Written for Baja.com by Kristin Díaz de Sandi of Life & Food.

Kristin Díaz de Sandi’s Life & Food blog, created in conjunction with her husband Antonio, has helped drive recognition of the gastronomic resurgence of Baja California.  She and Antonio have merged efforts with colleagues Bill Esparza and Jason Thomas Fritz to create Club Tengo Hambre, a roving supper club, that explores food and wine cuisine in Baja.

Tecate, was recently accredited as a “Magical Town” by the ministry of Tourism of the Federal Government. This is the first town in Baja California to be credited with this distinction. It is because of places like Rancho La Puerta and its La Cocina que Canta, that really let you embrace that magical atmosphere. We couldn’t have asked for better weather while taking a tour of Rancho La Puerta’s property and its cooking school, “La Cocina que Canta.”  The name comes from the two California Live Oak trees on property that originally formed an arch-like door “La Puerta.” Currently there is only one still living, and it is just beautiful.

The Rancho La Puerta Resort and Spa property was first founded by Professor Edmond and Deborah Szekely in 1940. Today the museum on the grounds is actually where they lived for the first 10 years. You have the opportunity to step inside and take a look at all of their accolades on the walls, as well as view their small living space. People used to come to the ranch to listen to the professor and camp out in tents. Eventually, Deborah actually got her hand on some large storage containers in the nearby town of Campo and turned those into guest rooms.

Rancho La Puerta Resort and Spa encourages its guests to book a seven-night stay in order to fully experience and immerse themselves into all of the fitness and various activities that are offered. For those who cannot take that full week off, they do also offer both three and four night stays, as well. There are three separate health centers, four pools, and outdoor activities such as their Reflexology spiral, and Labyrinth walking meditation area. There is a lot of walking, whether you are just heading to your room from the dining hall, or exploring the grounds on your own. Do not forget to pack comfortable and athletic shoes. That reflexology spiral was looking awfully tempting to me, by the end of our tour.

The dining hall at the ranch has established times for your three meals a-day. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style, while dinner has table service. The menu offered is vegetarian, with the exception of fish occasionally being offered. All of the organic produce is grown on their six-acre farm named Rancho Tres Estrellas. Salvador Tinajero is the head gardener that maintains the farm as it flourishes, and provides all of the guests with its bounty. There are hikes and tours offered daily letting you discover the absolute beauty of this farm for yourself. La Cocina que Canta is the cooking school that is set right in the heart of Rancho Tres Estrellas. Before it actually became a school in 2007, there was just a small farm kitchen in its place. Now, the 4,500 square food hacienda-style center offers weekly culinary classes to their guests. Guest teaching chefs are brought in from all around the world to teach at this school. The interiors are just stunning. This is the kind of kitchen that I dream about. An expansive chopping block, colorful details and traditional cook-ware pieces fill the space. There is a set of carved spoons on the wall that I could not help but just stare at.

We met with Executive Chef Denise Roa, who gave us a personal tour of the farm, and prepared a delicious lunch for us. She has lived in Tecate for the past year and a half, and could not stop boasting about how happy she is. I mean, you could see it for yourself, she was glowing!  She gives a lot of the credit to Mount Cuchuma, which you can see from all directions. It’s true, there is something about that mountain that is so special, I felt as if I was taking fresh full breaths of air all day long. As we walked the farm, we tasted strawberries, and she pointed out all of the gorgeous produce surrounding us. She stressed about how much her life has changed eating incredibly fresh produce, and wholesome foods. You don’t have to tell me twice, I am right there with you. We even got to visit their on site chicken coop, which houses 89 chickens at the moment. They each lay one egg a day, for the school’s use. You can’t get any fresher than that. After all the talk about food, and taunting us with a couple of strawberries, it was time to sit down at the large wooden dining table and enjoy lunch.

We were presented with a vegetarian Paella, that she actually made from faro instead of rice, corn tamales with mole, a garden salad, and black beans. Oh, and how could I forget the chocolate coconut flan with fresh persimmons. The tamal with mole and the flan tied as my favorites for the day. It was hard to decide between the two, both rich and loaded with flavor.

