We will be going back in time this week. A few days ago our participants from Penland School of Crafts gathered at Casa de los Sabores, the cooking school operated by chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo.
Our menu focused on mezcal including a flaming skewered pineapple and shrimp dish that went up in flames before we ate it. The pineapple chunks were soaked in mezcal so the natural sugars ignited instantly. They were accompanied by a salad featuring tiny tomatillos that we ate raw.
Pilar has been preparing great food for a long time. Her La Olla Restaurant is well known in the city for using organic ingredients that are artfully prepared. Because our study tour focuses on Oaxaca arts and artisanry, food is an important ingredient in the Oaxaca mix.
Pilar is also very knowledgeable about the artesenal process of cultivating and distilling mezcal, too. Before we sat down to the meal we participated in preparing, we enjoyed a four-flight mezcal tasting that began with young espadin. She explained the different varietals, aging process and the rising cost of the smokey beverage based on escalating international interest.
First, it’s important to smell. Then, take a first sip and let it go down your throat slowly. At the end of your drink, suck on an orange slice dipped in worm salt (sal de gusano) for a perfect finish.
After the memelitas with squash blossoms and queso fresco, and after the chicken with mole amarillo, we ended with an incredible flan.
With a beautiful table and an array of complex tastes, we were more than satisfied. Oh, and I forgot to mention a shopping trip to the Mercado de la Merced before the class started to pick up essential ingredients.
I work with local experts and guides to put together an unusual and intimate view of Oaxaca, her art, food and culture. I am not a tour guide but an expert at award-winning university program development. If you organization has interest in a program such as this one, please contact me.
Oaxaca, Mexico: Center for the Graphic Arts
Before going to meet Alan Altamirano aka MK_Kabrito, founder of La Chicharra graphic arts studio for a workshop demonstration on woodcut techniques, we spent the morning with master printer and lithographer Fernando Sandoval.
Fernando and his group do traditional lithography using copper plates and the acid wash technique. Master artists like Francisco Toledo and Sergio Hernandez rely on his impeccable expertise to produce the highest quality images. We were able to see many of these masters’ work during our visit.
We met Alan and translator/photographer Luvia Lazo Gutierrez in the studio and for the next two hours we learned about the printmaking process, using different plates for each color. (Note: we are offering a printmaking workshop in January 2016. Please contact us if you are interested.)
There is also a large work area and a printing press. So the large pieces go through the press rather than transferring the image to the paper by hand.
I work with local experts and guides to put together an unusual and intimate view of Oaxaca, her art, food and culture. I am not a tour guide but an expert at award-winning university program development. If your organization has interest in a program such as this one, please contact me.
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats
Tagged Alan Altamirano, art, artists, Fernando Sandoval, graphics, lithography, Mexico, Oaxaca, printmaking, Sergio Hernandez, Toledo, woodcut