Up and watching the sunrise again this morning with coffee and Baileys… Followed two cruise ships from our shoreline vantage point as they made out across the Caribbean. Another absolutely gorgeous weather day expected. Had a light breakfast of fruit, granola and yoghurt and got cleaned up to face the day! Love the mornings here… It’s so incredibly quiet except for the sounds of nature that surround us.
Monday was totally an experiment for us. We signed up for cooking classes! Hosted at Casa Caribe B&B, near the centre of town, is The Little Mexican Cooking School. We set out to walk from Casa Tykel, via the beach, into town shortly before 9:00 AM. It was a much better stroll than the road we took on Sunday. Quicker, cooler, and much more to see! Never done a cooking class other than Grampy’s instructions at the camp, so wasn’t really sure what to expect. Undaunted, and after a few false starts nailing down the location (my bad), we entered to a delightfully Mexican indoor/outdoor instruction/dining area. Here we met Chef Pablo who would be our culinary guide for the day! In total… A very international group of 13 students in the class, ranging from the UK, to Regina, Texas, Connecticutt and of course Nova Scotia.
And… FUN! All started with some foundational information and tips & tricks. They included a smattering of Mexican food history, ideas about using fresh ingredients and subtleties such as knife care, the Schofield Scale (how spicy is that pepper) and regulating heat when cooking vegetables. Then off to the kitchen… And through the 5 hrs we were there we prepared (and ate) seven different dishes, from guacamole to salsas, soup to black bean tortillas, salads to a chili mole (mo-lay) sauce, and a subtle mango desert. We chopped, diced, smelled and tasted everything along the way… Chef’s orders. Tips on sautéing, blending, baking… Steady flow of knowledge from a very good teacher.
Now I know what you’re thinking… How hot was the food? Chef Pablo did an excellent job of having something for everyone. There was a tomato and chili based salsa that was just right for me… Perhaps the weakest of the group in regards to “heat” in flavour. I did see others that dabbled in the spicier salsas reach quickly for the water cooler… But in the end all was very enjoyable. I did make the mistake, while preparing chillies, of touching my top lip/nose and leaving the oils behind. It felt numb for almost 20 minutes! Chef was good to incorporate all the students in the activities, and Monica, Janie and Eileen all got turns up front, taking part in some facet of the preparation. And of course, the meal at the end was excellent… My favorite dish being the pork mole, with a spinach and zucchini salad, that was just perfect! We left with aprons and bags in hand… Very happy with the experience, being full and ready for a siesta.
We had decided that one of the key elements of this trip was going to be that we actually experienced Mexican culture… We had designs on making the trip south one more about the people that actually live there. We, in many ways, missed this piece in previous trips to Cuba and the Dominican Republic (other than the several times we did get off resort on both visits). And, what’s more cultural than food? Chef Pablo was a great starting place… And his Mexican roots shone through brilliantly in his ideas about Mexican foods and their importance in understanding the culture. The moment in the day that best spoke to “Mexico” for me was when we pressed and cooked our own black bean tortillas. I’m guessing we used methods that are centuries (if not millennia) old. In short, we’d highly recommend the Little Mexican Cooking School experience to both young and old, experienced and novice! An exceptional day!
With that completed, we jumped in a taxi and headed homeward at 3:00 PM, ready for some poolside rest and relaxation. Coronas, a light breeze and dip in the pool (which was just settling into some shade) rounded out the afternoon. Janie connected with Vero, our coordinator extraordinaire, and made arrangements for two more outings to occur on Wednesday and Thursday. Not sure how we were going to top dinner… But we did wrestle around a snack-like lunch later in the evening. Samplings of Mexican / Chilean red wines and a foray into divining the correct recipe for margaritas saw the evening dissolve into stories of the day and honest tributes to those prepping for a Tuesday snow storm in Nova Scotia!
Oh man. Dividing prices by 15 is like mental math paradise. Monica will be in her glory…I’m sure. Looks like an amazing spot you’ve uncovered. I love when you guys do our travel homework for us. Really looking forward to hearing about the cooking class. Enjoy and keep on blogging.
Mike… Hope that you’re not beset by the Punta Cana blues after your trip there a few weeks ago! Loving the digs we chose this time… I’ll measure the pros and cons of the condo rental vs all-inclusive before I’m done. There are benefits with either… I guess it depends on what one is looking for! Write up on the cooking class has started… Might take a while to sort through this one but one thing for sure is that everyone had fun! Thanks, as always, for checking in! Hola!