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.
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