Why I set up Kahlo Mexican Cooking School
As a pre-teen my older sister had just graduated from a prestigious culinary school in Mexico and she was eager to show me the ropes. Every moment from there on in I was my sister’s apprentice, learning all the tricks of the trade. Travel was always something that pulled me, and spending years abroad I found food was what made me feel closer to home, just a little less homesick. I would always try to find a taste of Mexico when travelling, with varied degrees of success.
My search for authentic Mexican food has not stopped since moving to New Zealand, and admittedly it has been difficult to find a real taste of home. Mexican food is really popular here, but it is often a vastly different version to anything I grew up with in Mexico City. Mexican food is so regionally inspired that there is so much variation between the cuisine of one area and another. The Mexican food we have here in New Zealand is inspired by the northern states of Mexico and the Southern states of the USA, this unfortunately means I often miss out on the authentic Mexican food I love and have grown up with.
Missing out on something that was so much a part of me inspired me, I needed to cook my own Mexican food. Especially after coming back from my holidays in Mexico to see my family where I cooked with my mother and sister. I remember making a list on the plane of all my favourite dishes that I wanted to cook with them. When I would learn any new recipe I would add it to my family recipe book, up until now these had been passed down orally and are only now on paper. This in itself was a big task, and was only completed after a number of holidays in Mexico spent together cooking. Every time I returned to New Zealand, I was so excited to share new recipes with all my friends.
I not only enjoy cooking for myself, but love cooking for others. I feel sharing a little bit of my Mexican cuisine with friends is sharing a little bit of myself and my family with them. I love a dinner party, and I am very proud of my country so I began an annual Mexican Independence Day feast, many years ago now. I would spend a couple of days prepping and cooking my favourite authentic Mexican dishes for all my friends. Not only did I get some great feedback, I loved it too. I have always wanted to share my food with others, and the feeling I get when people try my cooking is what makes me happiest. After my first Mexican Independence Day feast a seed was planted. I had so many of my friends asking how I made the food, and I knew I wanted to share my recipes with them. After a discussing and planning with Steve I have embarked on a task to share my love of Mexican food with others.
Kahlo Mexican Cooking School was born of the desire to share with the people of Christchurch my cuisine and what authentic Mexican food is. I named my Mexican Cooking School after Frida Kahlo who was a Mexican painter and now a Mexican icon, she also was married to Diego Rivera, one of the most famous muralists in the world. They are two of the most important artists in Mexican history and are both from Mexico City. Frida Kahlo, is an icon to women in my hometown, a leader who has inspired countless Mexican women like me.
I would love to share my knowledge with you and your friends, so why not get a group together and book your authentic Mexican Cooking Lessons for a fun filled, gastronomic journey in your own home!
