Mexican Cooking Class at Bialto B&B: Blends Authentic Family Traditions with Elegance
After watching other participants tackle the tortilla press, I stepped up confidently to try my hand, only to be deflated when my corn tortilla flopped. It was uneven, split at the edges, and sad looking. ‘’No worries,’’ assured Jesús Rodriguez Nuño. ‘’Just roll it back into a ball and try again with not so much strength. Gentle pressure is best.’’
I followed his guidance and to my delight I produced a beautiful tortilla and placed it on the heated grill. I successfully continued with more fine specimens as part of the contribution to the meal we would later share.
For me, it was a huge victory. Despite having a lovely wooden tortilla press at home, my past attempts were inconsistent at best.
This was just one of the practical takeaways from the casual Mexican cooking class presented at Bialto by Jesús and his partner Mike Bryde. The class is an add-on to the beautiful experience that awaits you at the stunning bed and breakfast owned and operated by the partners in Penticton’s Sendero Canyon subdivision.
They have created a boutique sanctuary of three suites within their stylish, well-appointed home. Depending on the season, overnight guests can enjoy a hot tub, lounge pool, and/or sauna with cold plunge or snuggle by the fireplace on the enclosed outdoor deck.
The name Bialto itself is a play on this elevated experience. Alto in Spanish means ‘elevated’ and ‘stop’ and who would not want to pause in this lofty escape? Bi is derived from Latin connoting two, fitting for the ownership of the B&B by two talented individuals sharing their spectacular home.
In this same spirit of sharing the class felt more like cooking in a friend’s kitchen with friends and family rather than formal culinary training. I arrived alone yet with the focus on sharing, working, and eating together, strangers quickly became familiar faces.
Loteria, a traditional Mexican game like bingo but played with colourful cards rather than numbered balls, was also a fun exercise leveraged by our hosts to break the ice and help us get to know each other better.
The festive atmosphere was enhanced by background music and the beautiful views, inside and out partly thanks to Mother Nature’s outdoor mountain vistas, and partly the rotating video loop of vibrant tropical artwork on the television screen. Adding to the cozy feeling was a lovely cup of Chocolate Atole, a warm corn-based hot beverage – this one with chocolate reminiscent of a thick hot cocoa.
Taco Night at Home
The theme of Taco Night at Home is one to which most of us can relate. However, after participating in this class, boxes of premade tacos, tortillas, and seasoning mix will be banished from our house. Once you have explored the art of making tacos the authentic Mexican way along with Mexican drinks and dessert in such a fun, social, and delicious approach, there is no going back!
We learned the elements that comprise taco preparation, making homemade tortillas, salsas, marinades, and toppings. Plus, we learned how to make some alcoholic and non-alcoholic Mexican drinks and a traditional dessert.
Authentic recipes were provided including Al Pastor Marinade, Avocado Salsa, Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa, Chile de Cacahuate, Totopos, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Rajas con Crema, Carne Asada, Churro Chips, Coconut Horchata, and Palomas.
We gained insight on how long and why to marinate certain meats such as the pork for the Al Pastor and flank steak for the Carne Asada. We were guided in the best methods and timing to roast the various vegetables and how to peel the charred skin such as on the poblanos. Jesús demonstrated how to scrape the cactus pricks off the nopales to chop and cook them. (See video of Nopales prep..)
I have always loved churros, that crispy fried dough in a ridged stick shape often dunked into chocolate or served with ice cream. Unfortunately, they are a bit finnicky to make given you mix the recipe then to achieve those ridges, pipe them through a nozzle shaped like a star into hot oil. Fried until crispy, the churros are quickly drained and dusted while still hot with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Imagine my joy to learn a Mexican home shortcut of frying triangles of cut flour tortillas, shaking off excess oil and shaking them hot in a bowl of the cinnamon/sugar mixture to achieve similar taste and texture results with much less effort!
Prep and Snack, Prep and Eat
Be prepared for a long day. While the ingredients are simple, a whole lot of preparation is necessary such as chopping, peeling, roasting, forming, weighing, pressing, marinating, frying, cooking, and grilling. As Bialto’s first cooking class, it was a bit of a beta test. Mike and Jesús already made adjustments for the next session.
As noted earlier, we started our session with the beverage hot Chocolate Atole. Water, coffee, and tea were available throughout the afternoon. About three to four hours into the process, it was our snack time including tortilla chips with salsas and Coconut Horchata. Even though we were aware of all the treasures marinating, awaiting cooking, mixing, and final presentation, the snacks were so tasty, it was hard to not overeat.
