Most of us get our condiments off the supermarket shelves, but making it from scratch at home is entirely possible and even more fun! To teach you the ropes of making your own condiments, we’ve brought in Zach Negin for our second workshop on Sunday, April 28.

Zach is a a co-owner of SoNo Trading Company which produces a delicious range of mustards from high quality ingredients sans the additives or stabilizers. For his workshop, he will be showing us how to make Whole Grain Mustard, Sriracha, Lacto-fermented Ketchup, and a Vegan Worcestershire Sauce. Sound tempting already? You can sign up here!

We talked to Zach to find out more about the man behind the mustard, how he got started creating condiments, his favorite flavors and ingredients…it was an inspiring interview and we cannot wait for the workshop to happen!

1. How did you get started producing your own mustard?
There’s an old family recipe for mustard that I used to make and everyone always loved it. I wanted to start my own business, so mustard was it. (There were also pickles in the beginning – another family recipe.) I approached my friend James (who’s now also my business partner) and we just started experimenting with the recipe and different ingredients. The original recipe had eggs in it, but we took those out, changed the vinegar (to a super high quality champagne vinegar) and added in garlic, which essentially became our Champagne Garlic Mustard.

2. Can you describe the creative process behind designing each type of mustard?
It’s like anything that you spend a lot of time doing. You end up having these random thoughts come to you at the oddest of hours with ideas for interesting flavor combinations. And then you just trust your intuition for where to start. When we were selling at the farmers markets we were making each batch by hand, filling the jars with a pastry bag. So it was pretty easy for us to try out new flavors and get a ton of immediate feedback from folks. It quickly became apparent that our Champagne Garlic and Hong Kong Habanero Mustards were the most popular. So when we launched our Kickstarter project to get our wholesale business up and running we focused on those two mustards.

3. What are your pantry staples?
-Salt: I have about 5-6 kinds of salt.
-Fat: I also have a bunch of different kinds of fats in my freezer I like to cook with: lard (pork fat), bacon fat, duck fat, chicken fat, goat fat, butter. I really think animal fats are much better for cooking than something like olive oil is. (But I do love good olive oil for salads and finishing!)
-Vinegar: I’m a vinegar freak. As soon as I track down a wood barrel I’m going to start making my own, but for now I seek out all the different vinegars I can find. Recently I was in Papa Cristos – the iconic Greek market/restaurant over in Mid-City – and I saw this dusty bottle of vinegar with a taped on label made by nuns in a monastery. I of course bought it and have been using it non-stop.
-Preserved lemons: I make these and use them in many dishes as they add a unique flavor.
-Bay leaves I picked in the mountains – these go in almost everything.

4. What are some of your favorite ingredients to work with in the kitchen?
Same as above. I’ve also been doing a lot of preservation and fermentation lately. Kimchi in particular. I’m excited for summer to get here to start pickling some summer vegetables.

5. Besides mustard, do you have any other condiments in the pipeline?
Funny you ask, we’re working on a fermented chile sauce, aka “Sriracha”. We’ve run a test batch and gotten excellent feedback. I just need to find a good source for a few hundred pounds of chiles. Know anyone?

6. Complete this sentence: My dream condiment would consist of …
This is a tough one, as different condiments go well with different dishes. I think that’s the beauty of condiments. I’d say right now I’m loving the fermented chile sauces I’ve been making.

7. What makes The Mustard THE Mustard? In other words, can you explain what makes it special?
I would say our ingredients, both the ones we use and the ones we leave out. We’ve sourced super high quality organic mustard seeds – the best we could find – and really nice vinegars. We also don’t put in any sort of additives, stabilizers, or preservatives (besides vinegar, salt and sugar). No xanthan gum, no sodium metabisulfite, no “natural flavors”. Just real ingredients.

8. What kind of flavors are you drawn to?
Savory, slightly spicy, and acid driven foods.

9. What tips do you have for home cooks looking to make their own condiments at home?
Experiment! Look up a bunch of recipes and try a few out to see what you like. It’s nice to have condiments without all the crap in them.

10. Any advice on pairing condiments with food?
Just like cooking, use your instincts. We made a cilantro-lime mustard back in the day and it was delicious on burritos. Sounds weird but it worked. I really love South Asian food because it often involves a lot of condiments that are essential to the meal.

11. What can participants expect to get out of your class?
In addition to taking home a jar of each condiment, participants will learn about the science behind mustard and fermentation. Plus it’s fun!

Our first ever workshop is just two weeks away, and we’re so excited to have the talented textile designer and maker Cheryl Cambras kick off the series! Cheryl will be sharing the basics of amigurumi (the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed creatures) in the Tiny Birds Workshop on April 14th at the Poketo store.

In today’s interview, we find out more about Cheryl and what you can expect to get out of her fun workshop. To register, simply sign up here. Spaces are limited so act fast!

