Get Your Creative Cooking Juices Flowing With Houston Classes

Learn new ways to whip up tasty meals with cooking classes, presented by AARP in Houston, that feature prickly pear and a nutritious ancient grain.

Local chef Victoria Elizondo leads a free virtual class on the traditional Mexican preparation of nopales, the bumpy pads of the prickly pear. She will teach viewers the correct way to cook the pads so they don’t become slimy. 

The presentation, in collaboration with the Houston Botanic Garden, will be available online starting Friday, May 20. Watch it at youtube.com/aarptexas.

Another Houston-based chef, Adán Medrano, will discuss the many uses of amaranth, a nutritious ancient grain used in Indigenous cooking. It can be used to make a flour that is gluten free and contains lots of fiber. Medrano spent more than 20 years traveling through Mexico and South America while studying local cuisine.  

The class will be held in person on Saturday, May 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Houston Botanic Garden, One Botanic Lane. Those who attend will get free admission to the gardens. Register at aarp.org/houston. 

The talk will also be posted on the AARP Texas YouTube channel. The site includes a variety of videos, including fitness classes. 

—George Bridges