My week teaching in Mexico as a guest chef

A peek inside Rancho La Puerta

If you asked me as a child what my favorite things to do were, I would tell you cooking, writing and teaching - I was really into pretend play, think elaborate classroom with dolls. Funnily enough, so is my daughter now, so life has really come a full circle. :)

Well, the highlight of the teaching part this year in my new career was a sunny week at Rancho La Puerta, and I simply cannot thank

Annie Fenn, MD

enough for her thoughtful introduction.

The ranch is a special place. Nestled in the mountains of Baja California, the founding family has built a community of open-minded people that seek to rejuvenate or heal and return year after year - 90% of the guests were return visitors, some have been coming for decades! We were amongst the few newbies.

A glorious day at the ranch..Mount Kuchumaa in the background

The founder, Deborah Szekely, is 102 years old and sharp as a tack. She embodies the spirit of the ranch which she set up with her husband, Edmond Szekely in 1940. From a ‘bring your own tent’ summer camp for $17.50 to the sprawling yet intimate space close to nature that exists now, Rancho La Puerta has maintained its soul and continues to inspire its community lead healthier lives. The staff, predominantly Mexican (some working there for generations), is warm and beyond thoughtful. The food, largely served in the communal dining hall is mainly lacto-ovo vegetarian and delicious, with some fresh seafood.

Loved this festive outdoor dining hall

What made it even more special - reconnecting with Arundhati, my high school friend from Bangalore, after 25 years! We rode the school bus together, but lost touch after school and found each other via social media a couple of years ago. Aru runs a yoga studio and Bollywood dance studio in Redmond, Seattle - please visit if you’re in the area. She also hosts a wonderful podcast, Let’s Talk Yoga. Creativity, entrepreneurship, skincare, social media and the hustle - we never ran out of topics to nerd out about.

Aru and I

Plus, we took advantage of the many excellent classes offered at the ranch - refreshing water workouts (check out Hydrofit and see if there’s a class near you), Zumba, sound healing, strength, multiple hiking routes, not to mention the lovely spa - honestly, there’s so much to do, you just cannot cover it in one trip. No wonder everyone goes back. The instructors were all so accomplished, and I felt proud to be amongst that group.

Back to teaching - I taught two hands-on cooking classes at La Cocina Que Canta - The Kitchen That Sings (you may have seen the menu in this month’s Weeknight Simple) and collaborated with their head chef, Reyna Venegas, on a fabulous dinner feast with local Baja wine pairings. The dishes were a mix of my favorites from The Vegetarian Reset and Weeknight Simple. I have only taught virtually before, so teaching in person for the first time was an incredible experience. The groups were SUCH a joy - I met many wonderful people from all over the US and even the UK, all of whom rolled up their sleeves and got it done. The spirit of camaraderie in the kitchen was infectious, and then we had a little dinner party afterward (thank you again,

Annie Fenn, MD

for that tip).

Menu for the collaborative dinner with Chef Reyna

Cooking in the glorious chef’s kitchen at Rancho La Puerta with Chef Reyna and her talented staff was an honor and something that I hope to be able to do again. We picked fresh vegetables from their beautiful organic garden, met some frisky goats and friendly cats. Being the city girl with no green thumb, it is always fun to experience the ‘farm’ side of the farm-to-table experience; I’m much better at the ‘to-table’ part. ;)

Cooking classes at La Cocina Que Canta

I came away from the week with a rejuvenated perspective and deep gratitude. There are still good things in this world. Just keep seeking them out and staying positive .

xoxo,

Vasudha

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PS: I came away inspired to create new content for social media thanks to Aru, so if you’re not already following me on Instagram or Facebook, do that now and you’ll get some fun and fresh posts over the next few months, including daily low-carb smoothie inspiration.

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PPS: It looks like Amazon has extended its Prime Day sale on books, so you can still score my cookbook for $1.99 (Kindle) and $23.60 (hardcover).