Mexico’s modern culinary creators

Chefs are the food world’s rock stars. With their own base of groupies that follow them to each restaurant they open or work at. Mexican cooking is an art form that takes a lot of patience and unmeasured precision; to flavor dishes is a talent acquired by learning and practicing, not by following instructions. Being an expert in this culinary art used to be passed on from generation to generation, each region defining itself with its own flavors and ingredients, but now a new generation of chefs are taking what Mexico gives them and creating sophisticated and contemporary plates full of flavors with underlying tradition.

Oaxaca, one of the richest states in gastronomical diversity, is home to Chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca.  This star of Oaxacan cuisine began his life in the kitchen learning from his mother and grandmother the secrets of the original flavors of Oaxaca. Now after more than 20 years of experience, his specialty is elegantly cooked seafood using local scents and flavors. Not only can you eat what Chef Ruiz cooks, but you can cook with him by signing up for “flavors en route,” which includes staying at the hotel, shopping at local markets with the chef, cooking with him and sampling artisanal mescals.

For more information please visit: http://www.casaoaxaca.com.mx

In the North, where the climate is dry and the arid deserts go on for miles and miles, you find one of Mexico’s three largest cities given its important industrial and commercial activity, Monterrey. This is Chef Guillermo Gonzalez’s home. Mexican dishes infused with Latin and Asian flavors are what this award winning Chef serves his tables in Chino Latino. Besides collaborating in Chino Latino, Chef Gonzalez founded Grupo Pangea in 1998 under which three restaurants operate each unique in concept: Pangea, Genoma and La Catarina. Chef Gonzalez is a native of Ensenada, Baja California and started working in restaurants at the age of 14. In 1991 he graduated from the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) with honors.

For more information please visit:
http://www.grupopangea.com
http://www.chinolatino.com.mx

From Monterrey we travel to one of the world’s largest cities, Mexico City, with over 1,500 restaurants where Chef Enrique Olvera puts Mexican street food and traditional techniques into context by placing them in a fine dining atmosphere in his restaurant Pujol. Also an honor’s graduate of the CIA, Chef Olvera moved back to his hometown Mexico City, to open his signature restaurant, which continues to be considered a premier dinning experience in the city.

For more information please visit:
http://www.pujol.com.mx/intro.html

These rising stars in the international food scene are demonstrating that Mexican cuisine goes far beyond simple elaboration of fast food dishes with few ingredients, but that there is much complexity and sophistication behind each flavorful bite.