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A Christmas Feast

Space Limited: Register now for 2008 & 2009

Celebrating Mexico's Culinary Traditions

Our Christmas workshop showcases the pre-Hispanic roots of Mexican cuisine, with an emphasis on the continuity of ancient techniques and flavors in the contemporary Mexican kitchen, both urban and rural.

The weeklong artisanal immersion begins in Mexico City with a curated meal at one of Cocinar's affiliated restaurants. After breakfast the next morning with legendary cook Titita Ramirez at her restaurant El Bajío, participants will visit the colonial neighborhood of Coyoacán, home to painter Frida Kahlo, and tour one of the city's famous outdoor markets with our teaching chef Miguel García López. From there we travel to the lush mountain village of Tepoztlán, an hour from the capital in the foothills of the great volcanoes, for six days of celebration, hands-on cooking classes, and visits to the homes and studios of local artists and crafts people.

Working with village women in Cocinar's exquisite outdoor kitchen, participants will make tortillas, tamales, moles and pipián, as well as the chile-based sauces and appetizers for which the country is famous. Along with our Chiles 101 and a private bartending sesson at the Posada del Tepozteco, this workshop features our popular Tale of Two Moles, in which two different moles are prepared and seasoned in the days leading up to Christmas. In between cooking sessions, the group will take part in the traditional Posadas, the door-to-door singing and celebrations that culminate on Christmas Eve. Following a traditional dinner at the Posada del Tepozteco, the four-star hotel where most of the group will spend the week, workshop participants will join our neighbors as they converge for an outdoor mass in the main churchyard.

After three days of hands-on workshops and processions, we prepare our very own Christmas banquet, when the two moles return as the centerpiece of a spectacular contemporary meal. The morning after Christmas, participants will celebrate on their own, whether by relaxing at the hotel or by experiencing some of the leisure activities available in Tepoztlán. This could be the perfect day for a massage, an eco-hike, or an escorted climb to the 14th century pyramid that overlooks the village (one of only two mountaintop pyramids in all of Mexico). We resume cooking later in the day, with a typical Mexican cena, or supper, as our goal.

A day trip to the silver city of Taxco and the spectacular ruins of Xochicalco completes this novel cultural and culinary experience.

This holiday session is open to children twelve and older as full participants. Daycare is required for younger ones, but everyone will join in the piñata parties, carolling and processions that make this such a special time of year in Mexico.

Questions? info@cocinarmexicano.com
or call us at 212 655 4432