Hello, I’m Elizabeth
For years I have welcomed guests into my home near Santa Elena to cook together. Traditional Costa Rican home cooking is how I share Monteverde with the people who come here: the flavors, the ingredients, and the everyday traditions I grew up with.
How the cooking class started
It began with the volunteers. For years I have hosted people who come to work on the coffee farms around Monteverde. They sleep in my house and I cook them breakfast and dinner, the same food I make for my own family.
The questions always came at dinner. What is in this rice? How do you make the tortillas by hand? Before long they were standing at the counter beside me instead of waiting at the table.
The push to make it a class
That came from my daughter and her husband. They took a cooking class in Morocco and came home certain about something I had not seen myself. “Mamá,” they said, “you are already doing this.” They built me a website and helped me open my kitchen to visitors.
The spices were already here. I have sold my own blends at the Monteverde weekend market for years, and they are the same ones I cook with in the class.
What I wanted was to show people something of everyday life here, not only the cloud forest. That is still what it is.
Cooking is how I share my home
I am known around Monteverde for my flavorful meals, and I sell my own homemade spices at the local market, so when you cook with me you are learning from someone who lives and breathes local food.
There is no fixed menu in my kitchen. I choose whatever is fresh and in season, follow the home recipes I was taught, and adapt to what your group enjoys, including vegetarian, vegan, and other dietary needs. It stays flexible, personal, and rooted in the way Costa Rican families really eat.
In my kitchenHands-on, every step
Cooking with me
This is not a cooking school or a restaurant. It is a few warm, hands-on hours in a real Costa Rican home.
A real local home
You cook in my family kitchen near Santa Elena, surrounded by Monteverde’s mountain air.
Made from scratch
Together we prepare a complete traditional meal, from handmade tortillas to dessert.
Small and relaxed
I keep groups intentionally small, so the pace stays calm, personal, and hands-on.
Everyone welcome
Couples, families, and solo travelers. Children join in at their own pace.
She welcomes you into her home as if you’re already part of the family, sharing not just delicious recipes, but her stories, traditions, and a genuine passion for cooking.
I’d love to welcome you to my kitchen
Whether it’s a shared class, a family experience, or a private cooking session, I’d be glad to cook with you here in Monteverde. There’s no deposit needed to reserve.