836 — Wed, 11 May 2011 03:17:00 GMT

The John Gray Restaurant Group is pleased to announce the introduction of a new menu concept in both of its Riviera Maya restaurant locations. Beginning in May, John Gray’s Kitchen in Puerto Morelos and John Gray’s Place in Playa del Carmen will introduce a fixed price menu. Guests will be able to choose from a selection of Chef Gray’s popular signature dishes as well as new culinary creations. The menus will change weekly and will feature seasonal produce, locally caught seafood and of, course, the creativity of Chef Gray and his enthusiastic staff. Lunch, served with a soda, iced tea or beer will be $100 pesos per person. An elegant dinner, with a choice of appetizer and entrée is set at $200 pesos.

Fans of John Gray will be pleased to know the tireless Chef will be personally heading up not only the menu creation but also its execution in both locations nightly. “Historically, the “Kitchen” in Puerto Morelos has attracted an early dining crowd. I can be there for prep and service and still have time to chat with the guests before heading south.” Gray explained “The dinner crowd in Playa tends to turn up later and stay later. It’s really the best of both worlds for me.”

The new fixed price menus were initiated this week and the response has been overwhelmingly positive from regular diners and newcomers alike. Devotees were pleased to find old favorites such as the pate, fresh fish with mango salsa and the Roquefort encrusted pork tenderloin sharing the menu with new items such as truffled deviled eggs and charred tuna served in a lettuce taco. The duck, a mainstay on Gray’s menus, has received a makeover, being roasted whole and served atop smashed sweet potatoes and wilted watercress. “I’m looking forward to mixing things up a bit.” said Gray with a boyish smile “I want people to be surprised every week!”

Riviera Maya Top Chefs Gather for Weber Grilling Demo

435836 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:11:00 GMT

Recently, Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club played host to a group of the Riviera Maya's top chefs, a squad of culinary masters representing some the region's finest luxury resorts. Wicky's Chef Pepe Barientos was joined by Chef Humberto Macedo from Parque Xel Ha, Chef Jorge Hidalgo from Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya and Chef Efrian Adrias of Hotel Dorado Maroma were all on hand showing off their favorite marinade recipes and demonstrating various grilling techniques. Hector Escobedo also participated representing Asociacion de Chefs de la Riviera Maya injecting his own unique sense of style and colorful commentary. The charming and talented chefs showed a variety of cooking methods for meat, poultry and fresh fish to an attentive and hungry audience of invited guests.The workshop, set up on the beach with the stunning Caribbean Sea as a backdrop, was organized in cooperation with VATEL CLUB Quintana Roo and sponsored by Weber Grills, Revista Le Chef, ProKarne and Wicky's. All the guests had a chance to observe the chefs in action, sample the delicious food and ask questions about the equipment, the techniques and recipes from the event.

Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club

Kat Carroll (Cat Eye Creations)

Wicky's Head Chef Pepe Barientos

Chef Jorge Hidalgo (Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya)

Our Grill Masters for the day!

Sabrina Filatow and Chef Efrain Adrias (Hotel Dorado Maroma)

Chef Hector Escobedo

Chef Efrain (Hotel Dorado Maroma) and Chef Humberto Macedo (Parque Xel Ha)

Jaime Valenzuela (Weber Grills Playa del Carmen)

Event Sponsor Ramon Lozano Chavez (ProKarne) and Chef Jorge Hidalgo

Chef Hector and Chef Pepe

Chef Umberto Macedo (Parque Xel Ha)

Sponsors and Chefs

Kat Carroll with Cat Eye Creations came along with me to film the day's events and we had the opportunity to speak with and interview each of the participants before the event. What really stuck with me from the day, besides the beautiful scenery and the delicious food, was the comradery of the Chefs. Working together in the hot sun surrounded by even hotter grills, the chefs didn't break a sweat. They laughed and joked and genuinely enjoyed each others company. If there were big egos in the room, you would never know it watching these great chefs working side by side, everything perfectly orchestrated. It was clear that they considered the food the star of the show!

Uncorked! A New Wine Club at John Gray's Den

435836 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Life in Playa del Carmen just keeps getting better and better! When we moved here, almost five years ago, the options for foodies and oenophiles were very limited. Having sold fine wine in a previous life, the transition from my gourmet lifestyle took me by surprise. Certainly, I had never expected to have the variety that I was accustomed to back in New York, but if you told me that I would be making all of my "better" wine purchases from Sam's Club.....well, I might have never gotten on that plane! Since then, I have adjusted to my surroundings and learned to not only accept but appreciate the regional ingredients and imported products that are available in this area. Over the past year, I have noticed that the opportunities for food and wine centric events seem to be on the rise. Wine shops like Off the Vine are doing a brisk business and offering memberships for weekly tasting dinners and wine pairing evenings. In the past year, I have attended wine tasting events at Ajua Maya and on the glamorous Hotel Cielo rooftop above Carboncito's. Perhaps the most grand celebration of food and wine is yet to come with the advent of Taste of Playa in September. Suddenly, I don't feel so alone in my search for exciting culinary experiences. It is obvious that the residents of Playa del Carmen are ready to have their palates challenged and will avidly seek out chefs and sommeliers to entertain their appetites.

Last evening, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural gathering of the Uncorked Club in The Den at John Gray's Place. Always thinking around the next bend, John has been consistently creating opportunities to make good food and good wine, accessible, affordable and fun for the residents of Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. His latest brainchild, The Uncorked Club, is designed to take the stress out of wine and food paring. We have all heard "the rules": white wine with fish, red wine with beef, blah, blah, blah. Rather than following rules and emphasizing traditional pairing strategies, John challenges his Uncorked Crew to experiment. All three of the featured wines were offered at once, giving the diners a chance to sample each of his small tasting dishes with each of the wines. Sure the Amberjack tasted great with the Rolf Binder Riesling but the accompanying burnt butter and kalamata olive compote went perfectly with the fruity Duck Pond Merlot and the even the bold, spicy, Chilean Primus blend. The White Bean Bruschetta we initially thought would be a spot on match with the Riesling, but the bacon added in the cooking process made the reds a better choice!

Not only did our group have an opportunity to sample and purchase wines that have never before been offered in this area but I personally was able to sample some of John's menu items that I had ever thought to try previously. I was surprised and delighted and now I am eager for more! John has plans to offer these wine parings evenings on a weekly basis and provide additional benefits to members of the Uncorked Club. After the tasting is over, diners have the option to purchase larger portions of their favorite dishes for an additional charge of just $50 pesos per plate. The select wines remain available by the glass and bottles can be purchased at a reduced rate by Uncorked members.

Do I sound excited? I am! This is just the kind of culinary initiative we need more of in this rapidly growing, cosmopolitan city. I am pleased to announce that John Gray himself will be participating in the exciting gastronomic graze, Taste of Playa. John has just recently been featured in the Gourmet Edition of InRiviera Magazine and will be a participant in the prestigious South Beach Food and Wine Festival in 2010. We are thrilled to have him on our team and look forward to seeing which of his many delectable creations he offers up that day.

To those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of dining at one of John's restaurants, I highly recommend you fit a special meal into your plans. A visit to any of his signature venues in Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos and Cancun is well worth the effort and the Sunday BBQ at La Suegra in Puerto Morelos is a wonderful place to spend a lazy afternoon with your family. Maybe we will see you at an upcoming gathering of the Uncorked Club at The Den. We'll save you a seat!!

Special thanks to Stuart for taking beautiful pictures so that I could fully enjoy my dining experience. Great shots as always, Stuart!