Chef Neftali Duran making tortillas for lunch. Neftali was born in the Mexican state of Oaxaca to a Mixteco family of “cooks, healers, and campesinos.” When he was 17 he began cooking in Los Angeles, before moving to Western MA and opening a bakery. In addition to directing food justice programs at Nuestras Raices in Holyoke MA, Neftali travels around the country hosting pop-up dinners featuring Oaxacan cuisine, and educating audiences about the history of indigenous foods of Mexico, and the ever-evolving cuisine of his home region. Behind him is Navajo chef Frankie Peralta. Photo by Elizabeth Hoover