Tamales are a Christmas tradition in many households. If you’ve always wanted to learn to make these traditional treats, here is your chance. The San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose will be hosting tamale expert Darlene Tenes of CasaQ. Darlene and guest chefs will show you how to create a wonderful Mexican Christmas dinner with traditional tamales. During the hands-on workshop, you will learn to make these traditional wrapped wonders from scratch. They will share the history behind these ancient foods and teach you how to prepare the masa and the fillings. Then, you and your classmates will start an assembly line to learn how to properly wrap, fold, and steam the tamales to perfection. The event will conclude on a sweet note with homemade Mexican hot chocolate and crispy buñuelos.

All classes are from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm and cost $65 per person. The price includes the chef demo, hands-on workshop, recipe book and tamale dinner. To RSVP, or for more information, visit http://casaqtamales2011.eventbrite.com/.

What: CasaQ Tamale Making Workshops

Where: San Pedro Square Market in downtown San Jose
87 N. San Pedro Street, across from City Heights high-rise residential complex

When: All classes are from 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Saturday, Nov. 5 – Veggie Tamale Workshop
Sunday, Nov. 6 – Tamale Making 101
Saturday, Nov. 12 – Tamale Making 101
Saturday, Nov. 19 – Gourmet Tamale Workshop
Saturday, Dec. 3 – Tamale Making for Families