Filming our segment for the TV show In The kitchen was nerve racking. It’s difficult to look at yourself and I fretted and drove Frank crazy all week whining about my performance, my appearance, my voice, whatever…wish I had a re-do! But in the scheme of things it’s all good; getting our name out and working with great people, cooking and teaching Mexican cuisine is what we love to do. The show airs Sat. Feb. 20th on KXLY 4 at 1:30.

Filming with the Hispanic Food Network in the Cook With Us.com kitchen is FUN! Mike’s gaining his cooking chops preparing great Mexican food from our original recipes. Check out KXLY channel 4 ” In The Kitchen” on Sundays to see what we have cooking! log onto www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com for an updated TV schedule as the times have changed a bit.
Frank and I are grateful for the opportunities that have opened up for us. This time last year it was fire, destruction and loss. An end to our cooking school in Todos Santos. I know it’s a cliche, but we are proof ( many times over) that when one door closes another opens.
If you love Mexican and Latin food let us know what you would like to see us make on the show. We’d love to hear from our audience out there.
Buen Provecho, Lynne

Brand new video camera, bright flood lights, and a willing filmmaker have turned our home kitchen into a bustling movie set. This is all part of our grand plan to bring live Mexican Cuisine cooking demonstations to our viewers.

Sadly, because of an arson fire in 2009 we had to close the doors of our Todos Santos cooking school. Our revised website will reflect the direction of our new endeavors. Dates for our upcoming cooking classes at the Greenbriar Inn of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho and our cooking videos will be posted soon. We are particularly excited about our collaboration with Mike Gonzalez, a popular and dynamic TV newscaster and personality. He recently launched the website www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com and a locally syndicated TV show called “En la Cocina” that airs on Sundays in the greater Spokane region. 2010, yes, it’s going to be a Great Year!!

Hello Lynn & Frank!
I took your class on Sat Oct 31 and had a wonderful time. My sons and I made Gorditas last night and they loved them!
I just wanted you to know that I found a 16 oz bag of Guajillo dried chilies at the Spokane Valley Walmart in the produce section! Look forward to learning from you again! Blessings!

It has been a long hard journey from our 20 year dream house and well established cooking retreat to just ashes and fire-stained concrete walls; with only fond memories of what once was and will never be again.
We have been the victims of vicious arson attacks. Since October 2008 we have had a total of 17 arson fires and still no one has been apprehended! Fires have only occurred when the house has been vacant. I have traveled to Todos Santos on two separate occasions with hopes of launching an investigation into these senseless acts. After 5 days dealing with local officials and police, there still is no investigation!
Our lives will be different now and maybe even some good will come from all this. We will keep you posted on our next food adventure!

Frank

2009 has gotten off to a fiery start. On January 19th we received word that there was a fire at our “casa” in Todos Santos. Frank flew down immediately to access the damage. Unfortunately it’s fairly extensive and we are now in the process of repair and rebuilding. It is so sad to know what’s been destroyed but….out of the ashes a new and improved “Casa Tierra” will emerge. We’ve had to cancel Aprils scheduled classes and refund the kind folks who have promised to rebook in 2010. We really appreciate your understanding and concern and plan on being up and running for the 2010 season.

Speaking of 2010, “Cook with Us” has entered an agreement with well-known and respected AAA Travel. Their company has formed a subsidiary “Sojourns’” which is a new culinary tour company. They have partnered with us to provide the culinary content for their February 2010 Mexican tour to Todos Santos. We are very excited to be working with them and providing the same fantastic cooking classes that we do with our own clients.

There is plenty of time to get ready for next years culinary vacations, we hope you will join us and look forward to meeting you for a week of fun, learning, and adventure.
P.S. We will be posting the new schedule in May.

Take care everyone, Lynne

Happy Holidays to all our friends and clients. We wish you a prosperous and healthy New Year, filled with the wonder of travel, learning, and new friends.

Usually this time of year our cooking classes are in full swing in Todos Santos. But, this year we are excited about our upcoming trip to New Zealand where we will be offering Mexican cooking classes at a new wine tour company started by a very dear friend. This is new for us as we have never traveled to this part of the world, but adventure calls and we are up to the task! In April we return to Todos Santos for a scheduled class at the end of the month. We still have openings and would love for all you Mexican food enthusiasts to join us for a delectable culinary vacation.

Feliz Navidad, Lynne

We have been so busy this last six months, traveling the back roads of Mexico, sampling all manner of regional fare, and meeting and greeting the most interesting local folk. To put it simply we’re having the time of our life and hope our enthusiasm for Mexico and its food translates to fresh perspectives and new ideas for “Cook with Us” culinary adventures.

In the hills outside Oaxaca we dined in tiny Arrazola’s only restaurant, a word I use very loosely. On freshly swept dirt under a shelter made of salvaged wood we tasted the most succulent carne asada ever. While the thin meat sizzled on a homemade clay comal and a huge pot of pinto beans simmered over the wood fire, Manuela, the friendly owner and cook, cheerfully and expertly patted balls of dough into tortillas that she slapped onto the red hot comal until they browned and bubbled just perfectly. With a six pack of beer purchased from the only grocery in town our simple meal was perfect in every way, tasty, filling and very authentic!

So many local cooks happily shared recipes with us when they learned about our cooking school. Often ingredients were jotted down on napkins while we ate and talked food or we were invited into the kitchen to watch and learn as dried peppers, spices, and freshly slaughtered goat or pork were expertly prepared into aromatic and rich soups and stews.

We perused the colorful local markets in each town we visited. I’ve never seen so much fresh bountiful produce so artfully displayed. Bright yellow pineapples with the rind removed stacked in tall pyramids. We studied the huge sacks and barrels of dried peppers of every description, baskets of aromatic spices, and herbs to cure all manner of ailment. Friendly stall keepers proudly displayed goats and sheep’s heads that hung forlornly from hooks in the rafters. Freshly made cheeses beckoned under a covering of cheesecloth while alongside might be a wall of grotesque masks and amulets to ward off bad spirits. The markets of Mexico are a wondrous feast for the senses, a bustling jumble of fresh food, caged animals and birds, beautiful flowers, trinkets, and all manner of humanity.

We’re back in Idaho for the summer, thankful for family and friends here and in Mexico. We look forward to next season’s classes and hope you will join us.

Adios, Lynne and Pancho (Frank)