Improving profits and peace of mind: a case study from Oaxaca, Mexico
Am I paying my staff too much?
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
It’s now two months before Day of The Dead in Oaxaca, and Juanita’s hotel still has rooms available for one of the busiest times of the year. The City of Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Mexico, relies on tourism for its very existence. Juanita is trying to figure out where she went wrong, realizing that Día de Los Muertos should top up her bank balance, just like the Christmas season, the summertime festival weeks known as Guelaguetza, and Easter.
Time and again Juanita asks herself, “Am I paying my staff too much?” Merely asking the question reveals why her bottom line is so low.
Oaxacan business owners with non-unionized staff who either think they’re overpaying, or provide a level of remuneration only because they believe they can’t get away with paying any less, will never maximize their profit potential. Attitude towards employees, and failing to recognize the importance and potential value of each and every staff position, affects how business fares.
Here in Oaxaca it’s a well-known fact that non-Mexicans (extranjeros) pay their help more (i.e. “too much”) money relative to Oaxacan employers. Until recently I had assumed that the reason was simply that Americans and Europeans resident in Oaxaca come from wealthy societies in which entrepreneurs can afford to pay large salaries, and although now living and working here in Oaxaca they still think and operate in American Dollars --- not understanding or accepting Oaxacan economics. But now, armed with data concerning the salaries customarily paid to employees in diverse positions of trust, authority and responsibility, and having conducted a rudimentary analysis of comparative levels of success between foreign and domestically owned businesses, it’s clear that the differences are rather simple, and relate to three fundamentals: 1) business acumen; 2) attitudes towards leisure time and piece of mind, and; 3) willingness to acknowledge that “you get what you pay for.” Each is integrally related to the other.
Juanita (names have been changed) pays her receptionists 115 pesos (roughly $9 USD) per day, and her chambermaids 100. Mary, an American who owns a bed and breakfast, never pays staff less than 150 pesos per day. The American travels outside of the country to promote and conduct business, and to vacation, on a regular basis. The Oaxacan rarely leaves the city or takes a vacation of longer than three days, and does so only when there are virtually no guests in the hotel. The Amercan says that she knows she pays her staff too much relative to Oaxacan salaries, but when she stops to think about what “overpaying” enables her to do, and how her business fares, acknowledges that perhaps she is not being unreasonably generous with her staff.
Why is Mary’s B & B one of the top-ranked tourist accommodations on a major international travel website, while Juanita’s is in the doldrums? Juanita says she’s paying her staff double minimum wage, and could pay even less if she really wanted to. Mary has had the same staff for several years, and even acknowledges their birthdays. Juanita has high employee turnover.
Juanita’s financial outlay is significant. She spends an inordinate amount of effort making her hotel look pretty, and money promoting it. Her hotel is in a high rent district in the downtown sector of the city. It should be packed day in and day out given its location and the expenditure to maintain it. Yet two months prior to Day of The Dead, she is one of only two lodgings in her association with rooms still available for the high season. Funds are earmarked for the wrong places; prioritization is skewed.
Juanita’s retort strikes a familiar chord, and at first instance might seem rational: “It wouldn’t matter if I paid my receptionist 30, 40, or even 50% more,” she laments. “She wouldn’t work any harder or be more dedicated, because more money doesn’t motivate them; that’s just the way they are. And besides, I can’t afford any more, with all my other expenses, and business generally down.”
Juanita’s response can be summarized as twofold: paying more won’t yield results, and; she can’t afford it anyway. Dealing with the first, Juanita has to step out of the box, out of the colonial way of thinking. She sees “the culture of poverty,” insofar as it relates to native workers from small towns and villages, not allowing employees to break from a fatalistic pre-determined mold, because that’s just the way they are. More money won’t make a difference to their lot in life and therefore won’t motivate.
It does not behoove me to tell Juanita she’s wrong, and it is beyond the scope of this essay to even try to illustrate that she is, which may or may not be the case. But there’s another solution to Juanita’s dilemma which does not threaten or test her ingrained beliefs. She can seek out prospective employees whose expectations are higher to begin with; those who have perhaps had a taste of higher earnings and what they can provide, or have achieved advanced education, if only a high school diploma which has lead them to a career path (una carrera). Juanita then begins with the knowledge or at least an expectation that the change in hiring will bear fruit. But that might entail going as far as paying her receptionists 200 pesos a day.
Can Juanita afford to pay her daytime and evening receptionists, Alma and Rosita, almost double? And why would she? After all, reception is a non-management position. This leads us to the second prong of the equation, that is, affordability and making a difference. We must look at the question in terms of higher profit potential, and peace of mind and its natural consequences. What then would be the implications for Juanita’s after-tax income, and more generally the quality of her life?
Juanita has eight rooms in her hotel. She would be increasing the pay of only two of three receptionists, on the basis that the all-night position might not yield results with a higher level of pay. It would therefore cost an additional 170 pesos per day to raise each of the two shifts to 200 pesos, plus other sundry expenses, so call it 200 pesos more per day. Juanita could make it up by raising room costs by 25 pesos, or roughly 4%. Or she could absorb the extra cost and see if it makes a difference. Let’s assume, although I’m not certain we should, that vacationing couples would resist paying 625 instead of 600 pesos per night, or 12.5 pesos more per person.
How would Alma react to having a 200 peso per day job, rather than working for 115? Her sense of self-worth would receive a shot in the arm; her name would be on her uniform; she would be more likely to stay at work after her shift has ended, without resentment, if for example Rosita arrived late on occasion; she would less likely be constantly looking for a job paying 10 pesos more a day; and she would feel that her education has paid off. Juanita might even give her the responsibility of making bank deposits if she proved completely trustworthy and loyal. Without a doubt she would be more likely to provide hotel patrons with “value-added service” … and with a smile, literally.
Alma and Rosita would remember patrons returning the next year, and the guests would surely recall them, because of their friendly faces and the service they provided. There’s nothing like returning to a hotel and seeing familiar faces. It breeds comfort … more so than a soft duvet. Both Mexican nationals and foreigners tend to be family oriented. They would perceive the hotel and its staff as a family, again leading to familiarity and comfort. They will be more likely than not return to the same establishment next year, and recommend it to friends.
