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.