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Masa, Mole, and Mezcal: Balancing Mexican Culinary Traditions with Innovation

  • Maker's Studio at Chelsea Market 75 9th Avenue New York, NY, 10011 United States (map)

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Matt Diaz, owner of For All Things Good and Zack Wangeman, chef and owner of Sobre Masa, are on the forefront of masa innovation. Both are at the helm of restaurants in Brooklyn, NY, that are part of the Third Wave in Masa, but considering their obsession with heirloom corn and reverence for indigenous culinary and historical traditions, what does that really mean?

Join Matt and Zack at Chelsea Market for a talk about the tension that exists between the old and the new when it comes to masa making. We will have the chance to taste freshly made tortillas with mole and sip some mezcal— the holy trinity of Oaxacan flavors.

This program is made possible by our sponsor, Chelsea Market.

Masa, Mole, and Mezcal is the final in a four-part series exploring Indigenous Foodways that will take place at the Makers’ Studio in Chelsea Market.

MATT DIAZ

With a background in anthropology and enology, Matt Diaz has always had an interest in Latin American culture and food. When the pandemic hit, Diaz’s work as a wine consultant slowed to a pause. While others were stuck at home baking sourdough, he turned his Brooklyn kitchen into a makeshift molino. He began to perfect his homemade masa as a way to experience the type of real tortillas that weren’t available in New York. He became obsessed with heirloom corn and the economics around producing it. He posted his experiments in nixtamalization on Instagram, and people started DMing him to order. In 2020, he opened his all-day cafe and molino with business partner Carlos Macias and named it For All Things Good, inspired by the Mexican expression "Para todo mal, mezcal. Para todo bien, también" (For everything bad, there's mezcal. For all things good, [mezcal] as well). 

ZACK WANGEMAN

Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, Zack always wanted to be a pastry chef. His dream was to travel the world, learn from the best, return to Oaxaca and open a bakery.

After high school he set out to do He graduated with a degree in pastry from CIA, worked at Meadowood in California and Per se and staged at places like Jean Georges, Celler de Can Roca and Etxebarri. In 2018 Zack moved back to NYC for good. Frustrated that none of the food in NYC tasted like home, he started doing pop ups called "Comadre Cocina", where he created dishes that reminded him of Oaxaca.

In pursuit of how to make the perfect tortilla, Zack and his partner and wife Diana learned not just about tortillas but about the social and economic impact of corn. They started Sobre Masa Tortilleria in 2021 to share the stories behind the diversity of Mexican corn and the people that dedicate their lives to growing it. They believe that working with heirloom seeds will make the best tortillas and help restore the authentic flavors of Mexico.

CHELSEA MARKET

Located in the heart of New York City's Meatpacking District, Chelsea Market is a food and retail marketplace with a global perspective

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