Curators of New Mexico Culinary Traditions

Raised on a working ranch near the banks of Idaho’s Snake River, the Founder of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, Susan Curtis, has good food in her blood. Fishing, hunting, and foraging added to the bounty of a communal table laden with fresh garden produce and home-cured meats. In 1989, the entrepreneurial spirit and traditional values that Susan inherited from her father met their match in an enlightened cultural shift towards local foods and sustainability, yielding the recipe that has made the Santa Fe School of Cooking such a home-grown family success story.

Dedicated to a convivial sharing of work and pleasure, Susan raised her two daughters the same way, inspiring them both to become active partners in the school’s mission to create authentic, fun-filled culinary experiences in a welcoming setting. Still actively involved at the School, Susan has co-authored numerous cookbooks on New Mexico foods and remains deeply committed to her family, her community, and to the School’s original philosophy of celebrating and sharing the historic techniques and distinctive flavors of regional Santa Fe cuisine.

A Santa Fe native, the School’s Director of Operations, Nicole Curtis Ammerman, has immersed herself fully in the goals laid out by her mother, Susan Curtis. Nicole’s love of family and friends drew her back home to Santa Fe in 1993. Combined with business and marketing skills she honed at the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in business, her dedication to New Mexico culinary traditions has enriched the scope and abilities of Santa Fe’s original cooking school.

Nicole has been running the daily operations of the cooking school for over 28 years. She has expanded the offerings at the cooking school to include Cooking Competitions, Culinary Boot Camps and popular Restaurant Walking Tours and continues to add new programs. She has wholeheartedly embraced the School’s mission to support the Santa Fe food community and enjoys working with the local vendors, winemakers, farmers and non-profit organizations. Nicole is currently on the board of The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, where she is enjoying learning more about other sectors of industry and commerce in her hometown, while contributing her knowledge from the tourism sector.

The School’s newest culinary adventure, Dave’s Jazz Bistro, was founded by the youngest Curtis daughter, Kristen Curtis-Krell, the Director of DJB. Kristen has a bachelor’s degree in social psychology with a minor in business administration and she holds a master’s degree in educational leadership.

Kristen has spent her career in higher education and her organizational and facilitation skills brought this exciting new endeavor to vibrant life, making the Bistro an instantly successful venture launched by the School. Opening to acclaim in 2019 with a sold-out performance by renowned clarinetist Eddie Daniels, Dave’s Jazz Bistro is a tribute to the late David Ballantyne Curtis, the Curtis clan’s husband, father, and grandfather. The festive supper club setting combines Dave’s love of jazz and fine dining, marrying world-class Jazz with an exceptional dining experience crafted by the School’s expert chefs.