Hands-On Cooking Classes and Chef’s Table Dinner with Leslie McGuirk
Week of December 28, 2024
Leslie McGuirk & Chef Reyna Venegas offer hands-on culinary experiences aligned with the stars, 3.5 hours each, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks and you will learn more about your natal chart and your connection with the universe through food. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our culinary center on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 4pm. In addition, Astrologer, Leslie McGuirk, will collaborate with La Cocina Que Canta’s Executive Chef Reyna Venegas and her team to create a special feast (with wine pairing!) on Thursday at 4:45pm
Sparkling New Beginnings: A Journey to the Stars!
Join us for a celestial celebration under the winter sky in Tecate. A five-course delectable dinner with wine pairings, curated by Executive Chef Reyna Venegas, using fruits and vegetables from our biodynamic garden – which was designed to be in sync with the rhythm of the planetary movements. With Astrologer, Leslie McGuirk, you will each learn about your Natal chart ( based on your birthdate, time and place of birth) which is similar to an owner’s manual. It describes your wiring system, and which foods are best to keep you in balance for the upcoming new Year!
Hands On Cooking Classes and Chefs Dinner Sign Up
Tuesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Wednesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Sparkling New Beginnings: A Journey to the Stars!”
Thursday Farm-to-Table Dining Experience 4:45 PM
Celebrate the abundance of our organic farm and the connection to community with a Farm-to-Table dining experience – a perfect blend of health, tradition, flavor, and fun! Cost is $150 per person, tax and wine pairing included. The maximum number of guests is 30. Sign Up at the Appointments Desk or through the link above.
Leslie McGuirk’s children’s books include the Tucker Series, If Rocks Could Sing, and Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons, which Martha Stewart calls “a charming introduction to the fine art of good behavior.” She has sold over 2 million books worldwide, but started as an untrained artist selling her T-Shirt designs out of the back of her car. She became a marketing phenomenon in Japan during the 1990’s. Takashimaya, the high-end Japanese department store produced over 800 products with her designs. She was also chosen as the designer for the restoration of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. Her “Quest for Inspiration” workshops began at Rancho La Puerta and have since been taught in many places including AARP, The Jim Henson Company, Wachovia Bank, Wilmington Trust, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and many others. Leslie’s well received TED talk in Hollywood CA on THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WRONG can be found on the Web: lesliemcguirk.com
Executive Chef Reyna Venegas prepares fresh and delicious food that energizes, inspires, and nourishes guests. She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating as a celebration of life in farm-to-table cooking classes. As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna attends the University of California, San Diego’s Integrative Nutrition program, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois. She and her husband Chef Marcelo Hisaki own Restaurante Amores, a hidden culinary jewel in the heart of Baja. Their cuisine is influenced by Mexican, Japanese and French cultures, using local produce with respect, love, and creativity. They have been selected by the Michelin Guide Mexico in 2024 and received the Exceptional Service Award.
Chef Reyna, as the manager of Team Mexico for the Bocuse d’Or since 2022, has been instrumental in guiding the team to compete in this prestigious culinary event. In 2023, Team Mexico was recognized with the Social Commitment Award for their impactful initiatives addressing food insecurity among migrants in Baja California. Now, they are poised to proudly represent Mexico once more at the Bocuse d’Or Finale 2025 in Lyon, France, after winning the Bocuse d’Or Americas Bronze this summer in New Orleans.