Food is one of the pleasures of life that brings people together and the Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic (CASA) is doing that in spades as it celebrates 30 years since its humble beginnings.
Founded by Tod Jonson, Ektor Carranza, Xavier Perez, Florence Pritikin (of the Pritikin Diet fame) and Pat Tanaka, the group’s tradition of preparing and showing dishes in a friendly competition was born with 18 members signing on at the first meeting.
Later, Bing Horn (the wife of the creator of Bing ice cream in Guadalajara) offered her name for the club’s Bing Award and financed the trophies given to members who won three first place positions in a calendar year.
Each month a few members present either a main dish or dessert based on a predetermined class or category. Three judges with a wide experience in cooking are chosen for each presentation. Awards are offered for the first three places, as well as a people’s choice and presentation award for each category.
Now boasting about 60 members and associate members (those who don’t present at least twice per year), CASA has expanded its horizons to incorporate cooking classes from top-notch area chefs. It has also produced a new cook book featuring some 250 first-place winning recipes, slated to go on sale mid-November. And together with Purely Canadian International — a lakeside-based importer of wines — CASA has started culinary tours taking in Guadalajara food markets, cooking emporiums and specialty importers, that also include a meal at a spectacular restaurant.
Says CASA President Monica Molloy: “The club is more inclusive than in years past — a more fun experience.” She says the competitions are not aimed at intimidating aspiring cooks, but allow them to enjoy fun cooking and get pointers, tips and critiques from other members while learning new recipes.
The club donates any profits from its classes to local charities and each year cooks and serves an over-the-top ethnic dinner for eight that is auctioned off at the Niños Incapacitados Diamonds and Denim Ball. The dinner netted 40,000 pesos for the charity this year.
A recent cooking class of classic Mexican dishes by Chef Oscar Perez Nafarrate Solis from Lakeside restaurant El Jardin de Ninette spanned two days with 28 participants. Students learned to prepare a cuitlacoche and corn tart, Oaxacan black mole, the festive chiles en nogada and a favorite local dessert — jericalla — from scratch in the course of about three hours. The group then enjoyed eating the results paired with two wines — a 2011 German-style sweet Crane Lake gewurztraminer from California and a complex Santa Alicia carmenere from Chile. The price for the afternoon of expert cooking tips, history of each dish, information on local ingredients, camaraderie between guests and a great meal was only 450 pesos.
Molloy mentions that if you want to prepare these dishes and pair them with Mexican wines, she would suggest vino tinto petite Syrah from LA Cetto from Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California to pair with the mole and vino blanco semi seco from La Redonda in Queretero for the chiles en nogada — both wines are available at Licorea Paz in San Antonio Tlayacapan.
The class was held at the home of CASA Vice President Michelle Lococo, who designed the first floor of her home as a huge kitchen and eating area, which easily accommodated the large group.
The most recent tour on October 5, led by a bilingual guide, took the group to the Romertopf clay bakers closed factory in El Salto where all kinds of molds and pans were for sale at rock-bottom prices. The group then stopped in at two Guadalajara-based Asian ingredient stores — Korean and Japanese — before enjoying a fabulous luncheon at Suehiro Japanese restaurant. Guest Zhanna Sosensky described the tour as “seamless, educational and with the best choice of restaurant.”
The next class and tour will be held after the new year.
The next meeting of CASA is Monday, November 14, 3:30 p.m. at restaurant La Mision on Calle Rio Bravo in West Ajijic. Categories will be poultry main dish and anything pumpkin. Reservations to attend are necessary and can be made via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..