I attended this event as a guest of San Antonio CVB, with all expenses paid. As always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are 100% my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.
The following post was written by my friend Jen, who stepped in for me when I could not attend the event. Jen blogs at The Mom Reviews, be sure to visit here there and say hello. Jen is also on Twitter, she’s @themomjen.
During our long weekend at Culinaria, something I loved watching were the demos! The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio (CIA) has a Latin Cuisines Program strongly influenced by the the area’s culture. Chef-instructor Elizabeth Johnson took some time with us at NAO Restaurant to prepare a Peruvian Ceviche for us, surrounded by student chefs assisting her. 
Using a tile fish, she talked about flash marinating in lime juice or “leche de tigre.” Translated to tiger’s milk, leche de tigre is used in South American cooking for ceviche or enjoying on it’s own, common ingredients include celery, ginger, garlic, aji limo (hot pepper), red onion, and Mexican limes that are known to have the most acid! Fish flakes are used like MSG is used and of course trimmings from the fish are included in the tiger’s milk after strained through a mesh sieve and chilled over ice. A few other tips were to cut fish on the small diagonal for more surface area, and immersing red onion in ice water will leave you heartburn-free!
Melissa Guerra also cooked for us, something I am confident I can replicate at home, Enchiladas Nortenos. Melissa is an 8th generation Texan, born and raised on a cattle ranch with a wealth of knowledge about the local food history of the area as well as the cuisine. 
Immediately I was drawn to her like I was as a child drawn to watching Julia Child with my grandparents. Her warm “motherly” demeanor and humor kept us attentive, not to mention the aromas that filled the room had me salivating!
During the trip, I’d text my husband and direct him to my social media photos and he insisted I cook for him upon returning home. I promised I’d replicate some of the cocktails we learned about that include the added ingredient of wine! The Wine + Cocktails seminar was held at Arcade Midtown Kitchen and presented by Christopher Ware and Chef James Moore. We started with a more traditional wine spritzer, but some of the heavier hitters were some of my favorites and those of my table mates.
Do you see the glass on the top right? That’s the Reposado Amontillado Shrub, a mouthful for sure to say. Made with tequila (1 oz), Amontillado Sherry (1 oz), lemon juice (.75 oz), and a pear ginger syrup or shrub (.5 oz). Take a look at that ice cube, they are hand chiseled from a cube of clear ice made especially for that drink!
Bottom left cocktail was the hit of the seminar with my tablemates! The Chancellor Cocktail is part Scotch (2 oz), part Port (1 oz), part Vermouth (.5 oz), and with 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters it went down smooth and immediately warms you heart and soul! Finally, the Arcade Cocktail, the restaurant’s signature drink had a tang and a zip from grapefruit juice (.75 oz), champagne (4 oz), simple syrup (.25 oz), tequila (1 oz), and 2 dashes of Peychaud Bitters. Sparkling wine can be used in place of the champagne and it’s really a hot weather, summer kind of drink that would be a hit with any guest!
Click below to find the full recipes of the Peruvian Ceviche and Enchiladas Nortenos!
For more information, visit the Visit Antonio CVB website, www.visitsanantonio.com or call their toll free number 800/447-3372. They’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
patricia Marsden
Tuesday 4th of June 2013
Culinary delights I am sure abound.