Events

In addition to this event, you can enjoy all of the daily activities that Tucson offers. Explore our sample ranch schedule.

Discover the culture and delicious, authentic flavors of the Southwest during our premiere culinary-focused Canyon Ranch Immersion™ in Tucson, Arizona.

Hosted by Chef Pete Ghione, Director of Culinary Innovation and Training at Canyon Ranch, Chef Warren Weekes, Director of Culinary Operations at Canyon Ranch Tucson, and a team of Canyon Ranch nutritionists, this five-night, hands-on culinary experience, set in the Santa Catalina Mountains, will also feature special appearances by Southwest cuisine expert and author Carolyn Niethammer, and James Beard Award winner Don Guerra, a leader of the local-grain movement in Tucson.

Join us at our Sonoran Desert resort and explore the diverse culinary history of Tucson, a Unesco City of Gastronomy, through flavors and dishes inspired by Mexican and South American influences. Together our chefs and nutrition teams have combined forces to design a unique culinary journey that brings together healthful and delicious recipes steeped in the robust, vibrant flavors of the Southwest.

During this hands-on immersion retreat, you'll learn how to blend native aromatic spices such as dried chili peppers, cumin, coriander, cilantro, and citrus with a variety of foods--from plant-based to poultry and seafood. You'll get VIP access to local farmer's markets and learn how to select the freshest produce. You'll gain a greater understanding of how foods impact your mood and health and receive pro tips to master your knife skills and plating presentations for impressive at-home dining.

This five-night healthy eating retreat is designed to improve your culinary skills, ignite new joy in cooking, and inspire creative and nutritious ways to reinvigorate your daily dining experience at home.

Learn more about Canyon Ranch Immersion™. To book, call (844) 772-8435 or email immersions@canyonranch.com for more information.

Peter Ghione
AOS, Director of Culinary Innovation and Training, Canyon Ranch
Chef Pete is responsible for the creation of world-class culinary experiences and concepts that support innovation at all existing and future Canyon Ranch food and beverage locations.

He leads the onboarding and training of Executive Chefs as well as the development and implementation of culinary training and programming. Chef Pete works with the nutrition team to ensure that all culinary programs and menus are in line with Canyon Ranch’s nutritional and food quality standards, supports the Executive Chefs in menu programming, and serves as a key contributor to the Canyon Ranch Nutrition Council.

Warren Weekes
Director of Culinary Operations, Canyon Ranch Tucson
Chef Warren manages The Grill and The Double U Café restaurants at our Tucson resort. He brings a depth of culinary training and international experience to our original wellness resort in the Sonoran Desert. His expertise revolves around creativity, vision, and innovation in the kitchen to create unique culinary experiences.

Don Guerra
Founder, Barrio Bread
Don Guerra is an internationally recognized baker, educator, and advocate for local food systems and the production and preservation of heritage grains--and is a 2022 James Beard Outstanding Baker Award Winner. As the founder of Barrio Bread in Tucson, Don has become an integral part of a collaboration between farmers, millers, bakers, and seed savers working to bring native and heritage grains back to southern Arizona farms and tables. As farmers have learned how to grow heritage grains and millers learned how to process them, Don has had to figure out how to make bread from that which is harvested locally.

Carolyn Niethammer
Author & Southwest Cuisine Expert
Carolyn Niethammer has been writing about the food and people of the Southwest since she got out of college in books and newspaper and magazine articles. Four of her ten books are cookbooks, three are books about Native American women, one is a travel book, and one is a novel that features a famous cook from Arizona history. Her work has been translated into German, French, and Korean. Her latest book “A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary History,” is a look at Tucson’s food history over the last 8,000 years and is an answer to why our city was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. She is a former employee of Canyon Ranch, during which time she edited two versions of the Canyon Ranch cookbook.

Adam Smith
MA, Senior Spiritual Wellness Provider
Adam is part of a Spiritual Wellness team that offers six unique spiritual services for guests. He also lectures for guests and staff on topics related to spiritual wellness. With a background as a hospital and hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor, he specializes in Spiritual/Pastoral Care, Grief Support, Contemplation and Mysticism.