Over time the nature of and expenditure for advertising can be adjusted, from paying out higher costs every year for the same and new promotional techniques, to the more economical promotion of emailing those on the client list from time to time to keep the hotel’s name in their minds. The hotel will be able to use the written testimonials of its guests, which will undoubtedly be received, instead of pay its marketing specialist to come up with catchy slogans of questionable value (at least that’s the Oaxacan norm).
Staff staying with Juanita for longer stretches of time means Juanita spends less time interviewing and hiring and firing, and less money advertising for positions. Juanita can spend more time with her family, or find more productive ways to keep business growing, instead of constantly being on the defensive by having to staff, yet again. She will no longer have to constantly be looking over the shoulders of Alma and Rosita, since she’ll know that they’re doing their jobs, because they’re happy to be doing them; Alma and Rosita will have begun to appreciate the monetary and non-monetary rewards resulting from meeting and exceeding expectations of management. It takes time and energy to always be watching over the work that staff is doing to ensure that it’s being done competently. If paying higher wages relieves Juanita of that responsibility, she will then have more opportunities to perform other tasks more directly relating to marketing and making money.
Once the level of trust has been established, Juanita can take the odd day off, knowing that Rosita will be able to resolve small problems on her own such as calling the plumber, the electrician, the water delivery man and the municipality. She’ll have the confidence and the sense to call Juanita when she cannot resolve problems, not feeling as though she’s been a failure for not dealing with issues on her own. Juanita won’t be constantly calling the hotel to make sure everything is running well.
Rosita will sense her value to Juanita, and anticipate regular raises, which will keep her content. And Juanita will hopefully have the sense to not wait until Rosita takes the bold step of asking.
Juanita will be able to take off not only the odd day, but actual vacations.
Reception is the most important staff position a hotel can have. It provides the first impression that a prospective patron will receive about Juanita’s hotel, whether the inquiry is by phone, or in person. Unless Juanita wants to be the one answering the phone and selling her hotel to off-the-street tourists, she’d better begin paying Alma and Rosita the value of their positions … or they’ll be gone, and Juanita will in fact be working 24/7.
Once her staff is patterned to provide value-added service, Juanita can raise her prices. No one will begrudge that extra 25, or better yet 125 pesos per night. After all, Alma and Rosita will be doing the selling for her.
Next adjustment? Think of the level of responsibility entrusted to chambermaids, and how much they are being paid. They ensure patrons’ valuables do not disappear, and the cleanliness of surroundings and level of comfort for a full one-third of the time travelers are on vacation!
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology from Toronto’s York University, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Alvin ceased practicing law in 2004, when he and his wife Arlene began living permanently in Oaxaca. Since that time, Alvin has written over 90 articles about life and cultural traditions in and around Oaxaca and its central valleys, for newspapers, magazines, and websites promoting tourism in Mexico and abroad. Alvin and Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).
10/11/2009
10/05/2009
Oaxacan chef inadvertently sets Toronto ablaze, steals limelight from Clinton, Clooney
Steals limelight from Clinton, Clooney …
Oaxacan chef inadvertently sets City of Toronto ablaze
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
All Pilar Cabrera really wanted was to do a little promotion for Oaxaca, and make a few Canadian dollars during one of the slowest months of the year for tourism. But by the end of Chef Pilar’s four-week September visit to Toronto, she had set both local and national media on fire – so much so that coverage of her trip resulted in every restaurant in which she was scheduled to cook being sold out; she had to turn down last minute requests to work her culinary magic at additional private dinner parties and cooking schools.
The stellar reviews throughout the trip kept chatter alive; Sheryl Kirby of Women’s Culinary Network described her cena at Frida, a highly praised Mexican restaurant, as “one of the best meals of my life,” then continued to note “the sheer brilliance of Cabrera’s 30-ingredient authentic Oaxacan mole.”
Like many Oaxacan women, Pilar learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. But when the time came to think in earnest of her future, her path diverged from that of others. While living in Mexico City she earned a degree in food sciences and nutrition, and thereafter worked in research and development for food giant Herdez, McCormick. She then returned to Oaxaca to open Restaurante La Olla, and Casa de los Sabores Cooking School.
Pilar has been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit and The New York Times, and lauded by the likes of acclaimed restauranteur Rick Bayless who regularly brings his staff to Oaxaca where they take her classes. Over the years she had been offered and then rejected opportunities to teach and cook outside of Mexico. It was not until Spring, 2009, at the encouragement of this writer, and with the invaluable media and culinary industry contacts of Toronto food researcher and writer Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, that the Toronto tour became a reality.
A planned two week tour rapidly turned into three, as eateries and a prominent cooking school expressed immediate interest. The trip was extended to four weeks when the Mexican Consulate to Canada learned of Pilar’s trip and asked her to represent Mexico at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre International Hot & Spicy Food Festival – Pilar was a judge at the Emerging Chefs competition, and was pitted against Louisiana in the Iron Chef main event.
Throughout September, the diversity of plates Pilar prepared was matched only by the broad range of restaurants and teaching venues in which she plied her trade – as honored guest chef, and as instructor. At the high end was Frank, the 120-seat dining room of the Art Gallery of Ontario, with a menu which included tiger shrimp al mezcal skewered with mango, fresh Ontario sweet corn bisque garnished with pomegranate, and chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and poblano chile atop a bed of tomatillo salsa. Pilar’s opportunity to showcase Oaxacan botanas came near the end of the trip at Torito Tapas Bar where a packed house munched on tostaditas with habanera-marinated red snapper and with octopus a la hierba santa, red mole tacos, mushroom and epazote quesadillas, bacon and cheese memelitas, with pastel de tres leches at the finish.
Pilar spent two days at Nella Cucina Culinary School. Managing Director Joanne Lusted lauded Pilar and Ms. Mejia for somehow managing to sell out sessions totaling 80 students, where prominent Canadian chefs had failed to attract such numbers. And at The Chef’s House, the restaurant and hands-on teaching facility of George Brown College School of Culinary Arts, Pilar taught both chefs and students, ultimately providing totally enthralled foodies with the likes of potato and chorizo molotitos, sopa Tehuana, pescado Istmeño, flan de vainilla with seasonal berry coulis, and café de olla.
