Odyssey Senior
La Casa De Los Sabores Cooking School in Oaxaca, Mexico
If visitors to Oaxacan cooking school La Casa de los Sabores rose with nothing food recipes and unique meal combinations of herbs and spice flavors accented that are the hallmark of Oaxacan cuisine, which would leave completely satisfied. But a visit with the owner and special chef Pilar Cabrera also inspires and sates travelers with a sensual immersion day on the sights, sounds, odors and, yes, tastes and time-tested recipes of southern Mexico.
As always, a culinary odyssey with Pili past, as it is known, began La Casa de los Sabores first thing in the morning - at 9:30 am In the next few hours, I was given and the others in the class to the wisdom and experience of its long tradition matriarchal culinary. Pili learned the basics and subtleties, including the mysteries of the famous seven moles, from her grandmother, she learned from her grandmother before her. She is a teacher Born in Oaxaca in southern Mexico cuisine and international epicurean trends, capable of sharing the secrets of preparing food more heterogeneous with novices and experts alike - in English and Spanish.
Our day began with Pili's informal talk about the menu and the food that we would introduce one of the colorful markets of Oaxaca. The special attention to the key ingredients of Oaxacan cuisine kept us spellbound. "We're going to achieve today with the chiles," he said, "is hot and tropical ... with the Chile de Agua, you will see we use not only for flavor but color as well, and showed how keep this green, glossy. "
Once prepared with this knowledge, all embarked on a shopping trip to the market's most well known, the Mercado de La Merced, armed with multicolored Bags - Stock market - to bring the Shopping - shopping. Pili were prepared a partial shopping list, but advises us, which always adds "surprises" such as fresh food that rural women sometimes mountain down.
"When you have the opportunity to find something real special or unusual, you buy and incorporate into the food," he said. " Today, for example, look for the mushrooms, because they grow so well in the rainy season. In addition, we will see what kind of fresh fruit for dessert we can use. "
His insights into the shops and small factories only enriched the short walk to the market. A rich bouquet drew us into a mill I was making chocolate from scratch. As Pilar told us about the ingredients - cacao, cinnamon, almonds and sugar - the owner welcomed us with, "You want try? "
The lesson began in earnest when Pilar began methodically searching through the inner and outer parts market and the exchange of pesos for the high amount of fresh produce.
"Look at that lady sitting there, what you have in bowls, "She said." She just brought the raspberries and blackberries from the Sierra de Juarez. We can use them for dessert. Notice how fresh and beautiful. Fungi with them, see the size, scale and bright orange ... this is the time of year, but not for our recipe today ... Around here, do not buy tomatoes large green. I prefer locally grown smaller because they are not like other acids, and they have much more flavor, perfect for the sauce being currently preparing. "
He encouraged us to smell the herbs as she explained its use in particular dishes from Oaxaca. "Today use this yerba santa for the mole, "she said as she was examining samples of the fragrant leaf until she found the best and freshest for storage one of the bags. "But I also use it to wrap fish and make tamales."
Lynet who had been in Puerto Escondido on the coast of Oaxaca for six months, expressed the desire of many as she lamented, "I wish I had been in this class at the beginning of our trip."
Our enthusiasm and our appetites grew once we returned to Doña Pili well equipped, spacious kitchen. Its wide counters, food preparation island and eight-burner gas stove opening in the lush patio dining area made this kitchen an ideal classroom.
While we were reviewing printed recipe sheets of the dishes that were about to prepare, which show our purchases in baskets filled with the ingredients of each recipe to help us to know why we bought it. Then spent the next two hours preparing a sumptuous four-course meal.
Mary, her sous-chef, did preparatory work such as halving limes, slicing and preparing chilli chicken broth and poultry for the mole, freeing Pili to teach us rituals and secrets of Oaxacan culinary seduction. Fire Sparks Pilar experience further ignited the wise in their class as she pointed, touched, and passed around each item purchased, telling us how to be incorporated into the food.
Once the actual cooking began, was bilingualism to good use, giving directions and asking questions in one language, then repeating it in the other, as required by some of his visitors. "I need Another assistant para cheese, I need another aid for cheese. "Pilar could also be a Spanish teacher, a Spanish teacher to boot.
Everyone learned from each task and participated in the preparation of virtually all menu items. And as the group peeled, chopped and sauteed, Pili gems of information flowed.
We have learned much more about how to achieve the taste. Pilar taught us techniques to attain desired tones and textures: "Many people ask me about cleaning mushrooms," he said at one point, demonstrating the correct technique. "Now look to see how clean the seeds of this type of pepper, "she said while preparing for Chile guajillo mole." Once you start Water to cook these "Chile, we need to remember to always check them and turn them constantly."
"Find the hot part the griddle ... Now is when you know when you go around, "he said while demonstrating the art and science of making tortillas.
Occasionally a new recipe out of the tip of the tongue as we worked ... Other dishes you could prepare with this particular bullet, different fillings for the quesadillas, such as potatoes, chorizo or thrush, the exotic corn mold ... the texture you want for the corn masa tamales if you were doing instead of tortillas.
Soon, aprons removed, we were ready to feast. But first - "Now, before you sit down, remember in the market that will said that there were two types of worm worm? Here they are, what you want to try? "He asked." Now we know about mezcal. Try this one Alvin brought, and tell us how it seems to you. Here is another type. What do you think is different about this? "
We sat at a table exquisitely conjunction with local handmade linens, dishes and cups. Bottles of red wine from Mexico and Chile and breathing. The fine music of Oaxacan singer Lila Downs us serenade in the background.
Pilar reminded us that her grandmother and other relatives usually prepare their meals with meat and vegetables all mixed together in mole, a plate of rice on the side, and a bowl of soup. However, our food, like all the recipes prepared with visitors to La Casa de los Sabores, would your version modern of all the elements and combinations of flavors of the best that contemporary Oaxacan cuisine has to offer.
It was a celebration of each ingredient. We started with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers and cheese in the quesadillas stuffed mushrooms (fungi quesadillas), complemented perfectly by smoky salsa verde asada (grilled green sauce) served in the mortar. Then it was time to calm our palates with bright yellow flower cream pumpkin (squash blossom cream), garnished with a drizzle of real cream, toasted pumpkin seeds and indeed fresh squash blossoms. The main dish or plate Strong was yellow mole - slices of tender chicken breast on a sea of aromatic deep saffron-colored mole, accompanied by a vegetable medley crunchy steamed with fresh ingredients. In conclusion, the arroz con leche (rice pudding), speared with a length of vanilla bean and topped with wild berries had been arrested the previous day.
I left convinced that the greatest chefs in the most fashionable beaneries Manhattan would be very difficult to compete with the ability of this small Oaxacan cuisine marry the region's complex post-modern attention to color, texture and shine. For Cabrera Pilar, which is natural. For the rest of us, comes with a home visit.
La Casa de los Sabores Cooking School is located in Pounds, 205 in the center of Oaxaca. The maximum class size is 8, with private lessons available upon request. You can register for Pilar's classes by calling (951) 516-5704 or email her at: bbsabores@prodigy.net.mx
About the Author
Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .
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