Cultural Cooking Classes return to Hampton this month

A delicious dive into Franklin County’s cultural makeup returns later this month.

La Luz Centro Cultural on Tuesday, Feb. 25 will bring back Cultural Cooking Classes.

Each month, La Luz will invite an area resident to instruct “students” on how to make a dish from her respective country. The first class will be enchiladas, instructed by La Luz staffers Maria Guadiana and Lily Velasco.

Aimee Lenth, Associate Director of La Luz, said each class will reflect a different culture represented in Franklin County. Guests at the classes can expect to see cuisine from Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.

“We wanted to do more to travel around to different countries,” she said. “We wanted many countries, many regional dishes and maybe things people haven’t heard before.”

One of those unique dishes is baleada, a Honduran dish typically made with a thick tortilla and bean paste.

The cooks presenting the classes were picked from the Franklin County area. Rivera said La Luz focused on recruiting local talent as a way to show that Franklin County has many cultures represented in the area.

“It’s important to show that there are different cultures here in this community,” she said.

Additionally, Lenth said that the class builds relationships between its participants and the people who lead the classes.

“After we do the class, you’re more likely to run into this person again and there could still be a shared connection,” she said. “Having local instructors and local participants means you’re building a relationship that’s deeper than just that one class.”

Classes on Feb. 25, March 31, April 28 and May 26 will be conducted either in English or with a translator, as were the classes last year. However, on March 24, La Luz will conduct an additional cooking class done solely in Spanish. Lenth said that this will give the class an authentic feel and allow both the Spanish speaking population of the area and those wanting to learn more Spanish to participate.

“When you interpret it, you lose a little bit and the conversation can be stilted,” Lenth said. “To have everything just in Spanish I think would create a more fluid environment.”

Each session is $10. Classes are at 5:30 p.m. and will be held in the kitchen space at United Methodist Church. Space is still available but is limited. To participate, contact La Luz at 641-812-1090 or info@laluzcc.org.