Chef Estela Salas Silva’s maternal great-great-grandmother came from France to Mexico in the 1860s to cook for wealthy families in the city of Puebla. Today, in the nearby town of Tlaxcala, Silva passes on her ancestors’ recipes, which mix French, Spanish, and indigenous cuisines.

WHAT YOU’LL MAKE: Mole poblano, a sauce with flavors of dried chili peppers, cinnamon, chocolate, and ground nuts; soup made with huitlacoche, a fungus that grows seasonally on corn and is considered a delicacy; gaznates, pastry tubes filled with cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

HIGHLIGHTS: See the pyramids and murals at the nearby Mayan ruins of Xochitecatl and Cacaxtla. Hike to the 14,646-foot summit of La Malinche, a dormant volcano. Relax by the fireplace at Silva’s bed-and-breakfast.

Mexican Home Cooking, (415) 462- 0806, seven-day trips from $1,250, including meals and lodging. Photo by Mahlon Stewart. This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.