Fat RICE is a passion project of Rocheller Batuigas, a way to explore his Filipino history and identity in the lens of growing up in Canada and the path he took as a chef in the city. Come join him on his journey through Filipino and Asian food as they try to (sometimes confusingly and hilariously) cowboy and finagle my way on what it means to be Canadian.
Join Ivan for a journey into the origins of maiz in Mesoamerica and discover how millennia of skillful crop domestication created a foundational food for Pre-Columbian civilization that lived the centre of their cosmology. These sophisticated agricultural practices coevolved with the technologies like nixtamalization, which transforms the nutritional profile of corn, and creates the masa used in tortillas, tamales, and even the ubiquitous supermarket corn chips. The place maiz holds in Mexico's socio-political-economic web has undergone dramatic changes from the colonial period until now, and projects like Maizal help protect this unique cultural inheritance, from seed to table.
Join The Dep's resident vegan maven Emily Zimmerman (and her cabaret singer alter ego, Goldie Luxemburg) for a Passover dinner to tell our stories, comfort our hearts, fill our bellies, and remind us to keep fighting the good fight.
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.
A sadya is a type of special traditional lunch from the state of Kerala in Southern India. It is typically served on religious holidays, birthdays, weddings and temple festivals, and consists of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf and eaten with one’s (right) hand. Around a centrepiece of rice (often Keralan red rice), dozens of elements are arranged: curries, chutneys, pickles, sauces, and sweets, with the most elaborate versions clocking in at over 64 dishes!
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.
Named after Rashmi’s own Nani (grandmother), Laalima is a quiet tribute to all grandmothers — the ones who fed us with their hands and showed us that tenderness has an unforgettable flavour. Each dish is a journey back to her Nani Ghar, shaped by slow, golden summers at her grandmother’s bungalow in Yercaud’s coffee-scented hills. Those days were filled with naps under ceiling fans, running barefoot on the grass, and the scent of garlic and mustard oil drifting in from the kitchen.
This three-course family-style menu honours the rustic, bold flavours of Bihar, an eastern state in India where mustard takes center stage, garlic is never held back, and fennel sweetens the finish. With Laalima, Rashmi invites you to return to a grandmother’s home and to the quiet joy of being so loved, someone made your favourite food before you even asked.
Join author, radio and TV host Capri S. Cafaro for a behind-the-scenes conversation about her new PBS television series, America The Bountiful. An in-depth look at American regional foodways, the show explores the cultures and histories that weaves a diverse tapestry of flavours across the USA, and how this food landscape fits in the wider context of North America. A self-proclaimed "Canadian groupie", Capri is also working on a special series of episodes of her podcast and radio show, Eat Your Heartland Out focusing on Canadian regional foodways. She'll be discussing how American Midwestern and Canadian food culture are both often overlooked and misunderstood... and why that needs to change.
Join us for a delicious dive into one of Portugal’s most charming culinary traditions: tinned seafood. These beautiful little tins packed with sardines, octopus, mackerel and more are so much more than pantry staples; they’re a flavourful slice of Portuguese culture, preserved in olive oil and beautiful packaging. Chef and travel writer Carole Nelson Brown will be your guide through an informative and mouthwatering tour exploring the history and heritage of Portuguese canning — a story full of tradition, artistry, and salty ingenuity. You’ll learn first-hand what makes Portuguese tinned fish so special (spoiler: it involves hand-packing, olive oil, and a bit of national pride).
Haem’s Table is named after Niharika’s maternal grandmother, Hemlata—lovingly called Haem. Through Haem’s Table, Niharika explores her immigrant experience and her evolving relationship with food. Having lived in seven cities - currently in Toronto - her life has been shaped by a constantly changing backdrop of people, places, and stories. What has remained constant is her connection to food—an anchor to her heritage and a guide through her personal growth. This five-course menu reimagines Indian childhood favourites using Canadian seasonal produce. Think of it as an adult kid’s menu, filled with all things green.