If you are in the need of some serious relaxation, or just a change from your normal routine, Rancho La Puerta is awaiting your arrival. The scenery is so serene, and truly breathtaking.

Want to find out more about cuisine in Baja California?  Read about it here!

Kristin and Antonio blog at Life & Food and you can follow them on Twitter at @lifefoodblog and Facebook.

Baja.com is a comprehensive online source of first-hand travel information for the Baja California Peninsula, supported by a full-service tour operator staffed by Baja locals (our “Baja Travel Savants”). We offer Baja travelers expert advice about local restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals, as well as guides, maps and articles about events, sports and activities. We provide bilingual customer support, information and sales seven days a week, 365 days a year.  For more information, please call toll-free (US/CAN) 855-BAJA-411 or email us at info@baja.com.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Asao Restaurant in Tecate: Fresh, Local Gastronomy

The post Rancho La Puerta and La Cocina que Canta appeared first on Tecate.

Kristin Díaz de Sandi’s Life & Food blog, created in conjunction with her husband Antonio, has helped drive recognition of the gastronomic resurgence of Baja California.  She and Antonio have merged efforts with colleagues Bill Esparza and Jason Thomas Fritz to create Club Tengo Hambre, a roving supper club, that explores food and wine cuisine in Baja.  

Enjoy the unique flavors and dishes made with fresh and local ingredients in Tecate, Baja California.

Asao translates to “comer” or to eat in Kumiai. Such a small word, with so much meaning, and more than fitting for the name of a restaurant. This beautiful restaurant is located in Tecate, and shares the property with their smaller restaurant called Bistro Med, and the up and coming Santuario Diegueño Hotel. The entire property, is absolutely gorgeous, and is so perfect for a small getaway. The hotel is expected to be fully accessible to the public within the next three months.

The walkway up to the restaurant is lined with olive trees, which are readily being picked and tossed into buckets. There was a nice breeze blowing, so the mid-90 degree weather did not even faze us. Upon entering the restaurant, my eyes didn’t know whether to be drawn to the right or the left. On the right is their beautiful open kitchen behind a huge glass window, and to the left the floor to ceiling glass windows lead out to the beautiful view, and outdoor seating. We met Chef Roberto Alcocer, who was about to present us with a tasting of the restaurant’s menu, and some of it’s most recent items.

The evening started off with an amuse bouche of a crostini topped with smoked oyster cream and sprouts. A wonderful crunch with a subtle smokiness and fresh sprouts.

The first course, was one of my favorites of the meal. Such a simple presentation of Avocado al vapor topped with a cold avocado ball rolled in dried beans. The wedge of avocado was in a warm tomato and basil broth. The textures of this dish were just phenomenal. Cold and warm together, and all of the flavors together actually reminded me of a Caprese salad, with the avocado and its texture very similar to that of fresh mozzarella.

The second course was their version of an ensalada de nopales. The nopales are cured in salt, which actually gives them a “cooked” flavor. That combined with minced onions, tomato, queso fresco, and a smear of the lemon puree, is so bright and bursting with flavor, and once again there are such wonderful textures.

The third course, Pulpo al grill with chorizo and Guajillo paper on top of black bean puree. Octopus has to be one of my all time favorites, and with salty chorizo, creamy beans, and a slight heat from the chile, it really was a delicious dish.

The fourth course, an enchilada made with wheat flour and stuffed with shredded duck, then covered in a Jamaica mole. I had never tasted Jamaica mole before this dish. It has such distinct flavors to it, with a nice overall acidity.

The fifth and final savory course, Cornish Game hen in Barbacoa.  The barbacoa is made Southern Mexico style. An avocado leaf is used during the preparation. Nice and bold flavors, but they didn’t take over the tender meat of the hen.

The final course, was a last hoorah to mango season. The mango dessert shared the plate with fresh cubes of cooked mango, white chocolate syrup, and Salvia flowers. The texture of the dessert was in between that of flan, and panna cotta. It was unique in itself, and I couldn’t help but let my spoon lead me to finish up every last bite.