Workshop: Tiny Bird Workshop with Cheryl Cambras
When: Sunday, April 14, 2pm-5pm
Where: Poketo store, 820 E 3rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

1. How and when did you get started in crochet?
I’m the youngest of nine kids from a family always making things by hand, born and raised in the Nebraska Sandhills. It’s a beautiful place with big open skies, where not having lots to choose from (and many months of inclement weather) turned out to be a blessing. I remember watching my sisters, mom, and grandma make all kinds of needlework. They taught me the first steps of crochet when I was 4 years old.

2. Where do you get inspiration for your crochet work, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Textures and colors inspire me most. I plan stitch patterns and colors I want to use first, then let those take me towards a shape/thing. I’m inspired by animals, mythology, plants, weather, music, vintage textiles from around the world, art by my two little boys, outer space….

I find great inspiration from many people in my family, particularly my grandma Lily who crocheted with all sorts of discarded materials to create rugs and dolls. My great uncle Frank (Lily’s brother) was a WWI vet who made surreal and beautiful art from machines after he returned home from the war. One of my favorites was an old TV that he turned into a diorama, housing little machine parts as characters. They taught me to use what I have, and the magic in finding new uses for discarded things.

3. Any favorite textiles you love to work with and why?
Discarded materials are actually the most exciting for me to work with. Creating textiles from unexpected things and mixing these with more conventionally used fibers lead to thrilling discoveries!

I’m very inspired by vintage textiles from around the world, especially those made and embellished by hand. I love collecting bits and pieces of traditional textiles from all places and times. To see and feel the stitches made by someone else — there’s an unexplainable power in the connection created by a single stitch.

4. Can you share with us any favorite crochet projects you’ve embarked on so far?
As a member of the art group Machine Project, I had the opportunity to choose an area at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to install my crochet work. I chose the bank of street lights at the museum entrance (Urban Light by Chris Burden) as my setting. I crocheted a large installation of 102 birds (including one that was over four feet tall) to sit near the lights. In conjunction with my installation, I offered basic crochet lessons to those who stopped by.

My work in crochet is ever-changing and I love taking it in multiple directions. I’m just as happy designing a collection of sweaters as I am creating a family of yeti.

Photo by Becky Sapp

5. Besides crochet, what else are you passionate about making?
I love knitting, weaving, rugmaking, macramé – pretty much anything I can make with yarn, I love to do.

Photos by Kate Miss

6. Any advice for people looking to get started in crafting?
Make things that get you excited! Start designing your own work as soon as you feel technically ready! Make a few awesome designs by others at first, then once you feel like you have the technique down — start designing your own!

7. What can participants expect to get out of your crochet class?
Everyone can expect to gain a strong understanding of the basics of crochet from this class. Also: fun, cuteness, happiness, and a sweet little baby bird.

Anna Corpron is a savvy businesswoman who wears many hats: a jewelry designer, mother of two, and owner and curator of The Working Proof, an organization that seeks to promote art and social responsibility. The Working Proof is also Poketo’s latest collaborator in the new City Wallets series, and Poketo was thrilled to work with Anna on picking the theme and artists for this newly launched collection.

For the City Wallets series, Poketo will be donating 10 percent of proceeds from wallet sales to 826LA, while The Working Proof, which will also carry the wallets on their site, will do the same for 826National from March 11th to June 1st.

In our latest interview, we speak to Anna to find out more about the City Wallet series, her aesthetic and work.

1. Please tell us more about yourself, and share with us your background, how you got started in art and design.

I currently split my time between two businesses: The Working Proof, which pairs art with social responsibility, and my jewelry line, Brevity. My background is actually in architecture. I got my b.arch at Cornell University and practiced architecture for five years before going part time to work on my jewelry line, Brevity. I loved architecture and seeing my designs on paper become a reality, but found that my interests really lay in smaller-scale design. What began as a way for me to channel that interest, eventually became my full time job.

2. Can you share with us a bit about The Working Proof? How did it get started and what is its philosophy/mission?

The Working Proof is a collaboration with my husband, Sean. We wanted to find a way to integrate our interest in social responsibility with our love of art and design. Our church, Redeemer Presbyterian, holds an annual business plan competition, and we decided to enter, thinking that it would be good practice to put together a business plan. We never imagined that we would get past the first round, but as we fleshed out our idea and our business plan, we not only got through the first round, but we ended up winning the arts category of the competition. Through that, we received a grant that allowed us to launch our website.

The mission of The Working Proof is to support charity through art. We work with a great community of artists to release a limited-edition print each week. 15% of each print sold is donated to the charity of the artist’s choice. We offer our customers access to a wide array of amazing artwork on an immediate, affordable scale, with a positive social impact built right in. To date, we’ve donated almost $20,000 to our charities.

3. How did the collaboration with Poketo come about?

I’m a longtime Poketo fan. We love how Poketo integrates art into everyday objects, and we have actually released editions with many of the same artists at The Working Proof. A collaboration with Poketo just seemed like a natural fit.

4. How did you pick the artists and theme for the collaboration?

Angie and I selected the artists together – Dan Funderburgh, Emily Dumas, Linda Kim, and James Gulliver Hancock – all artists who have released editions with The Working Proof before. Being that Poketo is in LA, The Working Proof is in New York, and our artists come from everywhere in between, we asked them to illustrate their favorite cities.

