Teresa Jones is founder and owner of Sazòn, an extraordinary Culinary School in San Miguel de Allende. Teresa has assembled an incredible team and attracts some of the most renowned chefs in the world, including Patricia Quintana, Toni Cherry, and Agustin Gaytan, who is currently of Ramekins Cooking School in Sonoma, California.
Relocated to Correo #22 in November 2003, Sazòn is also a remarkable store, purveyor to a chef’s every need, be they fledgling or world class. “Store” is not quite the right word to describe what Teresa has created. While perusing the products offered, ranging from complete kitchens by Wolf, Thermador and other top-of-the-line brands, cabinetry and counter tops, table settings, one of a kind pottery, every kitchen implement imaginable, and a full array of linens, you are enveloped in an ambiance that is inspirational. With original paintings by Juan Carlos Breceda of Mexico City, chandeliers, antique armoires filled with collections of glasswear that Teresa designs, assembles, and displays with such exquisite taste, it is fair to refer to Sazòn as a Galeria.
It is in this setting that cooking classes are presented. Teresa hopes you will visit her at Sazòn when you are in San Miguel de Allende studying Spanish with Warren Hardy. Maybe nibbling on Mexican Pizza will help you concentrate while studying Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns.
Mexican Pizza a la Sazòn
Courtesy of Chef Toni Cherry
1 sheet puff pastry
3 roasted, peeled and seeded bell peppers, preferably a combination of red, orange, and yellow (no green).
6 large chili poblanos, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 large white onion, diced
1 lb. Oaxacan or Manchego cheese, grated Cooking oil
Roll out the puff pastry and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate. Cut the chilies into strips. Saute the onions in oil until soft. Add the chilies and cook until slightly al dente. Cool.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and cover with 1/2 of the cheese. Spread the chili and onion mixture over the cheese and bake in a 500 F oven until the pastry is brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove the pizza and add the remaining cheese. Return to the oven until the cheese bubbles. Let the pizza rest at least 10 minutes before cutting.
San Miguel is all about fusion…. in food and people, and here we have a delicious meeting of Italy and Mexico. Buen Provecho!
Do you know what indispensable Mexican cooking herb translates from Nauatl into English as “sweat of skunk?” See next Thursday’s Comida Mexicana.