Seat 6D

Yesterday I suggested that anyone visiting Santa Fe make sure and plan on attending the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Well, it was so wonderful that I went back today for another class. Here is a summary of today’s fun.

Warm, spicy tastes and enticing aromas evoke Santa Fe’s rich cultural traditions. Three classes on the traditional foods of New Mexico are at the heart of the Santa Fe School of Cooking. These classes allow you to experience this delicious cuisine, including local cooking techniques and the lore of the region. This class includes corn tortillas, cheese enchilladas with red chile sauce, chicken enchilladas with green chile sauce, pinto beans, posole, and capirotada (bread pudding).

Todays class was taught by Chef Danny who brought an entirely new experience to the class. As Rocky did yesterday, Danny used the menu as a starting point and showed us how we could change things up to adapt the recipes as we desired. All in all, a great two days.

I’ll have more on the overall Santa Fe experience coming up, but one thing I have to draw note to. The people I have met here are quite possibly the most friendly people as a group of any I have run into in any of my travels. It makes getting up a joy every day.

I was fortunate enough to take a class today on Contemporary Southwest Cuisine at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.  I’ve long felt that the key to understanding a culture is through its food, and this class totally reinforced that theory. The class was over three hours in length, taught by Rocky Durham who made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about cooking classes and a lot about teaching in general. He is a native of Santa Fe who has worked around the world before returning home. The class was filled with loads of information on technique, and some of the history and culture that make up the basis for New Mexico Cuisine. Below is what today’s class covered.

Santa Fe’s unique cuisine melds the region’s rich cultural traditions with new ideas to create a contemporary style of Southwestern fare. You can experience this unique cuisine in depth, including the techniques of master chefs, regional lore and fabulous food: Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Red Chile Cider Glaze, Apple-Pinon Chutney, Tumbleweed of Sweet Potato, Braised Swiss Chard, Chipotle Corn Flan, and Mexican Chocolate Bistro Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Toasted Almonds.

If anyone is planning a trip to Santa Fe, I highly recommend taking whatever class is offered. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

Had dinner last night with a good friend of mine, MF at Rioja in Denver. The restaurant is in the Lodo district on Larimer, and the chef/owner is Jennifer Jasinski. I’ve posted a few pictures up here of the food, and suffice it to say that it’s a must visit if you are in Denver. We had the Rioja Picnic, the Artichoke Ravioli and the Big Eye Tuna with Halibut Ceviche. The flavors were deep and delicious. We chose to eat at the bar which was comfortable and welcoming. The staff there knows the menu extremely well, and did not disappoint. When you are in Denver, make sure and stop by.