dijon

ola makes tamales

Tell us why you chose tamales today.

In Mexico, it was one of the best, easiest street foods. You know how we have 7-11’s with taquitos? It’s like that there, you can go to their version of 7-11 and get the best tamales and Mexican food. It’s their junk food, but it is not junk food to me - this is a meal, this is a nice dinner. They’re mostly healthy too, it depends on how much lard you put in the dough. Other than that and the sour cream they’re healthy enough. Do you know how people are haters on corn? 

Sorry, corn haters?

People are hating on corn, I swear! Haha, all the health people, they’re like “don’t eat corn.” It’s the same people that are saying “don’t eat gluten.” Now people are using corn as a biodegradable ingredient, like making bags out of it. Am I really selling these tamales?

Where did you get all of the ingredients from?

I went to the Latin food market where King’s skate shop used to be. There’s Colombian food, Chilean food, Mexican food, it’s so great. I wasn’t sure where I’d find the corn husks so I called ahead and they had them!

What kind of food did you eat growing up?

Oh gosh, it was a hybrid. My mom is Ukrainian, so I grew up on many Ukrainian style meats and potatoes, or some cold cuts. Haha and with my Mexican side, we had lots of tortillas and other Spanish dishes. When our Spanish relatives would come to stay with us, that's when we really ate Spanish food, lots of tortillas and refried beans. I guess this was also a Spanish thing but my mom made us eat beef tongue once. I was very upset, I’ll never forget that. I remember thinking she was mad at us or something. It was cut up in cubes and I could see the taste buds on it. I was like ‘that’s disgusting.’ In my early 20’s I would go to Mexico once a year to stay with family. After one of those trips I was like, I bet making tamales isn’t that hard, and sure enough, they’re quite easy.

I can’t recall what a tamale tastes like.

Have you had a corn flour tortilla and in the middle they’ll do some sort of meat and then topped with another tortilla and then fried?

Like a pupusa?

Yes exactly, but it might not be called a pupusa because that’s El Salvadorian. It’s like eating a Mexican cabbage roll minus the cabbage, haha.

That must have been awesome to go to Mexico a bunch in your early 20’s.

It really was, and because I wasn’t staying in a resort or something, I was staying with family, I was just wandering around the city with my sister or some friends. I would never do that now, like staying out until 6 in the morning where the nightclubs are.

Do you speak Spanish?

I know a lot of individual words, but I’m not fluent at all. My parents would speak Spanish to each other but unfortunately, only English to us. My mom is Polish but grew up in Ukraine and learned Spanish when she was in university - she really liked the culture. I’ve tried Duolingo, I’ve tried books but I really think you just need to live somewhere and be thrown into it.

What’s the worst job you ever had?

There are two. Do you remember Mariposa? It’s cheap teenage clothes, like a Stitches but somehow worse. They weirdly had so many businessy things, or their club wear, haha, the club wear was so funny. You had to wear the clothes but since you’ve worked there long enough that things start to look ok to you. 

It was probably that period in time when young women like us were weirdly wearing dress pants casually? 

Ok yes! I was wearing dress pants with little pointy kitten heels. 

Dress pants, Roxy hoodie and Airwalks. 

Oh my god. I don’t know what was going on with that business but it was going down. I remember they left me there without a manager, I was holding down the fort at City Place mall as a teenager. I didn’t know anything about managing, I didn’t even know how to close out the day. Just close the door and walk away? One time, this woman went to a rack of clothes and just scooped up the whole thing and started walking out. I called someone who used to be my manager and asked ‘what do I do?’ They were like, ‘go chase them down,’ so I went after her with a broom. I actually got fired from that job. Then I went to work at Shoppers Drug Mart in Portage Place mall, and I was a different person. I wasn’t nice, I was getting into arguments with people and it was just one of those jobs where you just constantly look at the clock. That job made me decide that I’m going to hair school.

What does a cool day off for you look like?

My typical days off have been Amber and little Johnny coming over for coffee, and then I like to watch a YouTube or a podcast, maybe something dark - I don’t know. And then I’ve been working on my sewing things. I don’t know why but I was like, ‘I’m going to make furry bags for my friends for Christmas’ so I’ve been working on those. I love working out so I’ll try and incorporate that. I’ve gotta keep the upper back strong because I’m on my feet all day and I have so many ailments just from working. Then I’ll probably make food for my roommate, Jenna and myself. When I was living alone I didn’t really cook that much but I really like cooking for other people. I always go for a walk somewhere so maybe a thrift store - I have my Misster Dressup store where I sell clothes.

Tell us about Misster Dressup.

I wanted to go to fashion school, I love thrifting and revamping clothes into something different so I wondered how I could share the stuff I like doing with more people. I was finding stuff and was like, ‘this is so cool, it wouldn’t fit me but I just want someone to have this.’ I thought I’d make an Instagram that was just expressing fashion and things I’ve found but I started selling things as well.

Interviews by Katy Slimmon & Ali Vandale
Photography by Ali Vandale