The Mija Chronicles

Mexican food and culture, on both sides of the border

On graduating from cooking school

by

A year and a half later, it’s come to an end. I’m now the owner of a diploma in Especialización de Gastronomía Mexicana from the Escuela de Gastronomía Mexicana in Mexico City.

I should’ve been excited at graduation last week. Instead I was nervous. What if I wouldn’t get my diploma after all? What if there was some weird fluke and they’d left my name off the list?

I was sad, too. I’d made my first tortilla dough here. I learned how to properly salt a mole. And how to toast chiles, how to crack dried beans under the weight of my metlapil, how to appreciate the nuns’ inventiveness, and how to tie little bows made from cornhusks to the edge of the tamale pot so the pot stayed happy and steamed properly.

The class had gotten Yuri and Edmundo a card, and when it was my turn to sign I didn’t know what to say. I looked at Crayton helplessly. How do I sum up into words… ? I felt teary.

Crayton suggested an opening line: “I’m of Mexican-American roots, and you taught me about a culture that was always inside me but I didn’t know existed.” It was exactly what I felt, so I scribbled it down, along with a few other thoughts about them giving me a gift. It didn’t seem like enough.

Toward the end of the ceremony, Dulce, the academic coordinator, called my name and I stood up to get my diploma. I kissed Edmundo and Yuri on the cheek. Crayton snapped a photo. And then that was it.

There’s a sentence at the bottom of the diploma that says I’ve completed 148 hours. Can you believe it?

I keep thinking about the time we made manchamanteles in class and it was so good I ate it cold from my refrigerator the next day. I had never liked manchamanteles, but there I was, not even caring to sit down, standing in front of the open refrigerator with a tupperware and a spoon. That’s what good mole can do to you.

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Comments

    • Thanks Emily, I’m glad. I really felt paralyzed there for a minute… there was too much to even try to put into words.

  5. Many congratulations on your graduation. What an incredible experience to find the “Mexicaness” that you were born with but had yet to be cultivated. As a Chicana, Pocha, American of Mexican descent, 3rd generation Latina, I am forever searching for my Mexicaness. My artwork reflects this. Unfortunately,I am hugely lacking in my Spanish skills. I feel like such a Tonta!! Perhaps someday I’ll have the opportunity to live in Mexico and finally learn the language! For now, you are a wonderful inspiration!

    • Thanks Martha. And you’re not a tonta at all — learning Spanish is incredibly difficult if you don’t live in a Spanish-speaking country. I’m proud I can be an inspiration to you!

    • Thanks Monica! I was drooling over your brown stock recipe, especially the reduced version. Gotta make that sometime.

  9. Hi Lesley!

    You were greatly missed at our graduation but I believe you were out of town. I am pretty sure that your name is on the program that we got that day. If you want a photocopy I will send it to you. Also, I was in shock to read that I had spent 148 hours in Mexican cooking class!!!! I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I will miss you and the rest of our compañeros de metate. But the good thing is that I will continue being in contact with you through your wonderful blog. And as you know I love reading about Mexico through your eyes

    William Archer.

    • Thanks for your thoughtful words, William. I missed you guys. (Graduating with the Friday group was nice, but not the same.) I’d love a copy of the program. Can you email it to me? Te mando un abrazo!

  10. Congratulations, Lesley! I’ve followed your blog on and off since you guys left and am continually in awe of your accomplishments.

    And I’m so glad you’ve found a way to connect with your heritage. I know from my own experience that being at the crossroads of two cultures is always a unique and sometimes challenging experience.

    • Thanks Cindy! I appreciate it. I don’t know where my anxiety came from — I think probably I’m still a little insecure about how much I know. (Basically, even though I finished the program, did I really know enough to be worthy of a graduation ceremony? I didn’t even season my molcajete properly, for godssakes.) I’m working on lowering my crazy-high standards for myself.

    • Hi Leslie: It wasn’t too bad. About $250 a month. The prices have gone up about $100 USD since I took the class, so now I believe it’s about $350. You also get a 10 percent discount off any other courses once you sign up, and the tuition also includes three or four guided field trips.

  19. Eso mi chava, eso es todo!!!

    And look at you-keeping it real, a Pocha after my own heart-

    “with a tupperware”-asi o mas pocha! Estabas con un touper!

    Well done, congrats on this and many more rich achievements you’ll savor here in Mexico.

    • Thanks Esperanza. Yes, toupers were an integral part of my cooking-school experience. Después de cada clase, todos con sus toupers. 🙂 Espero que estés bien y un abrazo!

  20. Hola Lesley!

    Felicidades on your graduation! That school looks amazing.

    I’ve been batting around the idea of attending that school for a while, but wondering if it’s worth the relocation from Guanajuato. I could stay here and go to the Politecnico in Leon, but I’m not sure which is better.

    Were you very satisfied with your experience? Do you feel that it was worth the price? How could the school have been better in your opinion? Is your diploma recognized in the US? Were there any becas available?

    Thanks for any information!

    • Hi Kelsey: I’ll email you offline and share some of my experiences. You’re also welcome to contact me directly also via the email address on my About page. Gracias!