This 2+-hour class (we’ve given it a 3-hour window) with Luis Martinez of Taqueria Rosita and Tequio Foods and Jay Bost of Laughing Springs Farm will delve deep into the nixtamalization of corn/maize and some of its various culinary applications. Some of the varieties of corn/maize that Jay grows as part of long-term breeding projects looking to develop varieties adapted to organic farming and that have desirable/interesting culinary traits, will be utilized in this workshop. Luis will talk about his work to support small farmers in Mexico by importing landrace maize varieties and some of the issues surrounding this work.  We'll go through the steps of nixtamalization and then use the results in posole/hominy, atole, tortillas, and tamales, making sure to eat plenty along the way.

WHERE/WHEN: Saturday, April 26th//12:30-3:30PM//White Lab (lab)//172 S Charlotte St, Asheville

Instructor Bio: Jay Bost farms outside of Boone, NC with his family at Laughing Springs Farm which they founded in 2022 after having spent 10 years farming, teaching, seed growing, and corn breeding on the island of Oahu with GoFarm Hawaii.  At Laughing Springs Farm Jay grows and continues to breed a multitude of types of culinary corn, most consisting of diverse genetic mixes of temperate and tropical corn. Jay teaches at Appalachian State University in the Sustainable Development Department, including a grain-centric course "Revitalizing Regional Grain Systems" which has culminated in two High Country Grains Gatherings in Boone.  Jay serves on the board of The Utopian Seed Project and is active with The Culinary Breeding Network.

Instructor Bio: Luis Martinez was born in Santa Catarina Loxicha, Oaxaca, in a small Zapotec pueblo. He came to the US in 2005. Upon arriving in the US, he worked as a farmworker in Indio, California. After returning to the restaurant industry, Luis worked in several restaurants and cuisines alongside other Oaxacans. These chefs taught Luis how to infuse Oaxacan culture and cuisine into his cooking using various methodologies, from traditional ingredients to Asian techniques. Now based in Asheville, NC, Luis combines his love for cooking with his passion for social justice.