Kick off the Holiday Season with a delicious Lao Holiday Cooking Class led by Nibble Chef and The Lao Project founder Vekonda Luangaphay.

Experience Lao cooking! The Lao Holiday Cooking Class brings Lao history and Lao food together. For every special holiday, like Lao New Year in April or special occasions like weddings and graduations, Lao households make the country's most popular dishes, Laap Gai and Thomp Gai.

It’s going to be as authentic as it gets. That means sticky rice, fermented fish sauce called padak, and extremely fragrant herbs that will make your nose zing.

Come to this class because you like funky delicious food, want your taste buds to dance, and want to spice up your food life.

A Note From The Chef:

Laap Gai is a delicious savory and herbaceous chicken salad that is slightly spicy, yet refreshing from the fresh dill, spring onions, and cilantro, all tossed in a citrusy umami vinaigrette.

Thump Gai is a light and brothy Lao lemongrass chicken soup that is aromatic and has sprinkles of spring onions for that earthy goodness. Your body will feel loved and Zen!

Forget the forks and spoons. Shape sticky rice into whatever your heart desires; be it a spoon, a mini bowl or dinosaur, before you dip and scoop up the delectable chicken delight. When was the last time you were allowed to play with your food?! In this class, fun time is yum time!

So come grab a drink at Remnant Brewing or Rebel Rebel Wine Bar and learn about the holidays of Lao culture through a cooking and dinner party. You'll leave with a recipe in hand and eager to recreate the experience in your own home.

***Dishes contain shellfish, fish, and glutenous rice. Food substitutions are available.

About The Lao Food Project and The Lao Food Movement:

My name is Vekonda Luagaphay and I am the founder of The Lao Project, which is what The Lao Food Project stems from. The Lao Food Project aims to bring America’s attention to authentic Lao cuisine and to make it mainstream by food demos, dinner parties, or cooking classes.

The Lao Project is a collection of narrative portraits that highlight the life journey of Lao Americans for our future Lao American children. The long-term project provides a platform for Lao representation and for the mentoring of future generations. We aim to connect Lao communities across the nation and to empower each other through space and time by threading the fabric of our cultural foundation with narrative storytelling.

Follow us on IG @iamkohnlao . Learn more at www.vekonda.com/Laoproject .

About the Host:

Nibble Kitchen is an initiative of the Somerville Arts Council whose mission is to provide a platform for cultural representation and multicultural exchange through the universal language of food and dining. The Nibble Program provides workplace, business management, and entrepreneurship training and aims to support Somerville's rich immigrant and historically underserved communities. If you would like to learn more about Nibble's mission, please visit www.nibblesomerville.com.

The Details:

- Class begins at 6pm and will conclude around 8:30pm.

- Guests of any age are welcome.

- All guests must wear hair restraints and closed-toed shoes while in the Nibble Kitchen.

- Nibble classes are 2/3 cooking class, 1/3 dinner party! Come hungry, eager to learn, and eager to share your passions for food and culture