Welcome to What's Cooking in the Desert.

It would be a pleasure if you could visit, cook and dine with us, here in Joshua Tree. Sandy Rosen, artist and owner of the "Rosebud Ruby Star Ranch" and Karin Winkler, a Personal Chef specializing in Austrian cuisine, have teamed up to offer you a very special and unique cooking and dining experience in the desert wonderland of Joshua Tree, California.

Karin is a native from Salzburg, Austria who made her home in the beautiful Hi Desert near the Joshua Tree National Park. She will be your cooking instructor and she will have prepared one dinner basket and one lunch basket for you to enjoy the day before and on the day of class. During the day of class Karin will instruct you on how to prepare different authentic Viennese meals, including a breakfast and a three course dinner with two side dishes and salad.

You will be staying in one of Sandy's "Rosebud Ruby Star Ranch" desert rental retreat accommodations in the Joshua Tree Highlands, either the "Rosebud Ruby Star" Adobe, or the "Casa Rosita" Hideaway, or the "B'iltmore Bunkhouse" Cabin, or the "Rancho Rincon" Adobe.
To learn more about this wonderful desert rental retreat, please click ~here~.

After earning her masters in fine Arts in Austria, Karin moved to California where she got married. Having cooked all her life, she decided to start "Karin's Personal Chef Service". She traveled extensively and tasted many different cuisines in Europe and the U.S., but always returned to her authentic Austrian culinary education she received from her grandmother and aunt, with that great love for homemade, comforting and delicious food. Karin is a primarily self-taught chef and her specialty is, of course, Austrian cuisine. Early in life Karin was a 'kindergarten teacher' and after her son was born she became a certified travel agent to finance her education as a live theater actress. Later on she became a theater director's assistant in Salzburg, where future actors were educated and to finance her art studies at the university, she taught theater acting.

Karin wants to share her passion for food and cooking and has decided to devote part of her time to teaching and passing on her culinary endeavors. She says: " I know that teaching the art of cooking is very meaningful and very exciting if one goes beyond the preparation of ordinary food. Particularly since eating is such a basic need for all and a form of art only for some." Karin also organizes culinary and other special interest tours in Austria.

Classes are taught in the absolutely beautiful kitchen of the traditional western adobe "Rancho Rincon". This is a pretty, yet practical kitchen, with a wooden counter top island which gives the participants a possibility to work on. The new stove and oven, the new refrigerator and freezer, the charming nooks with the Rancho's personal plates, cooking utensils, etc., complete the kitchen. The architecture of the building itself is designed in interesting Adobe style and encompasses the very essence of desert tranquility. You will stay there during your cooking and dining adventure, you can also spend the nights there or a ten minute walk from the Rancho Rincon, at one of the other desert rental retreat accommodations. This is really an experience with a native Austrian, where you will be creating some of the most delicious, authentic dishes.

Participants are given the recipes of the day's class. The class goes through the preparation of several scheduled cooking sessions, followed by a long dinner in the large open dining area near a fire place, where we dine and enjoy our creations.

VIENNESE DESERT DELIGHT COOKING CLASS AND DINNER Itinerary

Classes begin at 8:30AM and end at approximately 6:00PM. Each class is limited to 8 participants, so please make your reservations now! Viennese Dinner Your Instructor and Personal Chef, Karin Winkler will show you how to prepare a traditional three course Viennese dinner including two side dishes and salad for you to enjoy. For the current special dinner menu, please click ~~ here~~. Please close window after review.

PRICE PER PERSON CLASS & DINNER DATES Cost for class & dinner participants, renting a room $495 - $695 per person Companion or spouse participating in class & dinner, sharing a room $195 Companion or spouse participating in dinner only, sharing a room $115 Additional Nights Please inquire for prices. Cost for class- & dinner only participants $175 Prices include: 2 night stay in one of the "Rosebud Ruby Star Ranch" accommodations of your choice for overnight guests. Dinner basket the day before day of class for overnight guests. Breakfast cooking lesson. Non-alcoholic beverages during class. Morning cooking lesson. Lunch basket provided on the day of class. Afternoon cooking lesson including Viennese dinner preparation. Three course Viennese dinner including two side dishes and salad. Breakfast the day after day of class for overnight guests. Future Dinner and Cooking Adventures will begin in early 2007. Please visit us again for future dates and events. For past class details, please click image and close window after review:

For reservations and further information please call Sandy Rosen at the Rosebud Ruby Star Ranch 877-887-7370 (tollfree) or 760-366-4676 Email: sandy@rosebudrubystar.com MC/VISA/DISCOVER accepted. COME AND BE AMAZED! What's Cooking in the Desert | Rosebud Ruby Star Ranch | Karin's Personal Chef Service | AustriaTravel.ws | Contact © 2007 Karin's Personal Chef Service