Media activity began prior to Pilar’s arrival, with The Toronto Sun, in an upcoming events column noting Pilar’s tour ahead of President Bill Clinton’s much-touted talk to Torontonians. The day after her arrival she was live on National TV, showcasing five dishes she had prepared that morning, as well as Herencia del Mezcalero mezcal. September 11th she was in the test kitchen of The Toronto Star preparing moles – verde and amarillo.
“I was nervous about being able to source the ingredients I would need, in Toronto, especially for dishes like verde,” Pilar admits. “I knew the newspaper would not publish a recipe unless all ingredients could be purchased locally. I was amazed at how many of our herbs, chiles and other foodstuffs are found in Kensington Market.” And so was The Star; on the 16th it ran almost a full page about Pilar in its Entertainment & Living section. While the photograph of George Clooney promoting the Toronto International Film Festival was a bit larger than that of Pilar, Jennifer Bain, The Star’s food editor, was allotted much more space to write about our own Oaxacan star.
Other media coverage included several food blog entries, articles in magazines such as City Bites, and a wonderful little piece about Pilar’s take on huitlacoche, aired nationwide on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Here and Now.
All told, Pilar judged, competed, cooked and instructed 11 full days and evenings, in addition to at least an equal number preparing – sourcing ingredients and meeting with administrators and chefs.
The epic journey did allow a few days for visits to several museums; Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and tastings at wineries; a cottage on Lake Simcoe for relaxation; and even Casino Rama (“not for me, but it was interesting to see Las Vegas – style gambling”). And there was an opportunity to sample ethnic eateries including Thai, Sechwan, Ethiopian, Indian, Jewish and Greek; as well as indulge at restaurants ranging from the finest of French (Auberge du Pommier) to neighborhood jazz and wings bistros.
“The warmth with which I was welcomed into the kitchens of other chefs to ask and learn, and the appreciation shown for the little I was able to impart to Torontonians about Oaxaca, was truly remarkable. There is so much the people of Toronto and Oaxaca can learn from each other, relating to gastronomy and other aspects of culture and tourism.”
Indeed. The tour has ignited interest in future tours by Pilar as well as other Oaxacans. With the continued support of the Consulado General de México, and the willingness of the Mexico and Toronto Tourism boards to jump on the bandwagon, perhaps the State of Oaxaca will see the benefit in providing more support and encouragement for its own to travel abroad, for the benefit of all Oaxacans.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology from Toronto’s York University, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Alvin ceased practicing law in 2004, when he and his wife Arlene began living permanently in Oaxaca. Since that time, Alvin has written over 90 articles about life and cultural traditions in and around Oaxaca and its central valleys, for newspapers, magazines, and websites promoting tourism in Mexico and abroad. Alvin and Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).
Oaxacan chef inadvertently sets City of Toronto ablaze
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
All Pilar Cabrera really wanted was to do a little promotion for Oaxaca, and make a few Canadian dollars during one of the slowest months of the year for tourism. But by the end of Chef Pilar’s four-week September visit to Toronto, she had set both local and national media on fire – so much so that coverage of her trip resulted in every restaurant in which she was scheduled to cook being sold out; she had to turn down last minute requests to work her culinary magic at additional private dinner parties and cooking schools.
The stellar reviews throughout the trip kept chatter alive; Sheryl Kirby of Women’s Culinary Network described her cena at Frida, a highly praised Mexican restaurant, as “one of the best meals of my life,” then continued to note “the sheer brilliance of Cabrera’s 30-ingredient authentic Oaxacan mole.”
Like many Oaxacan women, Pilar learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. But when the time came to think in earnest of her future, her path diverged from that of others. While living in Mexico City she earned a degree in food sciences and nutrition, and thereafter worked in research and development for food giant Herdez, McCormick. She then returned to Oaxaca to open Restaurante La Olla, and Casa de los Sabores Cooking School.
Pilar has been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit and The New York Times, and lauded by the likes of acclaimed restauranteur Rick Bayless who regularly brings his staff to Oaxaca where they take her classes. Over the years she had been offered and then rejected opportunities to teach and cook outside of Mexico. It was not until Spring, 2009, at the encouragement of this writer, and with the invaluable media and culinary industry contacts of Toronto food researcher and writer Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, that the Toronto tour became a reality.
A planned two week tour rapidly turned into three, as eateries and a prominent cooking school expressed immediate interest. The trip was extended to four weeks when the Mexican Consulate to Canada learned of Pilar’s trip and asked her to represent Mexico at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre International Hot & Spicy Food Festival – Pilar was a judge at the Emerging Chefs competition, and was pitted against Louisiana in the Iron Chef main event.
Throughout September, the diversity of plates Pilar prepared was matched only by the broad range of restaurants and teaching venues in which she plied her trade – as honored guest chef, and as instructor. At the high end was Frank, the 120-seat dining room of the Art Gallery of Ontario, with a menu which included tiger shrimp al mezcal skewered with mango, fresh Ontario sweet corn bisque garnished with pomegranate, and chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and poblano chile atop a bed of tomatillo salsa. Pilar’s opportunity to showcase Oaxacan botanas came near the end of the trip at Torito Tapas Bar where a packed house munched on tostaditas with habanera-marinated red snapper and with octopus a la hierba santa, red mole tacos, mushroom and epazote quesadillas, bacon and cheese memelitas, with pastel de tres leches at the finish.
Pilar spent two days at Nella Cucina Culinary School. Managing Director Joanne Lusted lauded Pilar and Ms. Mejia for somehow managing to sell out sessions totaling 80 students, where prominent Canadian chefs had failed to attract such numbers. And at The Chef’s House, the restaurant and hands-on teaching facility of George Brown College School of Culinary Arts, Pilar taught both chefs and students, ultimately providing totally enthralled foodies with the likes of potato and chorizo molotitos, sopa Tehuana, pescado Istmeño, flan de vainilla with seasonal berry coulis, and café de olla.
Media activity began prior to Pilar’s arrival, with The Toronto Sun, in an upcoming events column noting Pilar’s tour ahead of President Bill Clinton’s much-touted talk to Torontonians. The day after her arrival she was live on National TV, showcasing five dishes she had prepared that morning, as well as Herencia del Mezcalero mezcal. September 11th she was in the test kitchen of The Toronto Star preparing moles – verde and amarillo.