Just a short drive from the Tecate border, Asao Restaurante will delight your senses with the cuisine that characterizes Baja California.

Want to find out more about cuisine in Baja California?  Read about it here!

Kristin and Antonio blog at Life & Food and you can follow them on Twitter at @lifefoodblog and Facebook.

Baja.com is a comprehensive online source of first-hand travel information for the Baja California Peninsula, supported by a full-service tour operator staffed by Baja locals (our “Baja Travel Savants”). We offer Baja travelers expert advice about local restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals, as well as guides, maps and articles about events, sports and activities. We provide bilingual customer support, information and sales seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Rancho La Puerta and La Cocina que Canta
• 44th Tecate SCORE BAJA 500 begins this Friday
• Life on the Plaza in Tecate
• Tecate—the ‘Heart of Baja’

The post Asao Restaurant in Tecate: Fresh, Local Gastronomy appeared first on Tecate.

By Michele Joyce

Off-road driving has long been the stuff of Baja lore. They say that a man called Outdoor Franklin was the first to drive from Tijuana to Santa Rosalia, back when off-road driving was the only way to travel through the area. By the 1940s, adventurers and sports drivers in pickups and Jeeps coming down from California were common on the peninsula. Even after the Transpeninsular was completed in 1973, a vast network of unpaved roads covered much of Baja.

In fact, only a year later, in 1974, the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 was officially born (though it had been organized under the banner of the NORRA organization for a few years prior).  The race is half the length of the Baja 1000, but more than half as fun. It begins and ends in Ensenada (in front of the Riviera del Pacifico—once an exclusive resort, now a cultural center on Boulevard Costero in the heart of the city). This is the place to be if you want to be part of the fun.

This year, the race is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. on Friday June 1, led by a near-record 40 SCORE Trophy Trucks, the marquee SCORE racing division of high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks. Included in this group will be the last nine race winners and a total of 11 of 18 former race winners.

Entries are accepted as late as the morning of the race and have so far come in from 34 countries including the United States, Mexico, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and Spain. A total of more than 275 total entries are expected, competing in 36 Pro and 7 Sportsman categories for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and ATVs.

The rugged 450-mile course runs clockwise, first east to Ojos Negros, down near San Felipe, then west to the Pacific Ocean below San Vicente and back northeast through Santo Tomas on the way back to Ojos Negros and finally Ensenada.

There will be four official stop points, where all vehicles will be required to stop—at race mile 88.56 (Santa Catarina), race mile 219.72 (South San Matias Wash), race mile 314.13 (Northwest of Colonet near the Pacific Ocean) and race mile 402.90 (West of Ojos Negros)—as well as 52 virtual checkpoints.

All vehicles also will be required to run International Rally Consultants tracking devices, so that spectators can follow the race live at www.racetheworld.net. Live race coverage will also be available at www.dirtnewz.com and www.race-dezert.com. You can view photos and more details in the Baja.com directory.

Michele has lived in, and traveled extensively in Mexico, and has written about it for magazines including Conde Nast Traveler and travel guides like Fodor’s, Berlitz, and Insight Guides.

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The post 44th Tecate SCORE BAJA 500 begins this Friday appeared first on Tecate.

In winter, it can be chilly under the large shade trees that surround this quaint, authentic plaza in Parque Hidalgo, Tecate; so, why not enjoy it by going to Lalo’s restaurant and getting a steaming hot coffee or chocolate drink?  In spring, summer and autumn, this small zocalo buzzes with activity and life, and these are the best times to settle under an umbrella at an outdoor café and observe life as it strolls, bounces, or skateboards by.

A bustling day at the Plaza

The plaza is the central part of town and, no matter which direction you are coming from, it is hard to miss.  The tourism office is located on this main square (near Lalo’s) and there you can pick up all kinds of brochures and information about local activities.

