The Pressures Off – Again

Dolores’ Essence of Cuisine Cooking School last “Open Class” was held on the 7th with a normal attendance of students, great for this time of the season, especially with the negative press in the US news media these days on the H1N1 scare - virtually “emptying the city, going and coming. There will possibly be a few “Private Classes” classes in the offing; but, the 2008/2009 season ended very successfully with last Thursday’s Asian-Mexican Fusion Theme.

One of the surprises with this class was the inaugural use of our just installed 2 Ton BTU Mini-Split Air-Conditioner system. WOW! What a difference for the students, the teacher, and most of all, yours truly – the dishwasher. The weather had just “turned”, hot and humid, and it performed beautifully. And then, the biggest surprise.

The local publication, “VALLARTA Lifestyles” (virtualvallarta.com) has just published their Spring-Summer 2009 Issue featuring the annual “Best Of” edition. This issue is dedicated to showcasing the best of Puerto Vallarta. To quote directly from their Editorial, “We have taken into account the many tips we receive throughout the year from readers of our publications, along with contributions from our editorial staff….Behind every innovation we’ve encountered over the past few months lies the enthusiasm and creativity of a person, group of people or business enterprise who firmly believe in Puerto Vallarta as a place worth visiting, preserving, living and investing in, effectively making the best of Puerto Vallarta.” Within the magazine the editorial staff put together, “The Best of Vallarta 2009”, highlighting, quote, …some of the exceptional reasons Puerto Vallarta remains a fabulous place to live and to visit. The Categories include (in order), Food and Dining, Non-Profit, Public Improvement, Green Environment, Sport and Activities, Arts and Entertainment, and All Around. To make a long story shorter, under Food and Dining/Best New Trend For Food Enthusiasts - Micro Cooking Schools, Essence of Cuisine was the first of four such schools listed.

Now we get to relax, plan for next year, read our books, visit with our neighbors and friends before returning to the “North” in August. At the moment “tourism” is at a standstill. The streets are essentially empty (many parking spaces), restaurants have been closing early, theaters and schools are still not open, and the last two trips north past the airport to Home Depot have been almost eerie to see no airplanes on the ground. Since Puerto Vallarta has had no cases of H1N1 (formerly known as the swine flu) and the state of Jalisco, which includes Guadalajara, a city of several million, has only had 3 verified cases, I believe Mexico is being scapegoted. In other words, as headlined in a local pub, “Pigs Are Getting A Bum Rap.”