“I was nervous about being able to source the ingredients I would need, in Toronto, especially for dishes like verde,” Pilar admits. “I knew the newspaper would not publish a recipe unless all ingredients could be purchased locally. I was amazed at how many of our herbs, chiles and other foodstuffs are found in Kensington Market.” And so was The Star; on the 16th it ran almost a full page about Pilar in its Entertainment & Living section. While the photograph of George Clooney promoting the Toronto International Film Festival was a bit larger than that of Pilar, Jennifer Bain, The Star’s food editor, was allotted much more space to write about our own Oaxacan star.
Other media coverage included several food blog entries, articles in magazines such as City Bites, and a wonderful little piece about Pilar’s take on huitlacoche, aired nationwide on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Here and Now.
All told, Pilar judged, competed, cooked and instructed 11 full days and evenings, in addition to at least an equal number preparing – sourcing ingredients and meeting with administrators and chefs.
The epic journey did allow a few days for visits to several museums; Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and tastings at wineries; a cottage on Lake Simcoe for relaxation; and even Casino Rama (“not for me, but it was interesting to see Las Vegas – style gambling”). And there was an opportunity to sample ethnic eateries including Thai, Sechwan, Ethiopian, Indian, Jewish and Greek; as well as indulge at restaurants ranging from the finest of French (Auberge du Pommier) to neighborhood jazz and wings bistros.
“The warmth with which I was welcomed into the kitchens of other chefs to ask and learn, and the appreciation shown for the little I was able to impart to Torontonians about Oaxaca, was truly remarkable. There is so much the people of Toronto and Oaxaca can learn from each other, relating to gastronomy and other aspects of culture and tourism.”
Indeed. The tour has ignited interest in future tours by Pilar as well as other Oaxacans. With the continued support of the Consulado General de México, and the willingness of the Mexico and Toronto Tourism boards to jump on the bandwagon, perhaps the State of Oaxaca will see the benefit in providing more support and encouragement for its own to travel abroad, for the benefit of all Oaxacans.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology from Toronto’s York University, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Alvin ceased practicing law in 2004, when he and his wife Arlene began living permanently in Oaxaca. Since that time, Alvin has written over 90 articles about life and cultural traditions in and around Oaxaca and its central valleys, for newspapers, magazines, and websites promoting tourism in Mexico and abroad. Alvin and Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).
9/20/2009
Toronto Culinary Tour of Chef Pilar Cabrera under way
The month-long culinary tour by Chef Pilar Cabrera in Toronto, showcasing Oaxacan cuisine, is well under way. After both judging and competing in the Toronto Harbourfront Centre International Hot & Spicy Food Festival, Chef Pilar has now begun working her magic at select venues. Tonight marks her second evening working at private dinner parties in the Toronto area. And she has already appeared at Frida Restaurant, at an evening entitled A Taste of Oaxaca, featuring Chef Pilar as well as Chef Jose Hadad, with Master Sommelier John Szabo. It was an artistic celebration of the Mexican Independence Day, on September 16:
Course 1 - Chef Pilar:
Crema de Chile Poblano, with fresh Ontario corn, zuchini and woodland mushrooms, paired with NV Cava Cordonui, Seleccion Raventos Reserva, Spain
Course 2 - Chef Jose:
Ensalada de Nopalitos; fresh nopal cactus, feta cheese, Ontario roma tomatoes and onions, with arbol chile vinaigrette, paired with 2007 Off Dry Reserve Riesling Henry of Pelham VQA Niagara, Ontario
Course 3 - Chef Pilar:
Brochetitas de Camaron, with a mango and chile salsa, paired with 2008 Gruner Veltliner Kies Vineyard, Kurt Angerer, Kamptal, Austria, or Mini Margarita de Mango
Course 4 - Chef Jose:
Tamal de Barbacoa de Cordero; steamed lamb tamal with Ontario spinach, tomato-morita sauce, Ontario Asparagus, paired with 2004 Tempramillo Crianza "Puerta de Alcala" Vinos Jeromin, Madrid, Spain
Course 5 - Chef Pilar:
Medallon de Pavo Relleno; stuffed turkey medallion with plantain, served with Mole Negro and Mexican rice, paired with 2006 Petite Sirah, L.A. Cetto, Baja, Mexico, or Cerveza Negra Modelo.
Course 6 - Dessert Duo with Chefs Pilar and Jose:
Pay de Requeson con Salsa de Chocolate Oaxaqueno and Churros de la Esquina with fresh Ontario berries and warm goat's milk cajeta, paired with 2007 Late Harvest Riesling, Chateau des Charmes, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.
All remaining venues except one, are completely sold out for the month, and in fact Frank Resaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario, overbooked by 20, in part due to the pairing of Chef Pilar's event with renowned Oaxacan artist Gabriela Campos.
There are a limited number of seats still available at Veritas Local Fare, on King Street East in Toronto, for September 23.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Course 1 - Chef Pilar:
Crema de Chile Poblano, with fresh Ontario corn, zuchini and woodland mushrooms, paired with NV Cava Cordonui, Seleccion Raventos Reserva, Spain
Course 2 - Chef Jose:
Ensalada de Nopalitos; fresh nopal cactus, feta cheese, Ontario roma tomatoes and onions, with arbol chile vinaigrette, paired with 2007 Off Dry Reserve Riesling Henry of Pelham VQA Niagara, Ontario
Course 3 - Chef Pilar:
Brochetitas de Camaron, with a mango and chile salsa, paired with 2008 Gruner Veltliner Kies Vineyard, Kurt Angerer, Kamptal, Austria, or Mini Margarita de Mango
Course 4 - Chef Jose:
Tamal de Barbacoa de Cordero; steamed lamb tamal with Ontario spinach, tomato-morita sauce, Ontario Asparagus, paired with 2004 Tempramillo Crianza "Puerta de Alcala" Vinos Jeromin, Madrid, Spain
Course 5 - Chef Pilar:
Medallon de Pavo Relleno; stuffed turkey medallion with plantain, served with Mole Negro and Mexican rice, paired with 2006 Petite Sirah, L.A. Cetto, Baja, Mexico, or Cerveza Negra Modelo.
