Join us for an exploration of ancient Oaxacan cuisine and culture from the perspective of both an archaeologist and a contemporary restaurateur and chef. The DMA’s Michelle Rich will lead a discussion that crosses over science, gastronomy, and multigenerational traditions.
Dr. Michelle Rich, The Ellen and Harry S. Parker III Associate Curator of Indigenous American Art at the DMA, will moderate a lively discussion between Dr. Shanti Morell-Hart, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Brown University; Erick Benitez, Managing Partner of Ayahuasca Cantina; and Monica Andrade Lopez, Chef at Ayahuasca Cantina. The discussion will be followed by a special tasting event with Chef Andrade Lopez.
Shanti Morell-Hart is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Brown University. She is co-editor of the volume Mesquite Pods to Mezcal: 10,000 Years of Oaxacan Cuisines, and co-editor of the journal Archaeology of Food and Foodways. She is a Mesoamerican archaeologist, with field research in Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Quintana Roo), Honduras, and Guatemala. She has authored journal articles and book chapters addressing gastronomic heritage, the origins and impacts of agriculture, human-environmental interactions, and ancient cuisines. She is a specialist in the study of ancient plant residues (paleoethnobotany) and is founder and Director of the Paleoethnobotany Laboratory at Brown University (PEBLAB), and Director of the Integrated Laboratory for Archaeological Sciences (ILAS). Her forthcoming book (Cambridge University Press) is titled Food and Heritage: Ancient Meals, Modern Stakes.
Located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Ayahuasca Cantina originally featured a menu that was inspired by dishes and meals the proprietors grew up eating with family back in Mexico. They have since expanded their menu with Chef Monica Andrade Lopez to take it back to the basics. Chef Lopez has adapted the unique ingredients and game found ranging freely in a much simpler time. Authentic spices and multigenerational recipes paired with craft cocktails from diverse Mexican distilleries come together to create a pre-Hispanic culinary experience.
Ayahuasca Cantina
334 W. Jefferson Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75208
469-687-0005
Schedule
1:30 PM Horchow Auditorium doors open; cash bar available for registered attendees
2:00 PM Panel discussion begins (free with registration)
3:00 PM Tasting event in Hamon Atrium (ticketed event)
$15 Public ticket includes tasting and pre-event signature cocktail
$10 Member ticket includes lecture ticket and pre-event signature cocktail
This series is supported by the Boshell Family Foundation and the DMA’s Boshell Lecture Series Endowment Fund.
To request accessibility accommodations such as ASL interpretation, gallery stools, or wheelchairs, please send an email to access@dma.org.
