Santa Fe School of Cooking

Santa Fe School of Cooking offers demonstration cooking classes on authentic Southwest dishes, with time for questions and detailed explanations of cooking methods. It also offers hands-on classes with direct practice, personal attention in small class sizes, and guidance from a chef while preparing traditional Southwest dishes. Online cooking classes include on-demand video lessons, step-by-step instruction, downloadable recipes, and links to authentic ingredients.

Programs

• Demonstration Classes — Demonstration cooking classes show how to create authentic Southwest dishes; each demonstration includes time for questions and detailed explanations of cooking methods.
• Hands On Classes — Interactive cooking sessions with direct practice, personal attention in small class sizes, and guidance from a chef while preparing traditional Southwest dishes.
• Online Cooking Classes — On-demand video classes with step-by-step instruction, downloadable recipes, and links to authentic ingredients.
• Restaurant Tours — The ORIGINAL Food Tour of Santa Fe; offered for over 16 years and gives participants the opportunity to meet the chef or key players at each property.

At a glance

• General schedule: Classes run several times each week.
• Facility hours: Mon-Sat: 9:30am - 5:00pm; Sundays: 10:30am - 3:30pm

About the provider

Santa Fe School of Cooking was founded in 1989 and has been in operation for over 36 years. Its leadership team includes Susan Curtis, Nicole Curtis Ammerman, and Kristen Curtis-Krell. The school’s mission is to serve as ambassadors for Santa Fe’s rich and historic traditions by promoting and celebrating regional cuisine as an enjoyable and entertaining experience for guests, chefs, and staff. It has been featured in ELLE Magazine, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN Travel, Travel Awaits, Santa Fe Reporter, and TripAdvisor, and it supports the Santa Fe food community through work with local vendors, winemakers, farmers, and non-profit organizations.

• Dave’s Jazz Bistro — A culinary adventure and festive supper club setting combining world-class jazz with an exceptional dining experience.
• Gift Cards — Gift cards can be used for items from the market or to reserve a spot in cooking classes.

Welcoming, practical teaching kitchen. Classes accommodate all skill levels. If you don’t see a class that fits your schedule, private classes and special events can be created by calling Nicole at 505-983-4511.

What families say

“Very friendly and experienced staff. Amazing knowledge and history shared through a passionate cooking course. I would absolutely recommend stopping in and experiencing what the Santa Fe School of Cooking has to offer.” — B Evans, December 2025

“We attended a great cooking class at the school. We would highly recommend that anyone visiting Santa Fe look into taking a cooking class at the school. This was a highlight of our visit to Santa Fe!” — John Q, December 2025

“Marydawn Wright led our class on tamales. Her ability to provide historical context and scientific explanation of the creation of the ingredients through the final edible dishes greatly increased my comprehension of the why, how, and what makes great tamales. Terrific class with excellent hands on opportunity to really cement how to carry the learning into our home kitchen.” — K Christian, November 2025

Last updated October 31, 2026.