Course 6 - Dessert Duo with Chefs Pilar and Jose:
Pay de Requeson con Salsa de Chocolate Oaxaqueno and Churros de la Esquina with fresh Ontario berries and warm goat's milk cajeta, paired with 2007 Late Harvest Riesling, Chateau des Charmes, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.
All remaining venues except one, are completely sold out for the month, and in fact Frank Resaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario, overbooked by 20, in part due to the pairing of Chef Pilar's event with renowned Oaxacan artist Gabriela Campos.
There are a limited number of seats still available at Veritas Local Fare, on King Street East in Toronto, for September 23.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/24/2009
Oaxacan invited to Iron Chef Canada competition
The Government of Mexico has partnered with Toronto's Harbourfront Centre Hot & Spicy Food Festival, to invite Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera to compete in its Iron Chef competition. The festival, which runs from September 4th through the 7th, will feature Chef Cabrera competing against a chef from Louisiana, USA, in a semi-final scheduled for Sunday September 6 at 4:30 pm. The winner of this and the other semi-final will compete for the Iron Chef title the following day. This appearance for Chef Cabrera adds to the earlier noted dates of her Toronto culinary tour. The full calendar of events, with websites in most cases indicating chef Cabrera's attendance, now reads as follows (not including private dinner party engagements:
Harbourfront Centre Hot & Spicy Food Festival, Iron Chef Competition, Sept 6
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldroutes/festivals.cfm?id=1284
Frida Restaurant, Sept 16
http://fridarestaurant.ca/events.html
Frank Restaurant, Art Gallery of Ontario, Sept 21
http://www.ago.net/latin-inspirations
Nella Cucina Cooking School, Sept 22 & 24
http://www.nellacucina.ca/cucina/event.html?Year=2009&Month=9
Veritas Local Fare, Sept 23
http://localfare.ca/
Torito Tapas Bar, Sept 28
http://www.toritorestaurant.com/index.php (not yet noted on website)
The Chef’s House, Sept 29
http://www.thechefshouse.com (not yet noted on website)
Alvin Starkman, Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Harbourfront Centre Hot & Spicy Food Festival, Iron Chef Competition, Sept 6
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldroutes/festivals.cfm?id=1284
Frida Restaurant, Sept 16
http://fridarestaurant.ca/events.html
Frank Restaurant, Art Gallery of Ontario, Sept 21
http://www.ago.net/latin-inspirations
Nella Cucina Cooking School, Sept 22 & 24
http://www.nellacucina.ca/cucina/event.html?Year=2009&Month=9
Veritas Local Fare, Sept 23
http://localfare.ca/
Torito Tapas Bar, Sept 28
http://www.toritorestaurant.com/index.php (not yet noted on website)
The Chef’s House, Sept 29
http://www.thechefshouse.com (not yet noted on website)
Alvin Starkman, Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/15/2009
Canadian artist Fiona Dunnett: Images of self and death in Oaxaca are muted with comic style and collage
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Comic strips, a young Canadian’s self portraits, and photographs of violent deaths in a Mexican daily newspaper, make strange bedfellows. But they constitute a major part of the driving force for the creative energies of Fiona Dunnett.
Ottawa-born Dunnett has been living in Oaxaca since 2005. As in the case of so many artists who now reside in this city in southern Mexico, her arrival has been rather circuitous. And like so many others, her artistic talent has been influenced at virtually every stop along the way. At age five she left Canada for Bangladesh with her Canadian diplomat mother and the rest of her family. After three years it was back to Ottawa, and then a further three years in Zimbabwe.
“When I left Zimbabwe I felt close to South Africa. I took a course in stone sculpture while there, so yes, I suppose living in Zimbabwe has had somewhat of an influence on what I do today,” she surmises. But it was her upper level academic training, first at the Canterbury School of Arts, followed by British Columbia’s University of Victoria from which she graduated with an Hons. B.A. in Fine Arts, which exposed her to the personages who have impacted her creativity the most.
“I’ve had a strong interest in the work of Gustav Klimt [1862 – 1918],” Dunnett reveals. The Austrian symbolist painter was one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement, yet a controversial figure in his time, criticized for his works being too sensual and erotic. She continues: “But it’s Lichtenstein whose art I’ve actually made more of a conscious effort to respect and carry forward, imprinting it with a bit of my own personality and life experiences.”
Roy Fox Lichtenstein [1923 – 1997] was a prominent American pop artist, whose work was heavily influenced by both popular advertising and the comic book style. The latter clearly shines through in Dunnett’s more recent works, and in an earlier piece which graces a wall in her home in Oaxaca’s Xochimilco neighborhood which she shares with her boyfriend and three others: “That one’s based on a dream I had, certainly with overt comic book imagery; in the particular dream there was a calenda (parade), with bodies being dragged through the streets. I once did a series based on my dreams. I dyed the red sky forming part of the background of this canvas with cochineal [the minute insect with naturally produces carminic acid, and was an important export industry for Oaxaca during colonial times].”
Dunnett is much too modest. Since moving to Oaxaca there’s no doubt that she’s put her own mark on the comic style, with her un-daunting desire to learn, and innovate. The geographical, cultural and political environment in which she lives provides her with diverse opportunities for artistic inspiration. She attended a workshop to learn about the use of natural dyes such as flowers, plants and of course cochineal, at the educational and research facility known as Centro de Difusión de la Grana Cochinilla Tlapanochestli. “For quite some time I’d been thinking about using natural dyes in my work, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized that here in Oaxaca [actually a few kilometers out of the city, in Santa María Coyotepec] I had the opportunity to learn about their use from an expert, Manuel Loera Fernández, the chemist at Tlapanochestli. There’s just so much artistic stimulation in Oaxaca that it’s hard to resist taking advantage of everything available.”
Dunnett has also participated in more traditional hands-on seminars, at the well-known Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca (IAGO) and at a couple of other institutes in the city. Towards the other end of the spectrum, she credits two local graffiti stencil art groups with providing her with additional inspiration, which becomes apparent after an examination of her work.
