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by Benay Bernstein
Sazon - A San Miguel De Allende High Point
My eyes widened at the sheer beauty of the hors d'oeuvres. They looked like miniature ice cream cones filled with caviar topped mousse floating in a lucite palette. Sazon, the cooking school and kitchen gift-shop component of the Casa de Sierra Nevada Hotel, provides a topnotch addition to San Miguel de Allende (SMA), home of artists, expatriates, and native Mexicans, a population dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of life and lifelong learning. Please note that I included  Mexicans in the list as SMA is remarkable in its ability to commingle North American populations without diminishing the unique qualities of all. Although Sazon was top on my list of "must do" in SMA, I promised myself a visit to La Biblioteca, the library with amazing murals and an intimate stage for theatrical productions, the Fabrica Aurora, an old textile factory converted into a gallery, mall and workshop for artists and artisans, a stroll through the extensive botanical gardens and of course a respite and cool drink in the main square, La Parroquia, before viewing the interior of the massive sandcastle church across the street and Allende’s House museum next door.
Locating Sazon in the maze of narrow streets filled with small locally owned shops is part of the magic of San Miguel de Allende. Treasures are to be found everywhere. And, if you cannot find the treasure you seek, you can have it made as craftsmen abound. At Correro 22, Sazon is entered through a street side archway, clearly the carriageway into a city hacienda. Just inside to the right and left are intimate shops replete with dishes, linens, utensils, and implements perfect for any visitor's kitchen. Straight ahead, the flower-filled courtyard is piled high with newly arrived stock, and several tables set for dinner, to demonstrate the beauty of Sazon's wares. The teaching kitchen is on the rear left with one wall completely open to the atrium, an advantage of SMA's mountain desert location. With a perfect mild climate during most of the year, an overhead fan is the only cooling necessary in this kitchen. My fellow students were a varied lot. Three local women, obviously experienced in kitchen arts, were interested in learning special treats for entertaining; several tourists attended seeking the pure pleasure of learning new skills and dishes, and one newspaperman, Bob Kelly, came to gather material to write for an article about fun things to do in SMA as "the season" approaches. Complete with overhead television to ensure everyone the opportunity to carefully monitor the appearance of the food as it is produced, the kitchen, though quaint in aspect was perfectly equipped for modern food preparation.
What makes SMA a beloved mecca for the open-minded, has made Sazon wildly successful, and greatly enhanced the reputation of the city's premier luxury hotel, The Casa de Sierra Nevada, recently included within the prestigious umbrella of Orient-Express. Sazon is an extension of the hotel’s kitchen, and rejoices in the excellence of food from all cultures. thereby accepting and valuing the surrounding population. Mexican food and style of cooking is an integral part of the Sazon kitchen even though continental dishes are given equal presentation just as the two Casa de Sierra Nevada hotel signature restaurants, one in the city center and one at a park location are distinct in their menus, but include a hint of the other in their presentation.
I was greatly impressed by the value the city places on other arts, in addition to cooking. Throughout the year, but especially during the months of December through May, "the Season", San Miguel de Allende is populated by artists, actors, musicians, writers, professionals and students of all ages and walks of life seeking to practice, learn and teach life's treasures. When I visited in November, before the season officially began, the local English weekly newspaper, "Atencion" edited by Australian, Suzanne Ludekens, listed an extensive day-by-day schedule of classes available, including dream interpretation, photography techniques, art appreciation, as well as notices of upcoming theatrical and musical productions. I can hardly imagine the size of the expanded paper published during the season. Residents and visitors alike are drawn to SMA for the richness of daily life. In preparing for my visit I was given introductions to Lola Smith, a grande-dame of the theater, whose generous welcome on the telephone gave me a clue of the pleasure to be had when I visit her on my return this summer, to JoAnn, a New Orleans society woman who has spent part of each year for the past thirty years in SMA working to beautify the city and raise money to support Mexican orphans and at least three other residents who upon visiting this city could not get themselves to leave. Each individual's story is a tale worth telling, but for now, back to cooking.
