Far from being your traditional classroom setting, the Antigua Cooking School, hosted by Militza de León, a graduate of the Intecap Guatemalan culinary school, and Vilma McComsey, proprietor of The Antigua Cooking School, is set in the walled garden of a colonial home in La Antigua, under a 130-year-old avocado tree.
Miltza and Vilma, who take turns instructing the daily classes, are far from being 
teachers only; they are also hostesses. They chat mindlessly with the students, who feel a bit more like guests who have been invited into the kitchen. There is no room in the kitchen, however, for idle hands, so the students pick up the dough and get to work.
Classes are taught in both English and Spanish, from Monday to Friday, with a different menu each day of the week. The menu is repeated weekly, and students are invited to attend as many classes as they like, from just one day, to the whole week in order to learn the entire menu.
The menus for each day reflect traditional Guatemalan dishes. Instructors explain interesting tidbits about the food and how the local culture has affected the staple items served in each house. Recipes are provided, and instructors are careful to explain to students ways in which they may have to modify their dish, depending on the availability of certain ingredients.
Each menu is served with an entrada, or an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert. Some of the menus also feature side dishes. Menu items include enchiladas, chuchitos, buñuelos, subanik, tamalitos blancos, escabeche, rellenitos de plátano, tamales 
colorados (a Christmas favorite), Güicoyitos Rellenos (stuffed zucchini), arroz con leche, chiles rellenos, mole, pepian colorado (a famous Guatemalan stew) and dulce de güisquil. For a full menu, complete with detailed descriptions of each dish, visit the Antigua Cooking School web-site.
Mondays and Fridays class is held from 11 am to 3 pm and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays it is held from 1 pm to 5 pm. The class costs US $65 per person, or the equivalent in Quetzales. At the school you can pay in cash or with a traveler’s check. If you want to pay using a major credit card you may do so by booking online in advance. Classes must be booked at least 2 days in advance, and must be paid in full at that time.
The Antigua Cooking School provides you with all the materials you will need (even the apron!) and also prepares the recipes in advance for you to take home and try on your family. There is no better way to learn to cook something traditionally Guatemalan then by working side by side with the best! Even if going school may not sound like your kind of vacation, the relaxing atmosphere that accompanies good people and good food is sure to bring you nothing but relaxation and a contented belly!
If you are interested in learning more about the Antigua Cooking School, then take a visit to their web-site by clicking here. The school is located beneath the Arch, in the heart of Antigua: 5a Avenida Norte, #25B. Telephone: 59448568 or 59903366
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