The Culinary Institute of America has announced the most recent schedule for the boot camps  that it will be holding on its Hudson Valley, Napa, and San Antonio campuses. To learn more go to http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu/boot-camps.

I have enjoyed taking quite a few courses at the CIA’s Hyde Park and Napa Valley campuses, but I’ve always wanted to visit the cooking school in San Antonio because I’ve heard so many great things about it.

I got my wish  to take a look at the campus when my husband and I visited this city at the end of last February. It was unpredictably cold and rainy outside, but Robert and I felt warm and welcome as soon as we entered the school’s lovely restaurant, NAO, which specializes in Latin American cuisine.

Chef Geronimo Lopez and his team of  students treated us to a wide range of delicious dishes including Columbian cured and hot smoked pork belly with aji dulce glaze, fried okra, peanut and coconut rice as well as green onions,

as well as Mexican Albondigas- lamb, pork and chicharron meatballs in a chipolte caldillo.

During that time period, the restaurant was also featuring the culture and cuisine of Argentina. We loved the Provoletta Asada & “Faina,” a light chickpea flatbread with mixed greens, sundried tomatoes and balsamic dressing.

 

Great time and we hope to come back to take some of the courses that they offer.