Sazon stands out among the many cooking schools I have attended by treating its students as if they are, or will be, professional cooks. Although somewhat daunting , this approach is exciting and challenging. Classes are taught by Chef Gonzalo Martinez, a Mexican native, newly returned after years of cooking continental food around the world, most recently and, to me, most notably at the Windsor Court in my native New Orleans, and Chef Kirsten West who spent fourteen years cooking privately for the rich and famous and currently runs Sazon, two most experienced and appreciated chefs. Chef Martinez presented my Christmas season class with an elegant menu for Festive Holiday Entertaining. The Sazon method of teaching through demonstrations rather than participation was perfectly effective. I, personally, could not imagine recreating all the magnificent dishes in the elaborate menu we learned, but I was able to glean enough recipes and techniques to add to my personal repertoire and increase my level of knowledge.
A cold glass of refreshing hibiscus tea greets the assembling students. Chef Gonzalez welcomes the class and gets right to work. Our first dish is last on the menu, Ponche Navideno Jelly Shots; a fruit filled cocktail drink laced with sparkling wine. The fruit compote base made of tejocotes or guayabas, sugar cane, apple, guava, plum, raisins, and hibiscus that are boiled in sugar water with a cinnamon stick makes a delicious desert on its own. Sheets of gelatin are incorporated into the mixture, which is poured into shot glass molds and chilled. Nestled in the bottom of the sparkling wine topped gelatin drink is a layer of tiny fruit cubes to be eaten delicately with a tiny spoon. It is impossible to keep from feeling special when  handed such a fun delicacy. Will I ever recreate the jello shots? Not very likely, on the other hand, the fruit compote I make as part of my Seder dinner in celebration of the Jewish Passover holiday, one day may appear in a most unusual form.
Two dishes Chef Martinez taught, which will appear on my table are the Tuna Tacos al Pastor in a Skewer (Grilled Tuna and Roasted Pineapple with Achiote Marinade) and the House Ajillo Smoked Salmon in a Fresh Parmesan Cone (Ajillo Smoked Salmon). I will make them in the form named in parenthesis rather than the Chef's original recipe as the preparation is too involved for an everyday kitchen. LuxuryWeb is publishing the original recipes for you lucky readers (see Cook’s Corner), but you, too, are permitted to modify the presentation to suit your needs. The reason I selected these dishes for inclusion in this article is a direct reflection of why I enjoy writing for you, my LuxuryWeb readers. It is to share my enthusiasm at learning new, relatively easy cooking techniques and trying new taste experiences.
I recently discovered the seasoning, Achiote, in a recipe for Potato Soup/Stew in Gourmet Magazine. Locating Achiote powder was difficult enough, but finding the paste was impossible until one day it miraculously appeared at my local hispanic grocery store. I love the flavor and color it gives to food. It is not pepper. It is not a chili, rather it is a seed, like a nut. The marinade made with Achiote paste for this recipe is stellar. I look forward to eating it often and I am especially happy to share my discovery with you. Also, the roasted and grilled pineapple cubes in this recipe are truly special. The salmon recipe pleases my taste greatly by containing a copasetic combination of ingredients. But, I cannot imagine taking the time and effort to make the wonderful parmesan cones, as much as I would love to prepare such a delicacy. Just as I am challenged to find something more exotic than a cracker for such an elegant caviar-topped salmon, I challenge you to find an easier housing, and look forward, to hearing your ideas. Again, the original parmesan cone recipe is located here for your use.
One more note about the "Festive Holiday Entertaining" presentation as taught at Sazon. I cannot be more grateful to have seen by my own eyes and learned for my personal edification the creation of Chef Gonzales' wonderful dishes. One does not always employ the knowledge that comes one's way. Sometimes it is sufficient to appreciate it. In closing, I am grateful to Sazon, its gifted chefs, its enlightened staff, its luxury hotel (Casa de Sierra Nevada) and its corporate umbrella (Orient-Express) for offering this gift of its bounty to me and to you.
© February 2008 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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