Join us for a foodie adventure during Culinary Week, where we’ll celebrate the vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine. Using the freshest organic produce, talented chefs will prepare dishes that showcase Mexico’s rich cultural heritage and traditions. From savory seafood to spicy salsas and organic produce, you can savor the bold and complex flavors that make this cuisine unique. You’ll have the chance to learn from expert chefs and explore our beautiful organic garden that produces the ingredients for our delicious meals. Join us for an unforgettable, five-star week of gastronomic excellence, fun, and community!
Featured Chefs:
Chef Javier Plascencia | Animalón (Michelin Star), James Beard Award Nominee Claudia Sandoval | MasterChef Winner (2015), Founder of Claudia’s Cocina, Author of Claudia’s Cocina: A Taste of Mexico Chef Michelle Mathelin | MasterChef Latinos Winner, Founder of Celestine (Opening Soon) Chef Vivian Mercado | Head Chef of La Cocina que Canta Chef Segundo Romero | Executive Chef of Rancho La Puerta
This will be a wonderful culinary week, where you will learn from expert chefs and a winemaker, you will explore our beautiful organic garden where we grow the ingredients that are the inspiration for our delicious meals.
We look forward to you joining us for an unforgettable, five-star week of culinary excellence!
Chef Javier Plascencia
With a distinguished culinary career spanning over 30 years, Chef Javier Plascencia is known as a free spirit who never tires of learning and experimenting with new ingredients. His passion for cooking and the restaurant industry makes him a great entrepreneur and a magnificent chef. Having established successful restaurants in Tijuana, Valle de Guadalupe, San Jose del Cabo, and Todos Santos, and having received numerous accolades, including a James Beard Award Nomination, he has now achieved Michelin Star status with his restaurant Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, a magical space set beneath a 200-year-old oak tree. @javierplascencia, @animalonbaja
Claudia Sandoval
Claudia Sandovalwas born and raised in sunny San Diego, California, to a family originally from Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Chef Claudia grew up with her mother and grandmother, who taught her how to cook from a young age. In 2015, she went on to become the winner of the sixth season of MasterChef U.S. with Gordon Ramsay.
After winning the coveted title of MasterChef, she began a successful culinary consulting and catering company under the name “Claudia’s Cocina,” in addition to working with major brands like Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Disney, T-Mobile, and Tajín. Chef Claudia also published her bestselling cookbook, Claudia’s Cocina: A Taste of Mexico.
Chef Claudia has moved on from contestant to judge on various shows such as Chopped, Chopped Jr., and MasterChef Latino on Telemundo. She is now a judge on MasterChef Latinos on Estrella TV. Most recently, she released a new food travel show called Taste of the Border on Discovery+.
Chef Claudia never stops, and most recently launched her own Celebrity Chef Meal Delivery line through a partnership with Home Bistro, ensuring that people all over the U.S. can enjoy a taste of what she’s cooking.
@chefclaudiasandoval
Chef Michelle Mathelin
A culinary visionary, self-taught chef, marketer, and entrepreneur, Michelle Mathelin discovered her passion for recipe creation through a unique blend of creativity and culinary expertise. She specializes in crafting delicious, innovative, and visually stunning recipes, always infused with a personal touch.
Born in Acapulco, Guerrero, Michelle relocated to Mexico City for her college studies, where she earned a degree in Communication with a focus on Advertising. Early on, she took the entrepreneurial leap, founding her own marketing agency, which quickly gained success.
While her professional path was rooted in marketing, her love for gastronomy never wavered. Michelle produced significant culinary events, bridging her two passions until a pivotal moment arrived. She decided to take a leap of faith by joining MasterChef Latinos, a decision that forever altered her life. Michelle emerged victorious as the winner of the 2022 season, solidifying her place in the culinary world.
For Michelle, cooking is more than just a career—it’s a way of life. She views herself as a curator of flavors, cultures, and ingredients, honing her palate into one of refined taste and insight. Now, Michelle is preparing to open her own restaurant, Celestine, where she aims to share her culinary vision with the world.
