Workshops

Tamales are an essential and ancient Mexican dish – soft cornmeal masa (dough) stuffed with a flavourful filling, wrapped in corn husks and steamed. Portable and self-contained, tamales are a popular street food with countless variations found all across Mexico, and a beloved part of many Holy Week and Easter celebrations. Join Iván Wadgymar of Maizal for a fun, hands-on class where you will learn how to make delicious tamales from scratch using traditional, freshly ground masa de maiz instead of the industrial maseca (dried corn flour) that many recipes call for. As a local grower, miller and processor of artisanal Mexican corn, beans and chiles Iván connection to Mexican culinary traditions runs much deeper than most. More than just recipes and techniques, you will learn about the roots of the ingredients and traditions in Mexican and cuisine — literally what puts the culture in agriculture. You'll be making Tamales de Rajas (Poblano Pepper) and Tamales Verdes (chicken in salsa verde), as well as a fresh Salsa Verde Cruda. There will be tamales to snack on in class, and everyone gets to take home the tamales they make, along with all the recipes. 

Emily Zimmerman, The Depanneur’s OG plant-food maven, will guide you through three matzah-centric, kosher-for-passover desserts you’ll want to eat all year. Serve them at the family feasts on the first nights, or use them at the end of the week with your last box of matzah. Each dish has its own history and background, and delicious flavour profile.

Join artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of Viennoiserie, the magical butter-laminated pastry that is at the heart of croissants and many other classic European pastries from France to Denmark. Creating croissants from scratch is a somewhat complex, multi-day process, but Leo has expertly constructed a full-day workshop that will cover the all the steps so that you can begin making them at home. You’ll learn how to make your own brioche dough, and the processes of mixing, kneading, rolling, rising, laminating and shaping required to make Croissants, Pain au chocolat, Pain aux raisins, Kouign aman, Chaussons aux pommes, Palmiers and Brioches.

Maria Polotan probably did more to transform my appreciation of Filipino food than anyone. Prior to starting The Dep, I hadn’t really had much experience with this cuisine. But that all changed when Maria brought these amazing flavours to Mama Linda’s — her 2020 Brunch residency at The Dep, and then to Lami, her East end brunch pop-up. All I can say is if you have not had the chance to try silog, the classic Filipino brunch of garlic fried rice with a fried duck egg, topped with Maria's homemade savoury-sweet, Pinoy-style sausage or hash, you want to get on that ASAP. (Note: Maria makes all of her sausage and corned beef from scratch (brined for 1 week!) using quality local meats from Sanagan's, and uses gluten-free soy sauce throughout.)  Since this has become one of my all-time favourite brunch meals, and Mother's Day is the quintessential brunch day, it only makes sense to bring these things together at The Dep with three 2-hour family-style seatings: 10am, 12pm and 2pm.

Maria Polotan probably did more to transform my appreciation of Filipino food than anyone. Prior to starting The Dep, I hadn’t really had much experience with this cuisine. But that all changed when Maria brought these amazing flavours to Mama Linda’s — her 2020 Brunch residency at The Dep, and then to Lami, her East end brunch pop-up. All I can say is if you have not had the chance to try silog, the classic Filipino brunch of garlic fried rice with a fried duck egg, topped with Maria's homemade savoury-sweet, Pinoy-style sausage or hash, you want to get on that ASAP. (Note: Maria makes all of her sausage and corned beef from scratch (brined for 1 week!) using quality local meats from Sanagan's, and uses gluten-free soy sauce throughout.)  Since this has become one of my all-time favourite brunch meals, and Mother's Day is the quintessential brunch day, it only makes sense to bring these things together at The Dep with three 2-hour family-style seatings: 10am, 12pm and 2pm.

Maria Polotan probably did more to transform my appreciation of Filipino food than anyone. Prior to starting The Dep, I hadn’t really had much experience with this cuisine. But that all changed when Maria brought these amazing flavours to Mama Linda’s — her 2020 Brunch residency at The Dep, and then to Lami, her East end brunch pop-up. All I can say is if you have not had the chance to try silog, the classic Filipino brunch of garlic fried rice with a fried duck egg, topped with Maria's homemade savoury-sweet, Pinoy-style sausage or hash, you want to get on that ASAP. (Note: Maria makes all of her sausage and corned beef from scratch (brined for 1 week!) using quality local meats from Sanagan's, and uses gluten-free soy sauce throughout.)  Since this has become one of my all-time favourite brunch meals, and Mother's Day is the quintessential brunch day, it only makes sense to bring these things together at The Dep with three 2-hour family-style seatings: 10am, 12pm and 2pm.

Join artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of great bread. You’ll learn how to make your own sourdough starter, and how to prepare different types of dough, using various grains and flours. There will be hands-on practice of the techniques to folding, kneading and shaping dough to make focaccia/fougasse, baguettes, boules, batards and brioches, including challah braids.

Join Chef Anthony Sestitoa for hands-on journey through four classics of Roman pasta: Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara, Alla Gricia, and Alfredo. You’ll ease into the class with a beautiful spread of antipasto on arrival, and then dive into learning how to make a simple and versatile fresh pasta dough from scratch, with an emphasis on choosing the right flours and the importance of resting the dough. Everyone will prepare a portion of fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti, and from there will be guided through the nuances of each sauce — exploring techniques, ingredients, and the subtle differences that define each recipe. Rather than individual cooking stations, the focus is on collaborative preparation and discussion. The final dishes are finished together and served family-style for a tasting that captures the full spirit of Roman cooking. A relaxed, informative, and delicious way to get hands-on with Italy’s most iconic pasta traditions.