Chef and cooking instructor Linda R. Harley is joining forces with the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) to provide memorable cooking experiences for small groups of area residents in a series of December classes.
Students can choose to sign up for just one or all four of the sessions, which will provide them the opportunity to taste authentic Mexican cuisine in intimate hands-on classes. In any case, those who wish to participate must sign up quickly. Registration for each session will end as soon as eight to ten registrations and payments have been received.
Harley was formerly with the New York City Urban Kitchen. She has been living and cooking throughout Latin America and the Caribbean for 35 years and offers her passion for Mexican food along with her culinary expertise.
The fee to attend each 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. session is 300 pesos and that allows those attending to eat the food that has been prepared.
Mexico’s Culinary Gifts to the World on December 1. An introduction to the foods that originated in Mexico. This class will focus on the versatility of corn. The group will make sopes, layers of beans, chicken, and cream; corn chowder using at least two colors of corn; and a seasonal fruit agua fresca (cool drink).
Tianguis to Table on December 3 or December 10. The class will explore the tianguis (Wednesday street market) to learn about the region’s fresh vegetables and then make a vegetarian comida corrida (basic meal) in the Casa Grande kitchen.
Botanas on December 4. Mexicans love a fiesta. Here are the appetizers, tapas and cantina finger foods: flautas stuffed with chicken, gorditas stuffed with a tasty chorizo-bean mix, and steaming consome (beef broth) with a drizzle of tequila.
Sopa de Tortilla on December 8. Mexicans love soups, all kinds of soups. This class concentrates on one of the most traditional: sopa de tortilla – with its sublime use of chile guajillo for color and an assortment of delicious garnishes: chicken, tortilla strips, cream, lettuce and avocado.
Sopa Crema de Setas on December 11. How about a hearty, rich soup: a crema de setas (cream of mushrooms, beef stock and cream). The class will convert bread from Ajijic into a bowl and garnish with poblano chile. Then there’s an introduction to making poblano simple, an elegant presentation to impress guests.
Immediate sign up at the Lake Chapala Society is imperative. Classes are limited to between eight and ten students and are filling up fast. For more information about these classes and the instructor, visit lakechapalasociety.com.