From your special vantage point, you can watch as the famous Balloon Man strolls through the square (usually with a pack of children trailing after him), calling out his balloon song.  You can surreptitiously observe the comings and goings at the Bar Turistico Diana—better yet, why not slink into the dark little tavern and check out the bawdy babe who is ensconced in Bar Diana’s interesting art collection?  With a shot of tequila to warm you, you can return to the town square and perhaps be lucky enough to stumble across the also-famous Doughnut Man, who sells hot and tasty churros.  You might even try joining in on one of the boisterous games of dominoes that are always part of mainstream life at Tecate’s plaza.

Perhaps one of Tecate’s greatest charms is its friendliness and, for those (especially Americans) who are reticent about chatting up the locals, the plaza is a welcoming relief.  Learn a few words of Spanish (Hola – Hi, Buenos dias – Good morning, Buen Provecho – sort of like saying ‘enjoy your meal’ but it is something that Mexicans always say as they are leaving a restaurant) and you will make friends.  The dominoes gang is particularly effusive and the guys especially enjoy tipping a tile to the ladies.

Sunday is the best day of the week to visit the zocalo.  The rich smell of carne asada tacos perfumes the air.  Markets pop up and there are often community events occurring. Mariachis stroll the plaza.  Sometimes, even children’s choirs sing there, and how magical the tinkle of little voices is when they blend with the calls of vendors and the sounds that emanate from booths and tables throughout the square.

What is the word: Colorful?  Exhilarating? Authentic?  Traditional?  The experience of Tecate Plaza can be any of these things, but above all, it is fun. 

Related articles

• Asao Restaurant

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• Tecate—the ‘Heart of Baja’

The post Life on the Plaza in Tecate appeared first on Tecate.

It is quite simply one of the most ‘visitable’ towns in Baja, California:  Tecate. The ‘Heart of Baja’, Tecate is at the border between San Diego County and Baja California.  Just 35 minutes from Tijuana, 45 minutes from San Diego and 90 minutes from Mexicali, the town that was founded in 1892 exudes the character of a quaint Mexican hamlet. It also offers a ‘northern door’ to Mexico’s wine country in Baja, which – in the Valle de Guadalupe – is just a couple of hours drive from the border.

Rancho Tecate

Tecate is often referred to as being ‘mystical’, a place where native peoples came to revere the region’s famous Mount Cachuma.  At an elevation of approximately 1,775 feet (541 m) above sea level and its proximity to the ocean (less than an hour to the west), the city maintains a year-round temperate climate. The region enjoys an estimated 340 days-a-year of sunshine! Ringed by hills that often become snow-tipped in winter, romantic Tecate enjoys clear starry nights almost every night.  On very cold winter evenings, there will be frost and it rains enough in the area for a thick ground cover of shrubs to grow…but for the most part, this beautiful jewel of a town is hospitable in any season.

Arguably one of Baja’s most charming and accessible towns, Tecate is tranquil and at the same time fun; rustic yet boasting modern comforts and luxuries:  Tecate has something for everyone, from nature lovers to spa aficionados.  Heck, all in one day you could do yoga at one of the world’s top-rated spas (Rancho La Puerta), eat an elegant late afternoon lunch at one of Mexico’s most acclaimed restaurants (Asao) and share a cocktail at a local haunt with a local legend/author (Daniel Reveles).  How cool is that? You could spend a day here or just as easily, a week or more.  And given the fact that its quiet border crossing (perhaps the most quiet of any that offer quick access to major metropolitan areas) into the US is rarely busy, why not?

How to get to Tecate?  From San Diego, take Highway 94 east.

From Tijuana, Take the toll road (“cuota”) that parallels Mexico Highway 2, 30 miles east. Highway 2 then leads east about 80 miles to Mexicali by way of the notorious “Rumorosa Grade”.

From Ensenada take Mexico Highway 3 east. The highway is two lanes and is about a 75 minute drive to the border crossing.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Asao Restaurant in Tecate: Fresh, Local Gastronomy
• 44th Tecate SCORE BAJA 500 begins this Friday
• Life on the Plaza in Tecate

The post Tecate—the ‘Heart of Baja’ appeared first on Tecate.