“I began moving out of realism and into stylized, surreal works towards the end of my Canadian academic training. It was about the same time that I began working with mixed media, my strong preference at this stage of my development.” Coming to Oaxaca was perhaps the catalyst she required in order to begin more experimental work, within the context of an extremely encouraging environment.
Aside from a leaning towards the use of natural colors for backgrounds on her canvasses, one of the major identifying features of Dunnett’s work is her use of collage --- cut-outs from newspapers, magazines and comic books. Another is using photographs of her own head and face to provide the stimulus for her portrayal of expressions and poses she seeks to capture for each subject. Almost every head in every work is based on a self-photographic portrait:
“I started doing self-portraits when I began doing photography several years ago. Then when I moved into painting, I had this corpus of self-photos, so I was able to draw from them for my art. Although I wanted to shoot other people, I never felt at ease doing so. And though my boyfriend and I have been together for close to four years, I still don’t feel comfortable photographing even him. So it’s all me, perhaps because of being shy when it comes to shooting others. But that red one over there, textured with corn husks from tamales, it’s an experiment, using a face that’s not my own --- I think it’s best if I stick to my own face.”
Each face evokes different emotions, and images of self. “The faces make eye contact; viewers’ eyes move around each work and then return to the eyes and face,” she explains. It’s undeniable that Dunnett’s own pleasing facial features, and her comport, once transferred to canvas, play a significant role in directing the viewer. She has masterfully photographed her head and upper body at every angle and with a plethora of facial expressions for use in her work.
But there’s another reason we return to the images of Dunnett’s facial expressions: The torso and limbs of each primary subject portrayed is far too troubling --- each is a digitalized version of a photograph of a person who has died a violent death, usually in a traffic collision or as a consequence of domestic conflict, captured by Dunnett from both print and online versions of a Oaxacan daily, Noticias Voz e Imagen de Oaxaca. But in the artist herself, there is a sense of calm.
“I started using those photographs because they just began to jump out at me. You never see anything like it in Canada. In Oaxaca, it’s on the street corners and in the newsstands. Death here seems to be an everyday thing, and attitudes towards death are so different than from where you and I come from, not so hidden away.”
Dunnett stresses that her intention is not to invoke feelings of horror, nor reveal the gruesome. The facial expressions she initially captures with a lens, then transposes onto canvas with brush, lead us away. In the case of her work with a collaged iguana, it’s curiosity in her face, rather than demonic imagery of death, which draws one in.
The juxtaposition of death against the aesthetics of comic imagery is striking, almost as much as the multiplicity of presentations of Dunnett’s own self. It’s that combination which maintains the viewer’s awe of and transfixation upon her work. Perhaps Fiona Dunnett never should break out of her reticence about photographing the faces of others.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology from Toronto’s York University, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Alvin ceased practicing law in 2004, when he and his wife Arlene began living permanently in Oaxaca. Since that time, Alvin has written over 90 articles about life and cultural traditions in and around Oaxaca and its central valleys, for newspapers, magazines, and websites promoting tourism in Mexico and abroad. Alvin and Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).
Comic strips, a young Canadian’s self portraits, and photographs of violent deaths in a Mexican daily newspaper, make strange bedfellows. But they constitute a major part of the driving force for the creative energies of Fiona Dunnett.
Ottawa-born Dunnett has been living in Oaxaca since 2005. As in the case of so many artists who now reside in this city in southern Mexico, her arrival has been rather circuitous. And like so many others, her artistic talent has been influenced at virtually every stop along the way. At age five she left Canada for Bangladesh with her Canadian diplomat mother and the rest of her family. After three years it was back to Ottawa, and then a further three years in Zimbabwe.
“When I left Zimbabwe I felt close to South Africa. I took a course in stone sculpture while there, so yes, I suppose living in Zimbabwe has had somewhat of an influence on what I do today,” she surmises. But it was her upper level academic training, first at the Canterbury School of Arts, followed by British Columbia’s University of Victoria from which she graduated with an Hons. B.A. in Fine Arts, which exposed her to the personages who have impacted her creativity the most.
“I’ve had a strong interest in the work of Gustav Klimt [1862 – 1918],” Dunnett reveals. The Austrian symbolist painter was one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Art Nouveau movement, yet a controversial figure in his time, criticized for his works being too sensual and erotic. She continues: “But it’s Lichtenstein whose art I’ve actually made more of a conscious effort to respect and carry forward, imprinting it with a bit of my own personality and life experiences.”
Roy Fox Lichtenstein [1923 – 1997] was a prominent American pop artist, whose work was heavily influenced by both popular advertising and the comic book style. The latter clearly shines through in Dunnett’s more recent works, and in an earlier piece which graces a wall in her home in Oaxaca’s Xochimilco neighborhood which she shares with her boyfriend and three others: “That one’s based on a dream I had, certainly with overt comic book imagery; in the particular dream there was a calenda (parade), with bodies being dragged through the streets. I once did a series based on my dreams. I dyed the red sky forming part of the background of this canvas with cochineal [the minute insect with naturally produces carminic acid, and was an important export industry for Oaxaca during colonial times].”
Dunnett is much too modest. Since moving to Oaxaca there’s no doubt that she’s put her own mark on the comic style, with her un-daunting desire to learn, and innovate. The geographical, cultural and political environment in which she lives provides her with diverse opportunities for artistic inspiration. She attended a workshop to learn about the use of natural dyes such as flowers, plants and of course cochineal, at the educational and research facility known as Centro de Difusión de la Grana Cochinilla Tlapanochestli. “For quite some time I’d been thinking about using natural dyes in my work, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized that here in Oaxaca [actually a few kilometers out of the city, in Santa María Coyotepec] I had the opportunity to learn about their use from an expert, Manuel Loera Fernández, the chemist at Tlapanochestli. There’s just so much artistic stimulation in Oaxaca that it’s hard to resist taking advantage of everything available.”
Dunnett has also participated in more traditional hands-on seminars, at the well-known Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca (IAGO) and at a couple of other institutes in the city. Towards the other end of the spectrum, she credits two local graffiti stencil art groups with providing her with additional inspiration, which becomes apparent after an examination of her work.
“I began moving out of realism and into stylized, surreal works towards the end of my Canadian academic training. It was about the same time that I began working with mixed media, my strong preference at this stage of my development.” Coming to Oaxaca was perhaps the catalyst she required in order to begin more experimental work, within the context of an extremely encouraging environment.