Dan Funderburgh

Emily Dumas

Linda Kim

James Gulliver Hancock

5. How did you select the charity to support for this project?

The Working Proof has been a long time supporter of 826 National. We love what they do as an organization to encourage creativity and to make writing and learning fun for kids. On top of that, they have several amazing, playful stores that support their local chapters – I mean, come on, what kid wouldn’t love shopping at the Bigfoot Research Institute, The Museum of Unnatural History, or the Superhero Supply Co? Poketo will be donating 10% of the first month’s sales of the City Wallets to their local chapter, 826LA, and The Working Proof will continue to support 826 National.

6. What kind of art are you drawn towards featuring on The Working Proof?
I’m drawn to a wide range of artwork. Really, when I look for artists to feature, I’m just looking for individual pieces that speak to me, and hopefully to other people, as well.

7. Besides The Working Proof, what other projects or initiatives are you pursuing?
I mentioned my jewelry line, Brevity, before – between that and The Working Proof and my two kids, I’ve got a pretty full plate!

8. What is the inspiration behind Brevity?
The word brevity means “the quality of expressing much in few words”. That definition is what drives the design philosophy behind Brevity – I aim to create designs that are concise and simple, yet meaningful. My Geometric collection was inspired by my architecture background, and by geometric forms found in nature. The Lines collection was inspired by Native American symbols and the simple elegance of a line. The Horo Collection was inspired by vintage clock hands, fused in time. With my custom name necklaces, I was inspired to offer something beyond the standard nameplate necklace, and have loved partnering with calligrapher Crystal Kluge to provide one-of-a-kind custom necklaces.

You’ve seen the incredible sculptural pieces by the dream team of Eric Trine and Will Bryant for the Alley-Oop design exhibition at Poketo on February 16. Now, find out more about the collaboration and friendship between this dynamic duo – what inspires them, bringing together their individual aesthetics, infusing humor into design, and what they do when they’re not working on Alley-Oop. They’re two highly creative, energetic personalities and if this interview is anything to go by, the Alley-Oop design exhibition is going to be a ton of fun!

1. What was your vision for Alley-Oop?

E: Fun! But seriously, our plan was to have a good time and get loose. Grad school can be quite the brain drain and we just wanted to shake that out of our systems for a month.

W: I totally agree. Eric thinks through materials and makes a lot of stuff quickly. I’ve been hung up on thinking WAAAAY too much in grad school. This was the perfect situation for me to just crank on stuff without over thinking and just reacting/responding to materials-form-conversations.

2. Can you describe your individual aesthetic and how they came together for Alley-Oop?

E: Geometry, symmetry, simplicity, minimalism.

W: Wiggles, squiggles, giggles, maximalism, energy, color! There’s a good balance in the compositions and form. They play off of one another.

3. If you had to pick a favorite item each from the collaboration, what would it be and why?

E: I think my favorite thing is the Pluraversal Object.

W: For me the cylinder mag horse is my favorite. It’s a great combination of our aesthetics. It was inspired by one of my drawings and fabricated by the E-train.

4. Your motto is “Form follows fun!” – how does Alley-Oop illustrate this?

E: Well, we just tried to have a good time in the process. Our working format was all about fun – so hopefully our pieces are a manifestation of that process. The colors, the scenes we created, were all about experimenting, and being present in the moment, trying different combinations, pushing our intuitive boundaries, and making ourselves laugh.

W: I’m not sure what else to expand on, but making ourselves laugh was achieved during every studio session.

5. You guys clearly have a sense of humor and wit…how does that influence your work?

E: I’d have to say that my sense of humor doesn’t normally translate through the work that I create. My furniture is pretty subdued in comparison to my personality. I make minimalist furniture, but in real life I like to be the life of the party – cracking jokes and being loud, and all that. So this project was really cathartic for me because I got to create something that was more in line with my personality and humor.

W: Hopefully you think so! That’s the driving force behind my work. Commercial or art practice, that’s my voice. It influences every decision I make. Does this feel like me? Is this funny? To quote George Strait, “I ain’t here for a long time, I’m here for a good time.”

6. What are some things you’ve learned about each other through this collaboration?

E: I’ve definitely learned that Will has a much better attitude than I do. If I don’t like the way something looks I get really sad or mad – Will has taught me how to turn that feeling into a learning moment and just go with the flow.

W: I appreciate good craft and skill-sets that aren’t my strong suit so working with other people is a way for to explore/entertain that. The admiration grows with each collaboration I do. People are awesome.

7. Besides creating for Alley-Oop, what else do you guys do together?

E: Uh, I guess we just hang out. Our wives have become friends too, so we all enjoy hanging out together. We don’t have a lot of free time with graduate school and everything, but we try to make time to drink beer, eat pizza and watch Jurassic Park.

W: Agreed. Our couples nights are a really good time! Lots of tasty food and hearty laughs. We hang out like pros!

Poketo presents Alley-Oop with Eric Trine and Will Bryant
Date: Saturday, February 16th
Time: 7-10pm
Location: Poketo Store LA, 820 E. 3rd Street, LA, 90013
(213)537-0751
The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP here.