Santa Fe School of Cooking

Santa Fe School of Cooking has taught the food of New Mexico from its downtown spot at 125 N Guadalupe St since 1989. Founder Susan Curtis is still involved, and her daughter Nicole Curtis Ammerman runs daily operations. Menus cover traditional New Mexican, Native American, Mexican, Spanish, vegetarian and contemporary Southwestern cooking, with plenty of attention on chile.

You can pick a demonstration class, where you follow detailed recipes while a chef cooks and explains. Or you can take a hands-on class in a small group and work on knife skills, salsas, sauces and regional breads. Most classes run about three hours and end with a full meal. Students mention classes such as Traditional New Mexican 2 and How to Make Chile Rellenos.

The chef roster runs deep. Lois Ellen Frank is a Native American chef and a James Beard Award winning author. Jeff Drew was executive chef at Coyote Café for seven years. MaryDawn Wright works culinary history into her tamale lessons. The school also runs private events, restaurant walking tours, online video classes and a market stocked with chiles and spices.