Handmade Empanadas

Empanadas are pastries traditionally filled with seafood, meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit. They're thought to have originated in Spain, where the Empanada Festival is part of Galician culture. The name comes from the Spanish word "empanadas," which means to coat with bread. In this hands-on and highly interactive class, you will be making Jamaican style meat pies from scratch.

Master the basics of working with pastry dough, creating delicious and rich meat filling and sofrito (salsa that goes into the filling), then the art of folding and wrapping the hand-pies before baking for perfection. Traditionally, creating the empanada dough from scratch is labor intensive, and in this class, Chef Falan will provide the dough she prepares prior the class. You’ll also get to practice your knife skills when preparing the filling, vital skills that can be applied in your home kitchen. Once the empanadas are out of the oven, we will enjoy with the salad and say cheers to the fruits of our labor!

No experience is required! We provide all the equipment and ingredients, which are easy to find at local markets if you don’t already have them in your home kitchen. Find out about our favorite resources in Phoenix for sourcing ingredients and basic equipment for empanada making at home. Our events are casual and meant to be fun and instructive, not hardcore. This class is designed to be just as fun for the cooking enthusiast who wants to be a part of every step as it is for the first-timer who’s happier observing and assisting.

Please arrive on time, wearing your mask. Guests are invited to bring their own wine, beer, or champagne.