Mondays are for dreaming… my idea of heaven
If you are going to dream, dream big. While researching a topic I will talk more about later, I learned of a vacation spot that encompasses everything that I personally would love in a vacation: A) A beautiful spot in a corner of the world I have never visited (nor likely would have thought of), B) learning a skill I could take home, practice, and share, C) integration of a foreign culture into the daily routine, D) a place where you get to know the hosts and other guests more intimately than you normally would on a vacation, E) staying at a place where the kids can run around, explore, play with other kids, and not have to be tied to a routine of schlepping from one spot to another, F) historical field trips, and G) amazing food. To me, all this combined in one place is as close as you can get to heaven. What does it look like? It is a cooking immersion resort in Tepoztlan, Mexico called La Villa Bonita.
Here’s what they offer: The cooking school is in a six-bedroom house where the luxurious guest rooms overlook the Tepoztlan mountains. You can choose a 4-night or a 7-night package where you are instructed by Chef Ana in authentic Mexican cuisine. Ana is the head chef and owner of La Mesa de Ana, located on the same property as the resort. (She will also be starring in her first national television series this year.) She stresses fresh, local foods and follows through with excursions to the mercado (market) to teach you how to select the best ingredients. Other field trips can include trips to villages in the state of Moreles to experience life and tradition in a small town environment. Students are introduced to the ruins of Xochicalco and can take in the sites of Cuernavaca - such as the first cathedral in the Americas or the Brady museum. Also, guests can take guided field trips to Cuernavaca, Tlayacapan (the pottery village) or Taxco (the silver artisans’ village) to experience daily life firsthand and enjoy local delicacies. If all of this sounds too adventuresome, you can always lounge at the heated pool or enjoy the garden instead. The average temperature year-round, they boast, is 83 degrees.
Can you eat local foods without getting sick? I had to present this question to Chef Ana. As we Californians who have visited Mexico know, what’s affectionately called “Montezuma’s Revenge” can really put a damper on enjoying street food. Here is some information she offered on that:
“Tepoztlan is fed by volcanic-rock filtered spring water that is not processed or chlorinated, it is just very pure water. In our section of town, we have our own water rights to collect water out of the naturally forming springs on top of the Tepozteco mountains. At LVB while you can certainly drink the water right out of the tap, we have two levels of special filters before we drink it. We have never had any problem with kids or adult guests with the water. Concerning the food, when you come to Mexico you have to enjoy the market and the food on the street. What we teach people here is how to do so safely. We will teach you how to experience the great pleasure of eating on the street in Mexico on your own. As well, we give all of the fruits and vegetables that we use in the class an anti-bacterial wash beforehand just to be sure. This is good to do wherever you are in the world. In the end, we are big believers in buying from local producers as well as growing our own when possible in our garden.”
What are the reviews for this particular school? La Villa Bonita was named “One of the Five Best Culinary Vacations Worldwide” by The Food Network as well as one of “The 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life” by National Geographic Books. The school and hotel have been featured in the pages of Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, The Boston Globe and Newsweek, and on television shows including “Trivia Unwrapped,” PBS’s “Food Wine and Friends with Karen MacNeil,” and “Live with Regis and Kelly.” The TRUE test is whether or not you like making the food. You can find some of Ana’s recipes that were posted online as ideas for superbowl party dishes. Now I truly love to dream about new experiences and traveling. By translating one of those dreams into smells and tastes within my own kitchen, maybe I can convince the whole family that they have to experience this too! Thanks for the recipes Ana, hope this leads to cooking in your kitchen soon.
I’m participating in the Mondays are for Dreaming series hosted by Mara at Mother of All Trips. Check out her site for other travel dreams.
Ooh, can I come? This place looks dreamy to me too!
I think it’s cool to see them teaching gringos how to eat street food. To me that would be a highlight of the trip.
[...] of the five best culinary vacations worldwide” by the Food Network, either check out my earlier post or go straight to Chef Ana’s website (where you can also watch her tv segments and grab [...]