Aside from a leaning towards the use of natural colors for backgrounds on her canvasses, one of the major identifying features of Dunnett’s work is her use of collage --- cut-outs from newspapers, magazines and comic books. Another is using photographs of her own head and face to provide the stimulus for her portrayal of expressions and poses she seeks to capture for each subject. Almost every head in every work is based on a self-photographic portrait:
“I started doing self-portraits when I began doing photography several years ago. Then when I moved into painting, I had this corpus of self-photos, so I was able to draw from them for my art. Although I wanted to shoot other people, I never felt at ease doing so. And though my boyfriend and I have been together for close to four years, I still don’t feel comfortable photographing even him. So it’s all me, perhaps because of being shy when it comes to shooting others. But that red one over there, textured with corn husks from tamales, it’s an experiment, using a face that’s not my own --- I think it’s best if I stick to my own face.”
Each face evokes different emotions, and images of self. “The faces make eye contact; viewers’ eyes move around each work and then return to the eyes and face,” she explains. It’s undeniable that Dunnett’s own pleasing facial features, and her comport, once transferred to canvas, play a significant role in directing the viewer. She has masterfully photographed her head and upper body at every angle and with a plethora of facial expressions for use in her work.
But there’s another reason we return to the images of Dunnett’s facial expressions: The torso and limbs of each primary subject portrayed is far too troubling --- each is a digitalized version of a photograph of a person who has died a violent death, usually in a traffic collision or as a consequence of domestic conflict, captured by Dunnett from both print and online versions of a Oaxacan daily, Noticias Voz e Imagen de Oaxaca. But in the artist herself, there is a sense of calm.
“I started using those photographs because they just began to jump out at me. You never see anything like it in Canada. In Oaxaca, it’s on the street corners and in the newsstands. Death here seems to be an everyday thing, and attitudes towards death are so different than from where you and I come from, not so hidden away.”
Dunnett stresses that her intention is not to invoke feelings of horror, nor reveal the gruesome. The facial expressions she initially captures with a lens, then transposes onto canvas with brush, lead us away. In the case of her work with a collaged iguana, it’s curiosity in her face, rather than demonic imagery of death, which draws one in.
The juxtaposition of death against the aesthetics of comic imagery is striking, almost as much as the multiplicity of presentations of Dunnett’s own self. It’s that combination which maintains the viewer’s awe of and transfixation upon her work. Perhaps Fiona Dunnett never should break out of her reticence about photographing the faces of others.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology from Toronto’s York University, and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Alvin ceased practicing law in 2004, when he and his wife Arlene began living permanently in Oaxaca. Since that time, Alvin has written over 90 articles about life and cultural traditions in and around Oaxaca and its central valleys, for newspapers, magazines, and websites promoting tourism in Mexico and abroad. Alvin and Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).
8/13/2009
September final itinerary for Oaxaca culinary month in Toronto
For those who reside in Southern Ontario or will be visiting Toronto, September offers a rare opportunity to indulge in authentic, Oaxacan food, prepared by one if the best in the business, native Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera.
Pilar Cabrera, owner of Casa de los Sabores Cooking School and Restaurante La Olla, will be in Toronto from September 10th through the 29th, as honoured guest chef at several Toronto restaurants; and teaching the art of Oaxacan gastronomy at a popular cooking school. And for a limited number of dates, Pilar will also be available for private dinner parties for those wishing to showcase the rich tradition of Oaxacan cuisine to friends and family in their own home. (Scroll down for details of an up-to-date schedule of dates and events).
Those who attend one of Pilar’s events will be able to participate in a raffle for a complimentary week’s accommodations in Oaxaca, to be awarded to two lucky couples.
For Americans and Canadians who have not had an opportunity to learn about Oaxaca’s rich culinary heritage by taking one of Pilar’s classes or dining at her restaurant, a brief biographical sketch is in order.
Pilar grew up in Oaxaca, enveloped by the state’s history of culinary diversity and unique ingredient and flavour combinations. She learned the basics and the cuisine’s subtleties from her mother and grandmother. After completing a food engineering and nutrition degree in Mexico City, she worked in research and development for the food giant Herdez-McCormick before returning to her true passion – cooking.
Pilar has found a growing fan base of intrigued foodies through her “House of Flavours” cooking school. As well, she has taught both novice and renowned chefs from around the globe. Well known American chef and owner of Chicago’s Frontera Grill, Rick Bayless, regularly brings his own staff as well as private groups of food aficionados to Oaxaca, where they dine at Pilar’s restaurant, and attend her classes – at his insistence. Chef Bayless recently had this to say about Pilar:
I would strongly urge anyone with an interest in Mexican food to take advantage of any opportunity to learn from and experience the Oaxacan cuisine of Pilar Cabrera. She is one of the greats!
And if that praise isn’t enough, both New York Times and Bon Appetit have echoed similar sentiments.
Pilar’s schedule of September attendances in Toronto, thus far, is as follows:
· Wednesday, September 16th at Frida (http://www.fridarestaurant.ca/index.html ) - arguably Toronto's best Mexican restaurant where Pilar will be cooking with the chef/owner of Frida- Jose Haddad. That will likely be a six-course dinner event- half the menu prepared by Pilar, half by Chef Jose;
· Sunday the 20th, Private Dinner Party;
· On the 21st of Sept., Pilar will be at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Frank Restaurant, preparing a Prix Fixe Menu with the talented Chef Anne Yarymowich and her team. That evening will also feature Latin American/Mexican art for diners to enjoy. http://www.ago.net/frank-restaurant-contemporary-comfort-cuisine-toronto
(we’re hoping to get Mexican artist Gabriela Campos to participate);
· On the 22nd of September (Tuesday), Nella Cucina's Cooking School under culinary Director Joanne Lusted's guidance, is hosting Pilar for a cooking class. To order your spots on-line- go to: http://www.nellacucina.ca/cucina/event.html?Year=2009&Month=9 or feel free to call the school if you'd prefer. It will be an, interactive demo class where you'll learn how to make Oaxacan classics from Pilar herself and take home the recipes too;
· On the 23rd of September, Chef Pilar joins the Food Network Canada's Brad Long at VERITAS located on King Street East for a special multi-course, prix fixe meal. http://www.dine.to/profile_features.php?feature=website&id=3710 - the focus here will be on using as many local, seasonal and sustainable products from Ontario as possible, in keeping with Chef Long's philosophy;
· Nella Cucina’s Cooking School has reserved this date for members of the Women’s Culinary Network;
· The 28th of September- Pilar will prepare a Botanas-based menu for Torito Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Kensington Market. She'll join Torito´s talented team to bring Torontonians Mexico's version of tapas which are sure to please: http://www.toritotapasbar.com/ ;
· On the 29th, the culinary students and professional chefs of George Brown College's "The Chef's House" will host Pilar for her last guest cooking spot in Toronto. She'll craft a special menu prepared by her and the students for her farewell dinner to Toronto. http://www.thechefshouse.com/ .
