We started the day by driving through miles of rough terrain up to the secluded ranch of Doña Ramona. Her ranch is one of the few farms in the area that still uphold the rancher’s traditional lifestyle. We got to look at her hand crafted pottery and experience a small fraction of her life style. With Doña Ramona and her family, we learned how to cook proper tortillas with clay stoves and helped make our own lunch the traditional Mexican way! We made “machaca,” a traditional Mexican dish with beef and vegetables. With our hand-made tortillas and fresh hibiscus water, we enjoyed a hearty meal. After tenderizing the beef with a rock on a stone tablet, we learned how the meat is cooked over an open fire. After driving back to the hotel for a brief rest, we headed out for our volunteer work at either the Palapa Society or Hogar de Niños. Once there, we got to interact with the children and practice our Spanish, while teaching them a few words in English! Once we arrived back at the hotel, we got right to work with cooking classes with Chef Iker and his crew. We learned to make fresh hand-made tortilla chips by cutting pieces of tortillas and deep frying them in oil. To compliment these piping hot chips, we made chunky guacamole. We grilled poblano peppers over an open flame and then peeled their charred skin. And the SURPRISE! A mariachi band appeared outside the kitchen and began to serenade with traditional Mexican music. Unfortunately they would not play Enrique Iglesias. After an hour of dancing, dinner was ready and we enjoyed our pepper dish with rice, beans, and salad with special cucumber sauce. |
1 Comment
dianne
3/29/2015 06:44:39 am
The mariachi's didn't play Enrique? What is wrong w this world?
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