Once the final round of preparations was complete, we built our own tacos with the fillings and condiments we desired and washed down those creations with the palomas. Mike taught us to make Mexican-homestyle palomas with Squirt soda, tequila, and garnishes. Between mouthfuls of tacos, a lively discussion on preferred fillings and salsas unfolded. For me, it was a tough decision, finally landing on the Al Pastor as my favourite filling. The Rajas con Crema on a tortilla with melted cheese and Carne Asado were impressive, too.
The salsa that caught us by surprise was the Chile de Cacahuate. It offered complex flavour with the ingredients all fried separately using the same pan in one cup of Canola oil according to the time each required to toast to perfection. Starting with a bit of onion and two cloves of garlic, sauteed and scooped out into a bowl, followed by chile de arbol, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and then the heat turned off before the sesame seeds added. Once cooled down slightly, it was all including the oil dumped into a blender, topped with salt, and blended to desired texture.
While I have often snacked on peanuts in Mexico, I had not thought of them as a traditional and staple ingredient such as corn, beans, avocadoes, chiles, cacao, cactus, and vanilla. The Chile de Cacahuate reminded me of Chinese Chili Crisp and was a tangy addition I will be craving regularly.
As the night ended, guests were like old friends, and hugging the hosts thank-you and goodbye.
Bide Awhile at Bialto
As part of my opportunity to write about Bialto, I had the privilege to experience Bialto Bed & Breakfast. Of the three units, mine was the Skaha Suite, which they had exquisitely appointed. As if the comfortable room and bed were not inviting enough, there was a carafe of water, welcome note, little bottle of bubbly and chocolates.
Some details included: the blinds on the massive windows controlled by a remote; soaps, lotions, hair blower, tissues, and heated tile floors in the sparkling bathroom; clear Wi-Fi instructions; television with remote; iron and ironing board; and a basket filled with items you might have forgotten such as razor, toothbrush, sunscreen, and so much more.
It is amazing to me that Bialto is Jesús and Mike’s first foray into owning and operating a bed and breakfast. Their backgrounds are in the corporate world – HR Systems Consulting (Mike) and Supply Chain Management (Jesús). While Jesús worked for five years in a Mexican restaurant in Vancouver, they do not have any other background in hospitality.
Says Mike, ‘’We wanted to live in a beautiful and relaxing home with all the modern amenities, but it just didn’t feel right to live in it all by ourselves. We both enjoy cooking and hosting. And, Bialto was born.’’
Jesús was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he learned to cook from his family. Cooking is somewhat of a love language for him. A caring and creative cook, he is an expert at operations. At 38, he moved to Canada where he ended up working in the kitchen and in management at a Mexican restaurant. This food was adapted to the local tastes of Canadians and lacked the truly authentic style. He was genuinely shocked when he saw many Canadians prepare “tacos” at home with the Old El Paso kits from Safeway and with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.
Mike is more of a visionary and strategic thinker. Together, they wanted to have control of their own schedule with the flexibility to travel and take time off when needed, in project they could continue into their retirement. They considered a more traditional Airbnb, but the concept of more personal, hosted experience was more appealing to them.
With this concept in mind, they searched the entire Okanagan for a property that felt right – something with a view, enough space to have a few suites, and have some important amenities like a pool and a hot tub or at least room for them.
‘’When we walked into what is now Bialto, it was immediately the winner. We fell in love with the quality of the construction, the mountain view (though we were expecting a lake view), the layout of the home, and more,’’ notes Mike. ‘’Penticton happens to be the city where this beautiful home is located. For us, being located at the edge of a large enough city was still important.’’
Bialto is truly a unique style of accommodation where different experiences merge. It has the quality and mindfulness of a 5-star hotel and spa without that corporate feel. Not a totally private space that you get from renting an Airbnb or staying in a hotel, rather it is cozier and more intimate.
Guests end up interacting more with Jesús and Mike as hosts and with other guests. This combination of elements allows you to feel pampered, socially re-charged, and yet, feel at home.
After a refreshing sleep, breakfast was a come-as-you-are party in the kitchen. The breakfast the other two guests and I lingered over, revealed Jesús has serious culinary chops beyond Mexican food. As we casually sipped lattes prepared by Mike, Jesús presented warm mini banana muffins, and cheese scones. Next came a fruit-and-nuts chia cup followed by buttermilk pancakes, hash browns, bacon, eggs as we liked them, with our plates adorned by a sliced orange twist (no detail missed).
Our gracious hosts were engaging and exhibited no signs of guest fatigue making it hard to head out!
Book a Class and/or a Stay
The Mexican cooking classes are an add-on for Bialto, presented periodically. Book them when you see them because seats are limited and they fill quickly.
I highly recommend Bialto, whether for a Mexican Cooking Class or accommodations, or better yet, both! Go to Bialto Bed & Breakfast website for a preview of this stunning setting, and for more information, email info@bialto.ca, or call 778-760-8845.
