As an amateur and lover of good food, when I heard “cooking classes,” the first thing that came to mind is “I will finally learn the correct way to cut.” And that was what happened on Wednesday afternoon thanks to the fantastic restaurant, Café des Artistes, which will have its cooking classes taught by the chef, Mario Rodríguez.
The restaurant is formed by large crystals that allow you to see the Sea of Cortez THROUGH them, and while we walked to enter unknown matters, we came face to face with certain smells, temperatures, and noises.
The first thing the chef did was introduce us to his “family”: chefs chopping ingredients, pastry making macaroni, and all his team that was working as if they were going to give a show. Without a doubt, today’s culinary experiences are just that.
It was necessary to comply with the kitchen rules, so we put on a hairnet, a Chef cap to have the full outfit and we sat in front of Chef Mario with a pen in the right hand and our sheet of notes on the left.
The recipe read: Tuna tartare, one person.
Ingredients:
- Tuna tartare 130 gr
- Celery Ball Salad
- Caper 2 gr
- Avocado 70 gr
- Wacame seaweed 30 gr
- Dry seaweed 2 gr
- Salmon egg 10 gr
- Citrus Vinaigrettes
- Olive oil
- Bread 50 gr
- Watermelon radish 10 gr
- Habanero mayonnaise
- Shallot 30 gr
- Salt
- White pepper
- Chili oil
The chef took the time to thoroughly discuss the preparation of each of the ingredients that were carefully selected.
For example, to make chili oil, you must dehydrate the guajillo and toast a little garlic so that it grabs the smoked flavor, add a little salt, olive oil and pass it through a fine sieve. For the citrus vinaigrette, yellow lemon, scratch, and Lincoln brand cream are used.
While the evening continued, the chef became a great teacher who showed us step by step the technique, the ingredients that follow and tips such as putting lemon drops or white vinegar on your avocado so it doesn’t rust. When he finished his dish, the moment of the apprentices came…
Between laughs, adrenaline and small moments of stress to prepare our dishes with the same skill that chef Mario Rodriguez did. My tuna tartare turned out to be very similar to the chef and in the end, I delivered something not only presentable but also edible!
Without a doubt, the experience allows us to get closer to Mexican cuisine fused with other kitchen trends around the world. In the end, we all tasted our creations of a dish that combines the sea with the earth.
Café des Artistes is located at JW Marriot Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa and is one of the most impressive hotels in the world. Its structure with high walls and massive galleons gives the feeling of entering a spacious place created with amazing architectural skill, minimalist features, and brown colors.