Shannon Jacobs
MS, RDN, LDN, Health & Performance Dietician
Shannon’s positive and inspiring attitude helps guests benefit from her personalized and tailored approach to nutrition, vitality, and performance. She guides resort guests to frame a new mindset to accomplish their goals. Her areas of expertise include fueling for exercise, supplements, and achieving weight loss goals without losing muscle mass.

Friday, May 12

4:00 pm: Welcome and Program Orientation

5:30 - 7 pm: Chef’s Table
We kick off our first night with a meal featuring many of the delicious foods and regional dishes that you will be making and learning more about during the retreat.

7:00 - 7:30 pm: Evening meditation
Enjoy a 30-minute wind-down that promotes good sleep after a day of traveling.

Saturday, May 13

9:00 - 10:30 am: Intro to Southwest Cuisine and Balanced Eating
Join our Nutrition and Culinary team as we learn about the fundamentals of Southwest cooking, key historical ingredients, as well as how to fit these foods and techniques into healthful, balanced eating practices.

10:30 - 11:30 am: Tasting the Cosmos
Our Spiritual Wellness and Nutrition experts will lead an integrative experience to practice self-nourishment and strengthen the connection of your body, spirit, and food.

3:00 - 4 pm: Hands-on Cooking 1 (group 1)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

5 – 6 pm: Hands-on Cooking 1 (group 2)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

6:00 - 7:30 pm: Dinner and Learn with Southwest Food Historian Carolyn Niethammer
Experience a delicious meal with Carolyn Niethammer, an expert on the history of Southwestern foods and author of A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage. She will share her knowledge about the history of cuisine in the Tucson area and the many cultural threads that have come together to create the meals you will make and eat all week.

Sunday, May 14

9:00 - 11:30 am: Trip to Farmer's Market
The group will head to the Rillito Farmer’s Market, Tucson’s liveliest and largest Farmer’s Market. Go behind the scenes with some of our favorite vendors and learn their secrets to making some of the best dishes of Tucson, as well as sampling the vibrant flavors.

5:00 - 6 pm: Local Grains & Breads with Don Guerra
Learn the secrets of local, Southwestern grains and breads from James Beard Outstanding Baker Award winner Don Guerra, founder of Tucson's Barrio Bread.

6:00 - 7:30 pm: Dinner with Don Guerra

7:30 - 8:30 pm: Evening Chocolate Ritual with Chef Warren
Enjoy a sweet end to the evening with a surprise Southwestern chocolate delight.

Monday, May 15

9am - 10am: Nutrition: From Research to Real Life
Learn what the latest nutrition research says about eating to support optimal health, wellness, and performance. Take home easy and enjoyable tips for incorporating research findings into real-life habits for a lifetime of delicious, healthful eating.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Food Photography and Setting a Beautiful Table
Learn the secrets of plating your amazing meal with our own Chef Pete Ghione. Then, get tips on how to take professional-looking photos of your place settings to share with family and friends.

3:00 - 4 pm: Hands-on Cooking 2 (group 1)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

5 – 6 pm: Hands-on Cooking 2 (group 2)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

6 - 7:30 pm: Group Dinner

Tuesday, May 16

8:30 - 10 am: Sabino Canyon: Picnic 101 and Healthful Snacks
Explore the beauty of Sabino Canyon with a morning hike and a lesson in preparing a beautiful picnic full of balanced, fueling snacks.

3:00 - 4 pm: Hands-on Cooking 3 (group 1)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

5 – 6 pm: Hands-on Cooking 3 (group 2)
Learn and apply delicious, healthful cooking techniques to fresh, local ingredients to prepare the evening’s dinner.

6:00 - 7:30 pm: Farewell Group Dinner

7:30 - 9:00 pm: Panel and Q&A
Get your questions answered as you prepare to head off to your home kitchens and take all that you’ve learned and tasted back to your friends and family.

Wednesday, May 17

Day of Departure or Begin Extended Stay