84461 Sun Mar 09 12:15:08 -0800 2003 12 3 California 0 468195 I have just returned from 8 days in Oaxaca, Mexico where I had the opportunity to learn from and cook with Rick Bayless, Susana Trilling, Ricardo Munoz Zurita and Elaine Gonzales (the chocolate guru). I also met Gary the wine guy who is based here in San Diego, and Ron Cooper the maven of Mezcal. As many S.D. hounds know the Valle de Guadalupe just north of Ensenada is beginning to turn out some very interesting wines. Both Gary and Rick indicated the market in Tijuana was surprisingly good. I asked Susana how many of her mole ingredients would be available there, and she told me I could most likely find everything but one of the dried black chiles, so I brought back a decent supply of them. My production chef and I are going to practice the recipes I learned to see how well we can reproduce them here, which, with the exception of the Black Mole, shouldn't be too difficult. The Black Mole will take practice ;-) Again, as many of us here know, San Diego is not exactly a mecca for good Mexican food, which seems kind of weird since we're right on the border. So here's the deal -- how many of you out there would be interested in 1)doing a tasting on the Mexican wines, possibly with food pairings? 2) An actual road trip down to the Valle of Guadalupe for winery tours? 3) A Mezcal tasting? 4) A road trip to Tijuana to check out the market 5) Chile tasting and/or instruction 6) Introduction to other Mexican food products and how they are used and finally 7) Cooking classes based on some of the recipes I learned? I'm looking for some feedback so that I can gauge what kind of interest level there might be. I am willing to put any of these "events" together. I now have access to the proper resources and I have access to 3 commercial kitchens where we could meet. As some of you know Mexican food is my passionate interest and food of choice. I am also a very good teacher and would like to share what I learned and introduce others to the pleasures of the Mexican table. Anyone interested in learning to cook something other than Tacos and Burritos? You can respond here, or send me a private e-mail. Sun Mar 09 12:15:08 -0800 2003 0 Gayla 1 468208 gosh, Gayla, all your suggestions sound wonderful! I'm always interested in learning to cook new things. a friend and I trolley down to Tijuana about once a month to shop. what market? and the Mezcal tasting sounds awesome. I consider myself a tequila aficianado of sorts, and have yet to venture much into the Mezcal world. I also love good wine, so keep us posted on what appears to be the favorite responses. Mon Mar 10 16:28:41 -0800 2003 468195 0 phee 2 468236 My wife and I would both be interested in attending the excursions, and maybe the classes too, if they were scheduled during the weekend. Wed Mar 12 21:11:02 -0800 2003 468208 0 Kristian Gleditsch 1 468210 I susupect that once you get going, we'll have to run fast to catch you. I consider myself a fair Mexican cook, albeit New Mexico style, but always willing to learn more. Wow, your credentials are superb...Bayless and Trilling. I'd like to know more about the Mexican cooks too. Oaxaca is my favorite spot in Mexico and I love their food. It would be great fun to learn to cook and share that style of scrumptuous cuisine. I for one would definitely sign up for a cooking class, for a dinner (especially mole), for a Baja jaunt and although I don't drink alcohol at all, I enjoy the wineries and have already drunk enough Mescal to last me a few lives. I think some of the resulting stories should be told with the drinking of that mysterious, clear liquid. Interesting stuff. Different than Tequila but definitely in the same family. The ethnic markets are a real education and fascinating as well. My daughter was a student musician in DF several years ago. We went to visit her and stayed in an apartment where the only ones who lived there (75 other apts.) were all musicians. AND, they all knew one another. Every night (like it or not) we had music and on weekends it really warmed up. When I left, I felt obliged to cook something akin to a holiday buffet and properly say thank you and good bye to all the student virtuosos I had met. So I made out the menu and went shopping. Hah, as you might expect, almost nothing was recognizable so I ad libbed and must say, it wasn't half bad. Of course, starving musicians aren't that particular. But we all had fun. I like to explore the Asian, Indian, Latino, and Mid East markets because I am curious about food. Talk to the people and you never know what you'll be eating next. It might become a tradition. The more the merrier when it comes to Mexican food. Just let me know where or when. Mon Mar 10 19:03:04 -0800 2003 468195 0 Chilepm 1 468211 All fabulous ideas that I would jump on in a second. Are you talking about the Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana? As often as we go down there I have not been able to pinpoint where it is and wander around. My greatest travel adventures have been in local markets from Hong Kong to Paris to Africa, so I would lineup for the chance. As for the wineries, I would also second the motion with enthusiasm. We literally discovered this area by