La Piña Azul Cooking School

For all you cardamom lovers.

Delivery directly from Guatemala. Cardamomo. Wow. There were seeds, with and without the green hull, coffee, chocolate, jams, candy and scented soap. Cardamomo is the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla. Guatemala has become the number one producer after India. In 1914 a German plantation owner tried to cultivate the plants among his coffee trees. Cardamom likes the same conditions, high altitude, cool and humid weather. A new, very lucrative industry was born.

The Wonderful Women (and Men) of 100 Women Who Care SMA awarded 106,900 pesos to Midday Rotary. The money will help Women in rural San Miguel achieve their dreams of many years providing their families with safe, healthy, and dignified access to self-constructed dry ecological composting toilets!

A Special Thank You to 100 Women Who Care SMA for all that you do for the beautiful people of San Miguel de Allende!

In only a few more days I will be back teaching cooking classes in the great kitchen of Rancho La Puerta in Tecate.
The Rancho and Spa is turning 80 this year. The Godmother of the Spa and Wellness business (she also founded The Golden Door in Escondido), Deborah Szekely, is at 97 still a great inspiration for taking care of your body and soul.
Felicidades to a great lady.

I got my Soda Stream. No more shlepping bottles or adding plastic to the trash. I love my mineral water.

Delivery directly from Guatemala. Cardamomo. Wow. There were seeds, with and without the green hull, coffee, chocolate, jams, candy and scented soap. Cardamomo is the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla. Guatemala has become the number one producer after India. In 1914 a German plantation owner tried to cultivate the plants among his coffee trees. Cardamom likes the same conditions, high altitude, cool and humid weather. A new, very lucrative industry was born.

After the corn kernels have been removed from the cob, the best are selected to be sewn for the next harvest. Their good growth is encouraged with a spacial seed song. It was a sweet song, almost like a lullaby.

My muicle plant is in bloom, also called Mexican Hawthorne, the leaves of this plant make the purple color for the tortillas ceremoniales. Just like they made them this morning for the seed blessing ceremony at the Sindicato in Sna Miguel de Allende.

Take a mercado tour with me. I will show you what makes the Mexican cuisine so fresh and delicious.

I just love my miniature batterie de cuisine

Recipe testing : Bowtie Pasta with Wild Rice, Green Peas and Dill.
This is a variation of a dish called Varnishkes which is made with kasha. I liked the idea of mixing the bowties with wild rice for a different contrast in texture. I loved the result. Yes, I can get wild rice here in San Miguel de Allende.

What's for dinner? Roasted vegetable medley, mushrooms, greek yogurt with red beet pesto. My flip-pan makes roasting easy.

To all my dear friends and cooking school students on FaceBook. May your spirits soar in 2020 and ever after. You are all special to me. Thank you for all your support throughout the year.

"Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky
For we can fly, we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon"
(Jimmy Webb)

View from my terrace in San Miguel de Allende.