Market Visit and Cooking Lesson: Learn to Cook Contemporary Mexican Dishes Inspired by Family Recipes

Meet Ismael for a visit to Mercado San Juan, Mexico City's oldest gourmet market. For many years this was the only market in the city to sell imported gourmet goods and is now known as a haven for high quality ingredients and artisanal products. Ismael will take you to his favorite dealers, showing you where he selects the best fish, meat and produce. You might pick up a few ingredients for your meal before heading to his home, a 20 minute subway ride from this bustling marketplace.

Learn to prepare 2-3 dishes in a hands-on lesson in Ismael's kitchen. As you cook together with some wine in hand Ismael will tell you the stories behind the dishes you prepare, as well as how he came to learn and perfect his recipes. Additional dishes for your meal will be made in advance. You can expect to cook for about 1 hour before sitting down together to share the meal you helped to prepare.

At Ismael's table you will enjoy a variety of dishes that showcase his grandmother's traditional family recipes brought into the 21st century. He experiments with different ingredients to update and elevate traditional Mexican dishes and street food, resulting in fresh, seasonal dishes bursting with flavor. You might taste a Veracruz-style ceviche, tacos gobernador from northern Mexico (a rich, cheesy shrimp taco), or fish al pastor with grilled pineapple, his twist on the famous famous tacos al pastor.

Ismael lives with his father and younger sister who might join you for a meal if they are home during your visit. Ismael can cater to a wide variety of dietary restrictions and often creates unexpected vegetarian versions of traditional Mexican dishes. If you have any special dietary needs, just ask!

Please note: this is not a professional cooking class, rather than an experience to visit an authentic, local home to meet a local person and share the culture and cuisine together.