Not many people know that on St. Patrick’s day, Mexicans honor the San Patricios or St. Patricks Brigade, Irish soldiers who died fighting for Mexico in the Mexican American War of 1846 -1848. Interesting tidbits of Mexican culture and history are just a part of this fun, hands-on workshop with Chef Paola Solorzano, a knowledgeable expert in traditional Mexican cooking. Join Paola as she walks you through the traditions and recipes of two classic Mexican dishes: tamales and atole.

Tamales are an essential and ancient Mexican dish – soft corn meal dough (masa) stuffed with a flavourful filling, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Portable and self-contained, tamales are a popular street food with countless variations found all across Mexico.

But making tamales that are light, tender and delicate is a special skill. Paola will be sharing her recipe for chicken tamales verde, with a tangy & spicy tomatillo and serrano pepper salsa. There will also be vegetarian tamales made with dark poblano peppers and creamy fresh Panela cheese.

Paola will also introduce you to Chocolate Atole (champurrado), a hot, creamy beverage made with toasted corn flour and Mexican chocolate that is typically accompanied with tamales, especially popular during Christmas holiday season.

There will be lots to taste, learn and do in this fun, hands-on workshop. Participants will get to try samples, make tamales and atole in class, enjoy a meal of the tamales they’ve made and take home extras and recipes.

$40+HST

Chef Paola Solorzano is the co-founder of Santo Pecado, a Mexican catering company specialized in re-creating the best Mexican culinary experiences here in Toronto.