Our week long class last week  was a great success.  We had five participants from all over the US and one from Pakistan.  They prepared so many of New Mexico's specialties as well as  several regional Mexican dishes.   Our kitchen was so fragrant with the pungency of red and green chiles, cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano and so many other flavorful spices and herbs. 

Every day started with the preparation of a regional breakfast specialty such as Chilaquiles, the original Burrito and Huevos Rancheros with a very special Sonorran Sauce.  Each day ended with a delightful and yummy dessert just freshly made.  Featured were our very special Tres Leches cake, Crepas a Cajeta, Flan Caramelisado, Margarita Pie (recipe below) and more.

Chile dishes such as Rellenos several ways, corn dishes such as many ways to prepare corn, tamales green and red, stews a simmering and three moles were just some of the  yummy dishes we made each day.  We will be setting the dates for next year very soon!

In the meantime, our next classes are  the August weekend which is nearly full as well as the September weekend which has a few openings and our August Grilling class and the September Green Chile Fiesta are coming up the next two months.  The complete menus are featured under the class dates.

Also,  we conduct many, many private classes for groups of all sizes and ages--even a couple of families were three and four generations all cooking together.  And...we conduct lots of corporate and organizational team building classes.  We would very much like to have the pleasure of your company cooking with us!

Here's two favorite recipes from our classes for you to enjoy cooking-- 

MARGARITA PIE

his recipe is quick to make and so pretty and delicious.  You can substitute frozen strawberries, red raspberries  or peaches for half the lime juice if desired.  This recipe is perfect for summer as there is no cooking  required and you are sure to get  many compliments.

Yield: 1 9” pie

1 ¼ cups finely crushed pretzels

2/3 cup butter melted

¼ cup sugar

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

2 to 4 Tablespoons tequila

2 Tablespoons Triple Sec

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Lime zest slices for decoration

1. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate. Combine crushed pretzels, butter and sugar in a small bowl; then press firmly into bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, creating an even thickness. Refrigerate while making filling.

2. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, tequila and Triple Sec in a large bowl; mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared crust.

3. Cover and freeze 4 hours or refrigerate 2 hours. If frozen, soften in refrigerator slightly before serving. Decorate with lime slices. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers.

Blue Corn Parfait Bread

The best blue cornmeal is smoked in adobe ovens and then lava-wheel ground to a fine flour consistency. With the popularity of blue corn, a lot of blue corn on the market is “filled,” or blended with white or yellow corn. For the best flavor, buy our pure Pecos Valley blue flour. The moist quality of this bread has long made it a favorite with campers and picnickers.  It is a must to serve with Bowl o Red chili.

Yield: 9-12 servings

1 cup blue corn flour or meal

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoons salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup dairy sour cream

2 cups cooked or canned whole-kernel corn, drained

¼ pound Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese, or a combination of the two, sliced ¼ inch thick

¼ cup sliced jalapeno chiles, either pickled or fresh

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch round or square cake pan. Mix the dry ingredients together and make a well in the center. Add eggs, butter and sour cream and blend thoroughly. Fold in corn kernels.

2. Pour almost half the batter into the prepared pan. Cover with the sliced cheese and chiles. Pour the remaining batter over cheese and chiles and smooth to cover the filling. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes our clean. Serve warm.