The beautiful Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is hosting a Summer Desert Cooking Series for visitors and locals alike. Guests will be able to join Loews chefs for a special series of educational cooking experiences using ingredients from Southern Arizona’s desert.
Each class is approximately $25 per person and lasts two to three hours. Guests will indulge in an interactive educational cooking class and a hands-on culinary experience with Loews chefs in their kitchen.
The first cooking class is May 24 at 2 p.m. and will feature Saguaro Cactus Fruit. A guest speaker from the Tohono O’odham Community Action will give a lesson on Southern Arizona saguaros and their fruit. Saguaro syrup will be addressed with TOCA and saguaro seed uses will be discussed with Executive Chef Ken Harvey.
While dates of the June, July, and August classes are to be determined, the resort has already chosen what delicious desert ingredients will be featured. Each future class will be held on a Friday afternoon, much like the May class. Keep an eye out for the June Barrel Cactus Fruit class in which guests will gather barrel cactus fruit from around the property and learn how to work with the product. Specialty desserts will be created with Pastry Chef Krista Owens.
The July Mesquite Pods class allows guests to tour the property and gather mesquite pods to learn how to use them while cooking. Creative appetizers will be made with Executive Chef Ken Harvey. Finally, the August Prickly Pear Fruit class serves as the most exciting event of the year at Loews. Prickly Pear Harvesting with the entire Loews culinary team will take place. Guests will learn to make cocktails with Loews mixologists and BBQ specialties with Executive Chef Ken Harvey.
The Summer Desert Cooking Series is a great way to get involved in the community and learn to cook with ingredients native to the Southern Arizona desert. Grab a friend and enjoy an afternoon of leisurely cooking at the luxury resort.
