Something's cooking at hotels and resorts these days. Guests are donning chef jackets and stepping into the kitchen to hone culinary skills and learn local specialties as an increasing number of lodgings put cooking classes on the menu. Even better than memories and holiday snaps is taking home some serious knife skills and the ability to recreate that beautiful bouillabaisse, perfect pad kaprow or in the case of a recent class at the
Hotel Viceroy Zihuatanejo, some pretty fabulous
fish tiritas. It's a valued added prospect for both the guests and properties, as well as the chefs who get to interact with guests in a whole new way.
Ixatpa-Zihuatanejo is a culinary destination in its own right, so it makes sense for guests to be interested in learning about the local cuisine. The resort's
Executive Chef Paco Isordia meets guests in the lobby and guides them through a morning at the local market, where students learn about the local produce, spices, products and of course seafood.
Once the ingredients are procured, its back to Viceroy Zihuatanejo where the class takes place in an outdoor kitchen with quite the view. The dishes included the aforementioned tiritas, a
molcajete sauce, a spicy
Red Snapper a la Talla,
guacamole, and
salsa Mexicana. Guests can be super hands-on or just sit back and take notes. And of course eat.