Five days of really interesting classes taught me far more than recipes, but opened up a whole system of cooking where charred vegetables and various chiles, seeds and nuts are the bases of sauces, and meat broths flavor light soups made from squash blossoms, cactus paddles and more. Quite different from classical European cooking. Estella enthusiastically shared a lifetime of... More

Flying to Mexico for a cooking class in the middle of a Minnesota winter seemed a perfect way to restore the circulation in our frostbitten fingers and toes. As the van that picked us up from the airport rounded a final bend in the road and the generous gardens and patio of Jon and Estella’s bougainvillea laced hacienda came into... More

we just returned form a fabulous week with Estela and Jon ( and Maria ) at their home cooking school in Tlaxcala.The hacienda is gorgeous and well designed for guests to feel comfortable. Each guest suite is beautifully decorated and very clean. THe firewood is stocked daily so we enjoyed a morning and evening fire to deal with the very... More

Our week at Casa Carmelita was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations that we’ve had. My wife is an accomplished cook, and interested in learning more about traditional Mexican cooking. I’m a novice cook, and interested in pre- and post-Columbian Mexican history and culture. The cooking lessons at Casa Carmelita were fantastic. We both found them fun and... More

A Wonderful Vacation – Exactly as Advertised Pickup at the Mexico City airport was flawless and we had five great days at the hacienda. We stayed in the Casita which was like having our own little house. Breakfast at 9 and cooking from about 10 until 12:30. Lunch at 1 pm with the afternoon available to explore the area. We... More

I had a wonderful time at the Mexican Home Cooking School. Jon, Estella, and Maria were very helpful and accommodating. The house/accommodations are lovely – it isn’t a high-end hotel but rather a beautiful home in the country. It *is* in the scenic countryside – Tlaxcala is some distance away – not walkable, but Jon had a capable group of... More

My week at Casa Carmelita was perfect. The location is idyllic, staff welcoming and classes brilliant. The morning cooking sessions were enjoyable and extended beyond the recipes to Estella's cooking philosophy. Afternoons were free for excursions, reading or wandering around the gorgeous property. My accommodations were magical, full of character and fresh flowers. I hope to go back to experience... More

The Mexican Cooking Vacation was a wonderful experience all around, and is highly recommended if you're looking for something "off the beaten path." The accommodations were rustic but very cozy and nice. The cooking experience was similar to my experience in many US cooking classes-- hands-on work involved a lot of chopping, mixing, some dough rolling, and tamale filling, with... More

I could not have hoped for a better experience! Estella and Jon are fantastic hosted and are an outstanding teaching team. Estella shares her family recipes with a focus on dishes from Puebla and one is more delicious than the next! This is the kind of cooking that you can not learn from a book. Estela share so many tips... More