accident almost two years ago and have been back about four times. On the down side . . . My last trip was in December with my visiting parents and just outside of Tecate, we actually got pulled over on some bogus grounds and were shaken down for a little payola! Fifty bucks later, we were on our way. I laugh now, but it was a litle unnnerving. I really thought those stories were apocryphal but it does happen. Still the Valley is just amazing and I remain undaunted about a return. After wending through rocky desolate countryside, you suddenly find yourself surrounded by olive groves and vineyards with distant mountain vistas. If someone dropped you there from a space ship you would be hard pressed to say whether you were in the south of France or some part of Italy instead of Baja! The large wineries are very lovely and the wine quite decent. Wonderful picnic opportunities. Olioves for sale along with very fine EVOO. Also honey in abundance and fresh homemade cheeses. There is a convent that is supposed to sell local produce and baked goods in between Tecate and the valley, but we have never stopped there. Please do organize this and count me in for any part. I would love to learn to make a Oaxacan mole too, so set up a class! Mon Mar 10 19:52:49 -0800 2003 468195 0 Oohlala! 1 468213 I am interested in all of it except for the tequila. I am especailly interested in the cooking classes. Tue Mar 11 10:41:48 -0800 2003 468195 0 buddha 1 468215 Gayla, I'm a Phoenix chowhound visiting this board - and I would (depending, of course, on times and dates - hey, it IS a five hour hike) travel to SD to participate in classes/tours/tastings such as you've described. I'd be especially interested in market tours in Tijuana, and the classes...oh, heck - it sounds terrific. Can't wait to learn more. Tue Mar 11 12:42:24 -0800 2003 468195 0 patricia 1 468216 Gayla, I'm a Phoenix chowhound visiting this board - and I would (depending, of course, on times and dates - hey, it IS a five hour hike) travel to SD to participate in classes/tours/tastings such as you've described. I'd be especially interested in market tours in Tijuana, and the classes...oh, heck - it sounds terrific. Can't wait to learn more. Tue Mar 11 12:42:24 -0800 2003 468195 0 patricia 1 468227 *Sigh* If I were anywhere near you...or if you were anywhere near me...it would be such fun to do Gayla's events. You San Diego chowhounds HAVE to plan a road trip down this way to visit this former San Diegan...a LOOOOOONG road trip on a deluxe bus, eating your way through Mexico. Last night I ate two kinds of homemade tamales (chicken and pork) plus empanadas rellenas de picadillo con salsa verde at a tiny restaurant here in town...the sort of place where the guy sitting next to me said, "Gosh, this place could be really great if they cleaned it up". I gave him a look and said, "They did." Six of us ate maybe 20 tamales and 20 empanadas, with soft drinks (beer is also available) all around, and the total bill including the tip was in the vicinity of $16.00 USD. Friday night last week I went with a friend for out-of-this-world posole, served in a dish so big it could pass for a baby bathtub and loaded~I mean LOADED~with pork meat and all the trimmings. With an agua fresca de jamaica, it cost me approximately $2.00 USD. I've got my fingers crossed that my usual taco lady will be back this coming weekend from her annual pilgrimage to see Nuestra Señora de Talpa; Doña Mago and her three beautiful daughters make the best tacos on earth and they've been gone for 2 weeks. I'm having withdrawals. Y'all come on down...or maybe we can all do something when I come up in May. Hint hint. Tue Mar 11 23:41:17 -0800 2003 468195 0 Cristina 2 468231 Cristina, remind me not to read your posts BEFORE I've had breakfast! Wed Mar 12 13:04:00 -0800 2003 468227 0 phee 3 468233 Or *after* breakfast, for that matter. Lord, it's still two hours until lunch -- and I'm ready for a full comida. . . jim strain Wed Mar 12 13:25:58 -0800 2003 468231 0 Jim Strain 1 468305 Gayla, I read your message and classes and trip sound good. I might be able to do classes, and my husband might be able to do trips (we have a 5 y/o and take turns so one of us can stay with her). My questions are where and when and can Vegetarians be accommodated? I usually try to learn new dishes/recipes and then just change things around to do our thing i.e. no meat and no lard. Thank you! Maria Mon Mar 24 19:12:26 -0800 2003 468195 0 Maria Ochoa 1 468310 Gayla: I envy your recent trip to Oaxaca to cook with Rick Bayless and Susana Trilling. I've been dying to go on that trip for a couple of years now, but so far the timing has always been off. Some day I'll make it there... I love your enthusiasm and suggestions for Mexican food education. I would be interested in the tasting of Mexican wines, the road trips to the Guadalupe Valley and Tijuana market, tastings of chiles or other products and cooking classes. I've enjoyed visiting the market in Tijuana, but since I don't speak Spanish I usually just admire the offerings and wonder what I could do with all those beautiful chiles. It would be great to go there with an informed fellow Chowhound as guide. Wed Mar 26 12:51:10 -0800 2003 468195 0 Angie