It didn’t take too long for fate to step into the picture. My husband Benny and I were invited by a corporate sponsor to visit their manufacturing facilities in the United States. Contrary to what is expected, I was not gung ho over the prospect of traveling. I thought I would just be a bad, even a boring, companion. I’ve been to the US a couple of times, so the idea of visiting the Land of Milk and Honey did not excite me at all. Then, an idea dawned on me and I nagged Benny about it.
I would come on condition that he accompany me to Mexico first. I’ve never been south of the border, and this would be a new adventure for me. Sight-seeing was the farthest from my mind, but the chance of learning to cook the Mexican way would probably be close to having the time of my life. It would give me an opportunity to pursue my passion ... and, at the same time, work.
I live and breathe to cook. It has made me who and what I am today. It is the force that moves me. I can never be separated from my kitchen. So, what better way to spend my getaway than spending it in someone else’s kitchen? As any food junkie would confess, the pleasure of a trip is not in the sights and sounds of places foreign, but rather in its smells and tastes!
So off we hied to Mexico, a humble country lagging in technology but making up for it with its rich and wondrous heritage, and, above all, its thrillingly diverse cuisine that merges Spanish, French and indigenous flavors for an intriguing taste.
Now, on to our destination: Tlaxcala (tlas-ka-lah), home to enigmatic archaeological sites, magical traditions and the hacienda-style Mexican Home Cooking School of Señora Estela Salas-Silva and her American husband Jon Jarvis. It is located five miles outside the city of Tlaxcala, a two-hour drive from Mexico City and 45 minutes from Puebla Airport. The school is surrounded by three majestic volcanoes – Popocatepetl, Iztaccíhuatl and La Malinche.
The family which I speak of comprises of the gregarious and animated Señora Estela Salas-Silva, who used to be the head chef at the well-frequented El Rebozo Restaurant in San Francisco and the grand dame of the house, preparing salsas and chilies as natural as breathing. Her husband Jon Jarvis, considered a gringo (expat) among the locals, assists the señora during her classes.
Señora Estela inherited her love for cooking from her grandmother, Doña Eulogia Silva-Castillo, who has handed down time-honored recipes of generations past, mostly of the Pueblan origin. These recipes are featured in her course.
The simple Mexican home were we stayed has Mexican-inspired architecture. The Mexican Home Cooking School surely stands out as one of Tlaxcala’s architectural landmarks. The overall design and layout of the house are Jon’s brainchild. To call him a DIY handyman is an understatement because he built the hacienda himself. Talk about a labor of love!
Needless to say, the very first installment of the house was the kitchen, and that was where the couple had to sleep for the first six months while the rest of the house was being completed.
Theirs is a partnership that has no borders, even extending to her classes. Since Estela’s grasp of English is limited and more at home with her native tongue, Jon would act as her interpreter and translate whatever Estela would explain in class. I was quite lucky to have an understanding of the Spanish language, which came in handy.
A typical day at the hacienda starts with a glorious desayuno or breakfast served al fresco right on the patio where you can bask in and be greeted by the Mexican sunrise. By the way, we were a very intimate class of two. My classmate, a food enthusiast from the United Kingdom, was Kris Asuadi who plans to open a Mexican restaurant in his country. The number of students per class was actually limited to a maximum of four. That was perfectly fine with me. Classes were held in the morning. Whatever we cooked in class, we had for our sumptuous mid-day meal. We would relax a little afterwards or take a short siesta and then go off to do some exploring in colonial Mexico.
On our first day, we were given a thorough introduction on the basic and essential ingredients that define Mexican homecooking. We were introduced to a wide variety of chilies, from sweet to mild to semi-hot to triple-X hot. It was with a suspension of disbelief that we recalled the famous scene from the movie Woman on Top, where the beguiling Penelope Cruz, playing the role of a Brazilian chef, seductively chewed on chilies as an aphrodisiac. In reality, she could have scalded her tongue and gagged, and would have needed to down herself with gallons of water or tablespoons of sugar to cool down her tongue. Other basic elements include cactus, called nopales or prickly pear cactus (yes, they are edible and delicious, too!), tomatillos and herbs, like cilantro and epazote.
The following days saw us participating in the preparation of regional favorites like chiles en nogada or battered chilies in walnut sauce and the mole poblano, which can be served with various types of meat but is traditionally served with turkey.
In case the names don’t sound familiar, then your knowledge of Mexican cuisine must be limited to typical bar chow fare like fajitas, burritos and tacos available at neighborhood Aunt Mary’s which actually lean toward Tex-Mex cooking. The average foodie must be unfamiliar with Mexico’s national dish, mole. Mole is actually a sauce that’s very versatile. Certainly the pride of Mexico, it can be served with everything, from poultry to vegetables and seafood.
Avocado, tomato and chili are among Mexico’s gifts to the world. They meld together as a work of art to form guacamole sauce, derived from mashed guaca, which is Aztec for avocado. In making the perfect guacamole, Mexicans insist on the use of molcajete, a volcanic stone used as a mortar and pestle because it gives texture to the mole. Blender blades chop the ingredients fine, whereas stone-crushing smoothens everything to an aromatic mass.
Our afternoons were spent scouring the market stalls for the freshest ingredients. In the course of this adventure, I was proud to discover that Manila mangoes are bestsellers in the mercados or public markets. Mexicans and Americans alike crave Philippine mangoes’ sweet, fleshy taste which they describe as the best peach they’ve ever eaten. And much like Filipinos craving for their daily bread, literally speaking, Mexicans have panaderias as well to supply their demand for different local pastries and sweets.
I learned, too, that Mexicans embrace adobo (Spanish for marinade) as much as Filipinos do. The difference is that the Mexican adobo is spiked by a red chile marinade that I can only describe as sassy, salty, sweet, savory and spicy all at once. They are also very fond of champurrado and leche flan. I can only conclude that despite racial and cultural differences, we are linked by a common bond – food, what else?
Now, I wonder if countries are separated by clashing ideologies and beliefs, can there be peace and unity if people broke bread and shared food?
We decided to leave earlier to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, just in time before the canonization of Juan Diego. We also went to some famous restaurants recommended by Señor Juan Cerda Benitez, the Mexican Consul in the Philippines, such as El Refugio Fonda where their capitan, Joaquin Chavez, gladly accommodated us and even showed us their kitchen.
Another thing you shouldn’t miss is the ever-popular barbacua which is made of tender mutton. It is like Mexico’s version of lechon. It can be bought at the market or on sidewalks. However, they are sold out before noon. It is served in flautas, chopped and rolled up in tortillas and topped with the salsa of your choice, accompanied by a flavorful soup stock. The soup is similar to our bulalo. This was the best food I ever tasted in Mexico. My husband agreed, too.
On the eve of our departure, Señora Estela gave us a farewell party, complete with a Mexican singer and musician. The Señora herself hit some high notes and did some dancing. It was a night to remember, as I, with wild abandon, shook the maracas. I’m a skilled cook, but I’m afraid I can’t say the same thing about my singing.
This was one trip I never regretted making. It gave me a chance to recharge my batteries and lift my spirits. The most valuable lesson I learned did not come from the handouts given out in class.
It came from Señora Estela’s life-affirming recipes. Just like cooking, savor each step you make with gusto. And the bold dame that she is, she would tease the class that "cooking is a lot like making love, it has to be sssslow..."
Her ways are just infectious. I can’t help but be infected by her lust for life! And now when I cook, I just know how great it is to be alive.