'Cocinar Mexicano' in Tepoztlán Announces 2004 classes

New courses offered by the gourmet cooking school

Cocinar Mexicano, a gourmet cooking program based in the legendary village of Tepoztlán, an hour outside Mexico City, announced the addition of new sessions to its 2004 schedule of workshops in classic Mexican cuisine.

Following a rave write-up from the food critic of the international edition of The Miami Herald, who called the program “a jewel,” and the enthusiastic response of participants from Cocinar’s inaugural session, Director Magda Bogin decided to introduce a late-October workshop built around Mexico’s spectacular Day of the Dead. The school also added a Mother's Day week earlier this year.

“With a chef of Marta’s caliber and a village as seductive as Tepoztlán, we knew we had a magical combination,” says Bogin, who created the program after recruiting Marta García, chef of Tepoztlán’s acclaimed restaurant El Ciruelo. “But we were unprepared for the degree of excitement Cocinar began to generate right from the start. Both of these new workshops were suggested by people who either attended our classes or got in touch with us by email. With interest so high, we decided to jump in right away and add them to our program.”

The school, whose weeklong workshops are geared to both professionals and serious amateurs, provides what Bogin calls a total immersion in the thinking that underlies one of the world’s first fusion cuisines. Each session is built around one of the colorful fiestas for which Tepoztlán is famous, and features an array of classic Mexican recipes, along with original creations based on traditional dishes (such as tamales steamed inside a whole beer-basted chicken instead of in a separate pot or one of Marta’s signature dishes, such as filet mignon with tequila sauce).

Following a day of orientation, participants roll up their sleeves for five mornings of hands-on cooking, with afternoons free to explore the cultural riches of the village and evenings devoted to guest lectures and special culinary experiences.

The program includes seven nights in the vintage Posada del Tepozteco, one of the country’s finest hotels, a torchlight bartending reception that Bogin has dubbed Margaritas 101, a market orientation on the essential ingredients of Mexican cuisine, five days of hands-on classes in which participants prepare (and enjoy) five full menus, visits to local kitchens, a wine-tasting presentation, a tasting dinner at El Ciruelo, a group climb to the 14th century pyramid atop the mountain that overlooks the town and a closing gala at a surprise location.

“We are still in a state of euphoria over our adventure with Cocinar Mexicano,” says Eugene, Oregon resident Blyth Carpenter, who attended the program with her husband. “This remarkable program combined a beautiful location, high level teaching skills, simultaneous Spanish/English translation, a fine kitchen facility, and lots of tender loving care.”
“Cocinar Mexicano is an experience no one with a zest for learning Mexican cuisine should miss,” says Bay Area caterer Lili Rollins. “The entire program has a wonderful balance of time for classes, exploration and relaxation … that leaves you wanting to make another visit immediately to hear the sounds and take in the aromas of Mexico at its finest.”

“What no one mentioned was the setting of this incredible region,” adds Carpenter. “The monastery and attached church at the center of Tepoztlan are so perfectly proportioned that numerous movies have been made here. Right out our window was a "drop dead beautiful" panorama, as the Posada sits on a hill just two cobble-stoned blocks above the town.”

Tepoztlán, 35 miles southeast of Mexico City in the foothills of the great volcanoes, is a half-hour’s drive from Cuernavaca, and enjoys a year-round temperate climate that makes the area a haven for those seeking escape from the extremes of northern winters or summers. The village has long been known for the beauty of its ancient streets, its adherence to traditions that date back to pre-Colombian times, its bustling weekend market, and its lush vegetation, which includes an unusual mix of tropical and alpine flora.

If recent participants consider themselves lucky, so does Bogin. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” she says, referring not just to Chef García but to the women she calls her “two Tere’s”: Tepoztlán natives Teresa Bello, her right hand for logistics, and Teresa Cortés, who keeps the dishes washed and the ingredients flowing when Cocinar’s blue-and-white tiled outdoor kitchen is alive with busy hands and eager students.

The recently announced May session still has a few openings, and places are available for August and November. And, Cocinar Mexicano is accepting registration for its January 2005 workshop, built around the fiesta of San Sebastián, known as much for its tasty chocolate-based moles as for its inventive fireworks.

The cost for all Cocinar Mexicano programs is $2295, including RT transportation between the Mexico City airport and hotel, seven breakfasts (with lavish weekend buffets on the outdoor terrace of the Posada), seven lunches, five dinners, course materials, excursions to local archeological sites, and lecture/demos by members of Cocinar’s advisory board, made up of culinary historians, anthropologists and several of Mexico City’s hottest chefs. To reach the school, visit the website at www.cocinarmexicano.com or e-mail info@cocinarmexicano.com.


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