In San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, we explore the Mercado Ignacio Ramirez, returning to our kitchen with our ingredients to prepare a traditional Mexican meal. Do you wonder about the strange tropical fruits, vegetables, and herbs in Mexican markets? Students are invited to add them to our grocery bag to prepare along with our planned meal.  Our students learn to toast and grind spices on prehispanic utensils such as the molcajete and the metate. On our menu are traditional sauces, soups, and main courses of Mexican cuisine such as Calabacita a la Mexicana, for example. At the end of the class we sit down to enjoy our meal. 

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In Florence, Italy, we stroll through the lively Mercato di Sant-Ambrogio in the Santa Croce area or the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo, meeting the green grocer, butcher, and fresh pasta maker and follow the visit with a cooking class right in the neighborhood. The class consists of the basics of Tuscan cooking including appetizers, soups, sauces, and a main course such as the well known Tuscan Arista. At the end of the class we sit down to enjoy our meal.

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