Feel free to contact whichever venue interests you to ascertain hours of operation and further details. Alternatively you can contact Toronto food researcher, writer and TV producer, Mary Luz Mejia, who has been instrumental in orchestrating Pilar’s visit, at 416 -763-3455; or email, mluzy@hotmail.com.
This culinary tour is the first of hopefully several forays by Oaxacans who are at the pinnacle of their careers, into Canada. All proceeds from this series of events will go directly to Pilar. Proceeds of future tours, by others, will follow suit.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Pilar Cabrera, owner of Casa de los Sabores Cooking School and Restaurante La Olla, will be in Toronto from September 10th through the 29th, as honoured guest chef at several Toronto restaurants; and teaching the art of Oaxacan gastronomy at a popular cooking school. And for a limited number of dates, Pilar will also be available for private dinner parties for those wishing to showcase the rich tradition of Oaxacan cuisine to friends and family in their own home. (Scroll down for details of an up-to-date schedule of dates and events).
Those who attend one of Pilar’s events will be able to participate in a raffle for a complimentary week’s accommodations in Oaxaca, to be awarded to two lucky couples.
For Americans and Canadians who have not had an opportunity to learn about Oaxaca’s rich culinary heritage by taking one of Pilar’s classes or dining at her restaurant, a brief biographical sketch is in order.
Pilar grew up in Oaxaca, enveloped by the state’s history of culinary diversity and unique ingredient and flavour combinations. She learned the basics and the cuisine’s subtleties from her mother and grandmother. After completing a food engineering and nutrition degree in Mexico City, she worked in research and development for the food giant Herdez-McCormick before returning to her true passion – cooking.
Pilar has found a growing fan base of intrigued foodies through her “House of Flavours” cooking school. As well, she has taught both novice and renowned chefs from around the globe. Well known American chef and owner of Chicago’s Frontera Grill, Rick Bayless, regularly brings his own staff as well as private groups of food aficionados to Oaxaca, where they dine at Pilar’s restaurant, and attend her classes – at his insistence. Chef Bayless recently had this to say about Pilar:
I would strongly urge anyone with an interest in Mexican food to take advantage of any opportunity to learn from and experience the Oaxacan cuisine of Pilar Cabrera. She is one of the greats!
And if that praise isn’t enough, both New York Times and Bon Appetit have echoed similar sentiments.
Pilar’s schedule of September attendances in Toronto, thus far, is as follows:
· Wednesday, September 16th at Frida (http://www.fridarestaurant.ca/index.html ) - arguably Toronto's best Mexican restaurant where Pilar will be cooking with the chef/owner of Frida- Jose Haddad. That will likely be a six-course dinner event- half the menu prepared by Pilar, half by Chef Jose;
· Sunday the 20th, Private Dinner Party;
· On the 21st of Sept., Pilar will be at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Frank Restaurant, preparing a Prix Fixe Menu with the talented Chef Anne Yarymowich and her team. That evening will also feature Latin American/Mexican art for diners to enjoy. http://www.ago.net/frank-restaurant-contemporary-comfort-cuisine-toronto
(we’re hoping to get Mexican artist Gabriela Campos to participate);
· On the 22nd of September (Tuesday), Nella Cucina's Cooking School under culinary Director Joanne Lusted's guidance, is hosting Pilar for a cooking class. To order your spots on-line- go to: http://www.nellacucina.ca/cucina/event.html?Year=2009&Month=9 or feel free to call the school if you'd prefer. It will be an, interactive demo class where you'll learn how to make Oaxacan classics from Pilar herself and take home the recipes too;
· On the 23rd of September, Chef Pilar joins the Food Network Canada's Brad Long at VERITAS located on King Street East for a special multi-course, prix fixe meal. http://www.dine.to/profile_features.php?feature=website&id=3710 - the focus here will be on using as many local, seasonal and sustainable products from Ontario as possible, in keeping with Chef Long's philosophy;
· Nella Cucina’s Cooking School has reserved this date for members of the Women’s Culinary Network;
· The 28th of September- Pilar will prepare a Botanas-based menu for Torito Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Kensington Market. She'll join Torito´s talented team to bring Torontonians Mexico's version of tapas which are sure to please: http://www.toritotapasbar.com/ ;
· On the 29th, the culinary students and professional chefs of George Brown College's "The Chef's House" will host Pilar for her last guest cooking spot in Toronto. She'll craft a special menu prepared by her and the students for her farewell dinner to Toronto. http://www.thechefshouse.com/ .
Feel free to contact whichever venue interests you to ascertain hours of operation and further details. Alternatively you can contact Toronto food researcher, writer and TV producer, Mary Luz Mejia, who has been instrumental in orchestrating Pilar’s visit, at 416 -763-3455; or email, mluzy@hotmail.com.
This culinary tour is the first of hopefully several forays by Oaxacans who are at the pinnacle of their careers, into Canada. All proceeds from this series of events will go directly to Pilar. Proceeds of future tours, by others, will follow suit.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/30/2009
Retire in Oaxaca, on international radio July 29 / 09
Go to this page, quickly download, and you'll find a 3 minute or so piece on retiring in Mexico, Oaxaca being the featured destination. Published by The World. Short and sweet:
http://www.theworld.org/2009/07/29/retire-in-mexico/
http://www.theworld.org/2009/07/29/retire-in-mexico/
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