Head Chef Vivian Mercado
Chef Vivian Mercado is a young culinary talent with roots deeply intertwined with the vibrant flavors of her homeland, Baja California. Graduating from the Culinary School at the University of Baja California UABC in Ensenada, Vivian embarked on a culinary journey that began by honing her skills at a wholesome meal prep kitchen. Eager to explore the diverse tapestry of local Baja flavors, she took the role of a young manager at a culinary venture, where she delved into the realms of local wines, specialty coffee and artisanal bread. After three enriching years, Vivian returned to Tecate, where she found her culinary sanctuary at Rancho La Puerta. Starting at Tierra Alegre Juice Bar, Vivian delighted our guests with delicious and nutritious smoothies and cold pressed juice creations; a year later she had the opportunity to join the main Rancho La Puerta kitchen as Sous Chef for three years. Now, at La Cocina que Canta, Head Chef Vivian brings her expertise, creativity, and unwavering passion for culinary excellence to every dish she crafts, to every class she teaches.
Executive Chef Segundo Romero
Segundo Romero is an acclaimed Argentine culinary expert with over 20 years of international experience. Known for his bold creativity and refined technique, he has made a lasting impact in top kitchens across México, the United States, and Argentina. Celebrated as an ambassador of Argentine, Latin American, and European cuisines, Chef Romero blends tradition with innovation to create dishes that are both authentic and contemporary. His distinguished career includes leadership roles at prestigious establishments such as the Alvear Palace Hotel, Sofitel, Barceló Hotels, Monarch Restaurants, and Grupo Carbón México. Beyond the kitchen, he is a respected consultant and educator, passionate about mentoring aspiring chefs and sharing the transformative power of food. At Rancho La Puerta, Chef Romero brings a fresh culinary vision centered on wellness, sustainability, and the celebration of global flavors.
Schedule Of Events
TBD
Culinary Week Venues
La Cocina Que Canta Cooking School and Culinary Center
Set in the heart of our six-acre farm, La Cocina Que Canta (“The Kitchen That Sings!”) celebrates the magical results of cooking with just-picked organic ingredients. The colors, aromas, and tastes that emanate from La Cocina are nothing short of amazing.
Ranch guests can join us for two cooking classes and a Chef’s Table dinner every week, hosted by internationally renowned guest chefs and cookbook authors (check the event calendar for details).
Dining At The Ranch
We have developed, tested, and proven hundreds of delicious recipes since 1940. Over eighty years of culinary creativity, experimentation, and dietary research have culminated in a superb all-natural diet. Our fresh lacto-ovo cuisine provides protein, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. It is low in fat, sodium, and refined flour and sugar — while high in energy, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. Portions can be abundant and guilt-free thanks to our recipes’ low calorie counts as well as your activity-filled days. Questions visit out Dietary FAQ’s.
The Dining Hall
Meal times at the Ranch are about creating camaraderie and community. Our guests frequently say that one of the best things about the Ranch is that they meet wonderful people. For these reasons we provide three meals at which guests can come together and enjoy each other’s company. Breakfast and lunch are informal while dinner is a sit-down affair with wait staff.
Tres Estrellas Organic Farm
Guests at Rancho La Puerta enjoy the flavors of freshly picked fruits and vegetables year-round. Visits to our organic farm, located about 2 miles up the valley from most of our facilities and accommodations, take place almost daily: a favorite is an early morning guided hike that combines a 2-mile walk through rolling meadows and chaparral with a welcoming breakfast, a tour of the gardens, and an introduction to the principles of organic farming led by our charismatic head gardener, Salvador Tinajero. The garden and cooking school were designed and created by Rancho La Puerta President Sarah Livia Brightwood. Our ecological specialist, Enrique Ceballos, also assists Sarah Livia in the garden’s vision.
Bazar Del Sol
The Bazar Del Sol serves local wine from the Guadalupe Valley, has an espresso bar, and a boutique full of handmade artisanal creations from Mexico. Relax on an indoor sofa or on the outdoor patio to soak up the gorgeous mountain views.
The Ranch Program
In addition to all the Culinary Week events, your week at Rancho La Puerta will include classes that will energize your body, calm your mind, lift your spirits, and get you ready to taste some of the freshest cuisine Baja has to offer.
Every week at Rancho La Puerta you will enjoy:
Guided hikes on 40-miles of mountain trails each morning.
More than 50 daily fitness classes, including Pilates, Pickleball, Barre, TRX, Hydro-Fit, yoga, and Zumba.
Three farm-to-table meals, sourced from our organic garden and other local farms.
Eleven gyms, four pools, a running track, as well as tennis, Pickleball, basketball and volleyball courts.
Three full-service spas offering massage, facials, wraps, scrubs and other holistic therapies.
Art classes, including painting and sculpting.
Presentations on music-making, nutrition and brain health.
Mind-body classes such as mindfulness, meditation, Feldenkrais and sound healing.
Live evening concerts and entertainment with world-class performers.
