Pre-Hispanic Cooking Class with a Mexican Grandmother

"We had the best time during our cooking class with Isabel. Her husband, Ric picked us up at our hotel and took us to their home, about 20 mins from our hotel. It was such a fun, hands-on experience for the entire family. We learned new recipes, along with some history of the food we were cooking and had an incredible meal together. We will make these recipes again and again and always treasure our memories of cooking with Isabel."

"We had a great time with Isabel! She picked us up at our hotel and drove us to her beautiful country home. We chopped and cooked together and enjoyed beautiful food, margaritas and great conversation. Her husband joined us around the table and then drove us back to our hotel. This experience was a highlight of our trip!"

"Very relaxed, but great exposure to the prehistoric flavors that make Mexican food so unique. Isabel can work with novices as well as experienced cooks and she provides wonderful perspectives on how each ingredient enhances the flavor of the others."

"What a delightful afternoon we spent with Isabel! She picked us up from our hotel in San Miguel de Allende and drove us to her house (about 25 or 30 minutes away), so we got to see how someone lives outside of the city. She has this oasis in the middle of the Mexican desert, complete with a garden where you can see what ingredients she grows and a quiet place to sit with Margaritas and chat. Isabel taught us how to make gazpacho and a layered nopales dish topped with a delicious sauce. I learned techniques for cutting an avocado and juicing a lime that I will take with me as I cook at home. But more so than the cooking lesson was the chance to spend time with an amazing person. Isabel is a retired doctor and healthcare administrator whose mission in retirement (besides teaching cooking classes) is water safety and she works with an NGO to improve water quality in Mexico. It was inspiring to meet and talk with her and learn about her life and her family. Such a pleasant travel experience that I will always remember"

"The cooking class my husband and I took with Isabel was a highlight of our stay in San Miguel. She picked us up and drove us the 20 minutes to her beautiful home. Once there, we got to work preparing a delicious vegetarian lunch. (Isabel communicated with us ahead of time to ask about our food preferences.) We learned some helpful cooking techniques to take home with us, and we enjoyed a margarita on the patio with Isabel and her husband while waiting for the chiles rellenos to cook. Isabel’s knowledge of traditional Mexican cooking resulted in a delicious meal. We learned some new cooking techniques and made a new friend in the process!"

"This was a great experience. Isabel and her home were charming and the food we made together was delicious. This is one of the best cooking classes we've done!"

"Highly recommend. Isabel was wonder to talk with and loved the cuisine she shared with us. Will definitely make at home. She added to our wonderful time in San Miguel. Such a treat!"

"Highly recommend. Isabel was wonder to talk with and loved the cuisine she shared with us. Will definitely make at home. She added to our wonderful time in San Miguel. Such a treat!"

"The cooking class with Isabel was nothing short of excellent! The service, accommodation, and experience were all spectacular. I highly recommend this authentic experience to cook in her beautiful home."

"My longtime friend came for a visit. We both live to cook so the idea of learning to make a Mexican meal with “a Grandma” seemed a perfect outing. And it was. Isabel was easy to be with and being in her home kitchen was immediately comfortable, like being with an old friend. We made a Veracruz style red snapper dish that was heavenly. Our dinner conversation was relaxed and engaging."

"Isabel & her husband were warm & inviting. The meal was pre-planned perfectly & easy to help prepare. We learned about several new herbs that we were not familiar with. I plan to try using them in my future recipes."

"Isabel & her husband were warm & inviting. The meal was pre-planned perfectly & easy to help prepare. We learned about several new herbs that we were not familiar with. I plan to try using them in my future recipes."

"Isabel and Ric were warm and welcoming hosts to their lovely home. Ric picked us up at our hotel and we were able to see part of the community outside SMA, stress free. We are excited to try the 3 courses we prepared at home. Simple ingredients created homemade salsa (roast your tomatoes!) , zucchini soup with crema and red snapper Veracruz style. A surprise flan for dessert was outrageously good. Salsa appetizers were eaten in their lively garden. Our lunch conversations were enjoyable and informative as well. A delightful day!"

"When I originally booked this experience, I had no idea it would be one of the most memorable of our trip. Isabel is one of the most remarkable women my family and I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with. She not only welcomed us into her home and prepared a lovely meal for us to enjoy but she shared so much about her life and experiences. We sat down (after learning great cooking techniques) to one of our best meals in Mexico with Isabel and her friendly husband . She included our teen boys in the experience too and they had a great time. Don’t miss out on this experience! It was 100% worth it. We will never forget it or Isabel."

"Incredible cooking class with Isabel - HIGHLIGHT of trip to San Miguel! The cooking class with Isabel was ABSOLUTELY amazing and was our highlight of the trip! I went with three of my friends in March 2024 and we still can’t stop talking about how wonderful Isabel is, how welcoming she was, and how much we learned. Prior to the class, Isabel was great to correspond with via email to set the car pick up time as well as the yummy menu. She picked us up in her car promptly from our AirBnB and we headed to her beautiful home where we were greeted with an amazing spread of vegetables and then headed to her garden to gather some additional vegetables we would use in the class. This garden was so serene and Isabel even let us cut the chard from its stem that we would later use - so fun! We then began cooking and Isabel is so knowledgeable - she taught us how to properly slice and dice veggies and how to charr a poblano pepper and properly peel. We made a vegetable soup, guacamole, chicken with tomatillo sauce and tamales and everything was INCREDIBLE. We even got to make some tortillas to snack on on the side. Isabel let us do the cooking and was a great instructor the whole way through. While the food cooked in the oven, we spent some time with Isabel in her backyard talking about life advice and learning about her family - it was one of the most impactful conversations any one of us had had in a while and we are so grateful for her medical background and general wisdom. We then all enjoyed a meal together at Isabel’s beautiful table and headed back to the city. From the four of us novice chefs, we cannot recommend Isabel enough! We were so thrilled, so safe the entire time, English speaking was impeccable, drinking water and bathrooms were very clean and she even accommodated our vegetarian friend and sent us all home with a treat for the road. Please book this tour, you will not regret it! Isabel - thank you!! You and your story are amazing!"

"What a fun and memorable experience. Isabel was so hospitable and informative. She picked us up right on time and took us to her beautiful home where learned the recipes and techniques of old Mexico. Using modern methods, of course! Isabel and the food were fascinating and delightful. I highly recommend this treat!"