"When they scream, move them away from the fire; when they are quiet, move them back over the fire." The kindly and talented María Ricaud Solórzano is teaching us about toasting sesame seeds.  Indeed, toasty sesame seeds can be noisy, and yummy and jumpy. This full-sensoround seed experience is just one of the many interesting and useful things I learned in a class at María's Traditional Mexican Cooking School in San Miguel de Allende.

María is a maestra in the kitchen, and she loves sharing her knowledge of traditional Mexican home cooking. From her mother, grandmother and two generations of cooks before them María inherited Mexican recipes passed down for 200 years, including soups, rice dishes, main dishes, salsas and moles. She also inherited their traditional cazuelas (clay deep dishes) and other cooking equipment. 

In our advanced class on salsas, which focused on the thick salsas called pipianes with many ingredients, María used the cazuelas and patiently, cheerfully answered all my questions about the cookware. (I had lots of questions because I should have been in the beginner's class, I think. Neither María nor the other students seemed to mind.) 

"María, in the United States we only use such plates and bowls to eat off of-no one cooks with them," I said. She replied that in Mexico the clay is specially treated. It is tough and can handle the heat. "But now you're using a metal whisk on it. Won't that leave scratches?" "No, the same treatment protects the clay from scratches. Look around the room at the pots, they have been used for years and are still very pretty."

And they are-with their wavy, pinched edging like pie crusts, hand-painted bottoms and warm earth tones. Also on the wall I see some strainers that look like they should be used to pan for gold rather than for cooking. "María, what are these?" I interrupt, as she demonstrates the use of a hand strainer to strain the blended pipián into a heated pan.

"Those are strainers used in the old days to separate the wheat from the chaff. The one in the middle is made from horse hair; the others are more modern, with metal screens. And this one in my hand-the squares are slightly larger than the ones you find in the United States. Maybe some of you would like to buy one of these while you are in Mexico."

"What about finding Mexican ingredients in the United States?" asks Liz. "You are from Chicago, so no problem. Some of the best Mexican restaurants in the United States are found in Chicago," says María. Liz is delighted, but Maxine from Ontario wants to know if she can expect to find Mexican ingredients in her hometown. And María, amazingly, has an answer.

In the class we made three different pipianes: two red salsas (one used red ancho chiles, the other red guajillo chiles) and a green one (made with poblano chiles). María deftly managed a technique- and anecdote-laden narrative while simultaneously cooking all three pipianes. 

My eyes-and then tummy-grew hungry as I watched María's hands at work cooking the pipianes in the large mirror angled just above the stove. "This is just like the Food Channel!" I said, far over my embarrassment at being the least experienced cook in the room. 

Even the experienced cooks were excited, and one of them was always the first with her spoon ready during the tastings. "Most of you are returning to sea-level after San Miguel. You will have different cooking times. It is best to learn color, scent and texture right now, for when you go home it will be different. Let's have a taste," tempted María. 

We tasted the evolving pipianes at different stages of cooking, after María added critical ingredients. The taste continually changed, and at the end the flavor was complex and delicious. Some experienced cooks articulated the ingredient they thought dominated each of the salsas at the different stages: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, almonds, cumin, cilantro, cinnamon. María would acknowledge the flavor and then remind us that the different chiles impart different tastes-and the chiles make all the difference.

Another difference in cooking, we were reminded, comes from the work of chefs who modify by taste and measure by handfuls. "When a cook gives casual recipe measurements, well, that is the difference between your cooking (pointing to Maxine) and your cooking (pointing to Liz). The difference is the size of your hands and the changes you make with tasting, as you become confident. And these differences, they are wonderful," said María.

In María's advanced salsas class you can learn how to make pipianes and discover a wealth of culinary information. You'll get answers to questions such as, What is the best part of cilantro to use? (tip: it's not like using parsley) and Which tomatillos should I buy and which should I avoid? María will fill you in about what Mexicans have to say about flour vs. corn tortillas, what US products not to use for thickening or frying when preparing traditional Mexican foods, the secret to using pumpkin seeds and how to clean dry chiles. 

Go to María's website to learn about her other cooking classes based on her heirloom recipes: www.traditionalmexicancooking.com.mx , or you can contact her at cocimari@hotmail.com  or by calling 152-4376.



Pipián de Chile Ancho

2 chiles anchos (these are dry chiles) 

3 roma or plum tomatoes

1 thin slice of white onion

1 garlic clove

2 cups chicken broth (one cup for blending)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or pork lard 

1 bay leaf

1/4 dry teaspoon marjoram

1/4 dry teaspoon thyme

salt to taste



To clean dry chiles, never use water or get them wet in any way. Use a dry cloth, and gently rub them or use a vegetable brush to brush away sediment.

1. Prepare the chiles by toasting them very fast (1 to 2 minutes until they become flexible) in a pan (no oil at all). Do not burn them or your salsa will become bitter. Next, soak them in very hot water for 30 minutes or until they are soft enough to blend.

2. Take the chiles out of the water, open them, and remove the seeds and veins (seeds and veins are the hot, spicy part of the chile) by shaking the open chile into the soaking water.

3. Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic clove, chiles and chicken broth until pureed.

4. In a sauce pan heat the pork lard or vegetable oil. Strain the blended pipián over the hot lard (or oil). Add the second cup of chicken broth, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme and salt. Simmer this pipián, on a low heat, uncovered, until it thickens-around 15 minutes.

Pipián de Chile Ancho works well for chicken enchiladas or to top a chicken or turkey. It is also fine as a dip for chips, vegetables or cooked shrimp.