Building a World-Class Cuisine Starts with a Sound Foundation

Mexico: One Plate at a Time • Season 10 • Episode 12

About this episode

As the restaurant scene in Mexico City has exploded, so, too, have the culinary schools. Rick takes us to the Coronado Cooking School where the mission is to educate the next generation of chefs. Rick talks with students in the traditional Mexican kitchen classroom as they make a pipian sauce for shrimp. The school’s outdoor live-fire kitchen includes tortilla lessons. In the “Dave” Creative Kitchen we see a beautiful presentation of pork loin with vegetables and huaximole. Coronado’s students also help run Raiz, one of Mexico City’s top destination restaurants. Chef Arturo Fernandez guides them on a path that includes new tricks and techniques, but with the soul of his aunt’s home-style tongue in caper sauce. Rick, a consummate and patient teacher, hosts culinary students in the Frontera Test Kitchens to create a memorable meal that ends with the classic crepas con cajeta dessert.