Loving the Taste of Vallarta |
Falling in love with Vallarta
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 A month ago I arrived in Puerto Vallarta for the International Gourmet Food Festival. I wasone of the 24invited chefs from around the world lucky enough to participate in this fabulous exchange program. For a period of 10 days the participating restaurants featured a special menu created by their resident chef and a special menu created by their guest chef. I had no idea what I was getting into!!! I had only spoken to the owner’s of Porto Bello; I had worked long and hard creating and testing the perfect menu for the event: “Sensual Cooking Diva’s Mediterranean Love Affair”. I packed my recipes, my essential equipment and my bikini and said “See you in two weeks” to my friends and New York!
As Mario accompanied me to the Westin my thoughts once again went to “How on earth did I get here?” I was standing in the lobby, under the shade of the Palapa with a spectacular view of the bay just beyond the palm trees when the hotel host offered me a glass of agua fresca (normal water infused with peaches and strawberries). Who knows what it was… maybe the scenery, maybe the sun or maybe the delicate sweet, refreshing flavour of the water… I still could not comprehend my fate.
Ten minutes later I was lying on a bed in the sand at Nikki Beach. The intense golden sun warmed my body as the blue water called out to me. I dove into the bay, let the water relax me then dried off to the sounds of house music mixed by DJ- Pablo. I closed my eyes to further enjoy the moment. Three hours later!!! (Big good bye party the night before in NYC) I awoke. The sun had set, the music had softened and I was protected from the wind by towels. Joel, the manager of Nikki Beach, explained to me that I was shivering and he had covered me while I was asleep. He then welcomed me to Puerto Vallarta with a special cup of hot tea. The aroma alone tickled my senses…I slowly brought the cup to my mouth and let the magical elixir delight my taste buds. The cinnamon was spicier than I thought, but sweetened just right. I took a moment to breathe in my new surroundings, the air, the wind, the sand, the ocean, the music, the palm trees, the people, the vibe and my tea. This last breathe, of rich, earthy, spicy cinnamon convinced me… I was in LOVE!
 The following days were wonderful. I spent the mornings with Ricardo, the chef of Porto Bello. We had three days to prepare all the dishes for my menu. I had a great time!The chef was AMAZING!!! He was super patient listening to me butcher “aceintuna” (olive) for the twentieth time. Histeam in the kitchen was extremely supportive- jumping at the chance tohelp me slice, peel or puree. Time flew as we searched ourbrains for foreign words and laughed at how ridiculous we sounded. Just as I was finishing the last pasta of the day, my excitement caused me to hit my brand new knife off the cutting board. I watched in slow motion as it flipped into the air and fell to the floor cutting my leg just above my ankle. As the guys rushed to my aid, all I could think about was- this will scar and it will be a reminder to me for the rest of my life of what a great experience I had in Puerto Vallarta.
The rest of the week was one great day followed by another. I met the other owner Maurizio and all of him and Mario’s friends and family. We participated in the Festival Events. I met the Hollywood of PV`s culinary world. Chefs, restaurateurs, media, photographers, musicians, fans, waiters, bartenders… etc… The guest chefs swapped stories of our experiences so far and the resident chefs offered their help. I instantly had a social life, family and publicity!
Friday kicked off the Festival. Our guys were ready! All of our hard work paid off. The food looked beautiful, tasted great and everyone loved the menu! By ten pm I noticed that one of the top sellers was the “Rigatoni alla Siciliana” described like this:
Artisinal Durham Wheat Rigatoni with Slow Cooked Eggplant, Tomatoes and Capers with Fresh Swordfish Order this dish when you're feeling a little naughty. The spicy tomato sauce walks the fine line between pleasure and pain- a little like S&M.
 The guests confirmed that my menu descriptions played a large role in deciding what they would order. Now I knew that PV had opened its arms to me too and that its residents were as passionate about food as I was.
November 18th seemed to rush towards me! My flight home was at 2pm on Sunday, followed by a 6am flight to London on Tuesday. First I postponed my trip one day. Then Monday morning I stopped by Porto Bello to say good bye to the guys. Apparently my face was a wreck cuz both Mario and Maurizio offered me a drink- it was barely 11am!! As a war played out inside my mind, Maurizio put his arm around me and said “Shani, it’s ok if you stay here longer, London will still be there”. Five days later I decided to extend my stay until the end of January.
It took me only four hours and two cups of flavoured water to fall in love with Puerto Vallarta. I now have the next two months to discover how deep my love is. I know that there are many more treasures to discover beyond water. I also know exactly why I am here and what I am getting myself into. Share this fabulous experience with me each week as I take the advice of the chefs, restaurateurs, residents, locals and gringos that I have met here in PV and discover the passionate, authentic tastes of this magical town.
Shani Castri - Sensual Cooking Diva
E-mail: shanicastri@gmail.com
Website: www.appetiteforseduction.com
When it comes to the world of passionate cuisine, Shani Castri, the self-described Sensual Cooking Diva, is a force to be reckoned with. Combining the two things she loves most in life, food and romance, Shani created Appetite for Seduction back in 2004. Her sensual cooking classes began at Sur La Table in Newport Beach, California. An immediate success, this led to classes at the Learning Annex in NYC as well as hosting private events on both the East and West Coasts.
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