Last Minute Deal For Day Of The Dead In Mexico

Cocinar Mexicano is pleased to offer a 10% courtesy discount for culinary professionals wishing to attend Altars & Offerings, a six-day culinary immersion that culminates with Mexico's legendary Day of the Dead.

Participants in Cocinar's Day of the Dead experience this festival in an exclusive array of hands-on sessions that showcase the talents of both village women and the country's most sophisticated chefs as master teachers. Our featured chef for this workshop is Martha Ortiz, of Aguila y Sol, one of Mexico's most respected culinary artists.

This year's workshop runs from October 28-November 3rd, 2007, with five days in the lush mountain village of Tepoztl�n, an hour outside Mexico City, and a closing afternoon and evening in the nation's capital.

Officially observed on November 1st and 2nd, the Day of the Dead is at once an homage to the presence of the dead among the living and a colorful tribute to Mexico's dual Spanish-Indian heritage.

Participants fly into Mexico City, from where they will be conveyed by private van to Tepoztl�n. Accommodation for the first five nights is at Hacienda Clemente Jacques, a stunning hillside retreat with pool and tennis court on the outskirts of the village. Following a welcome cocktail and dinner, our workshop begins in earnest Monday morning with a market tour led by Cocinar director Magda Bogin and class at Cocinar's exquisite indoor-outdoor kitchen. After a generous respite Monday afternoon (time to rest, swim or schedule a massage), art historian Janet Dawson will offer a talk on food and Mexican art that segues into a gourmet dinner at Hacienda Clemente Jacques.

As we cook our way toward the holiday, we begin to create our altar, adding layers every day. Following our Tuesday morning class, featuring one of Cocinar's original contemporary menus, the group leaves for Cuernavaca, with Dawson as guide to the collections of the Cort�s Palace and Muros (20th century and contemporary Mexican art) and dinner at one of that city's top tier restaurants. On Wednesday, we finish our altar and prepare the traditional ofrenda for the dead-a generous spread of moles and salsas, tamales, whole roast chicken, and other delicacies of the Mexican table. On Thursday, we decamp for a day in the country to visit a major archeological site and an exquisitely restored 16th century hacienda, returning to Tepoztl�n in time to greet processions of villagers with beautifully carved lanterns and enjoy a traditional Day of the Dead supper prepared by Cocinar's outstanding staff. After breakfast Friday morning, we depart for Mexico City, stopping at the cemetery of Ocotepec, where mariachis, flowers and cotton candy are the order of the day, and at Frida Kahlo's house on the outskirts of the city, before checking in at the JW Marriott in posh Polanco. A spectacular all-black dinner with Chef Martha Ortiz at her restaurant Aguila y Sol caps this memorable week. After breakfast Saturday morning, .our vans return the group to the Mexico City airport for their trip home.

The all-inclusive price for this workshop is $2895, excluding airfare and gratuities, based on double occupancy.