The Cooking School at the “Ranch” AKA Rancho La Puerto

Earlier this year, I returned to the ranch — that’s Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, one of the top ten destination spas in the world.

(The top one I haven’t yet experienced is almost in my backyard: the Mayflower Inn and Spa, Washington, CT)

I had first learned about The Ranch (as it’s lovingly referred to by attendees) from my friend Richard Braun, who each July heads there for a week with his wife Liz Forgang. This summer will be their 22 year.  I had to try it.

There’s nothing not to like on the 3000-acre ranch  — other than no vino with meals!

A week at the Ranch is perfect to unwind, make new friends and begin to get in shape! You live in a private casita, dine on three vegetarian meals a day, and begin your day (if you so choose) when the sun is about to rise, on a hike up — or at the base of — Mount Kuchumaa.

The most difficult part of each day is choosing among the activities — open weights, circuit training, stretch, dance, feldenkrais, pilates, body sculpting, tennis, aqua plus, yoga and more — or myriad spa treatments, of which my favorite is their hot stone massage.

This time, I enrolled in a sculpture class with Jose Ignacio Castaneda, the nephew and protege of Victor Hugo Castaneda, whose sculptures adorns the ranch. It was my first time handling clay since first grade! Within an hour, this talented artist had each of us turning lumps of clay into something recognizable. (As you can see I made mine a bit too well endowed!)

And the most recent addition (less than 2 years ago) is a cooking school – La Cocina Que Canta – under the direction of my friend Antonia (Toni) Allegra.

I just had to try one of the 3-hour, hands-on cooking classes with staff chef Ana Lorena Najar.

(Ana doesn’t always conduct the classes – as Toni arranges for various celebrity guest chefs to teach low fat vegetarian cooking at the school. Some recent culinary teachers have included Pat Wells, Lynne Rosetto Kasper, Joyce Goldstein and Carolyn O’Neil — with myriad fabulous teachers scheduled for upcoming months.

Upcoming top culinary teaching pros include Crescent Dragonwagon (May), Joanne Weir (June) Marie Simmons (June), Pam Anderson (August), Rick Bayless (October) and John Ash (October). For complete details visit the events calendar at www.rancholapuerta.com.)

Our first stop: the 6-acre organic garden where head gardener Salvador Tinajero provided an instructional tour that included selection techniques. We picked our veggies  — fresh beets, cabbage, lettuce, and more — then headed into the hacienda-style kitchen to learn about and cook that night’s Italian flavored dinner.

Our menu included Caesar salad Provencal with anchovy dressing, tapenade with flat bread, grilled tuna with almond pesto, linguine with lemon zest, polenta with herbs and roasted tomato sauce and pear strudel with brown sugar cream.

(Many of these recipes are found in the ranch’s newest cookbook,  released October, 2008  “Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), available at amazon.)

With the assistance of the sous-chef staff, we had about an hour to make the entire menu. Everyone had tasks to do, and, once complete…more tasks, as we had an extensive menu.

I made the tapenade for the flatbread by simply finely chopping kalamata and green olive, capers, anchovy fillets, garlic, parsley and fresh thyme, and then adding red and balsamic vinegar, olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Once done, I tackled the salad, attempting a bit of creativity with the presentation.

As finishing touches were put on the food on the buffet, each of us were handed a glass of wine from the nearby Valle de Guadalupe wine country, before sitting down at the long table and dining together.

One participatory classes costs $75.