Culture and culinary collide
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/12/2016 (3439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Starting in January, Brandonites will not only have the chance to taste food from around the world, but learn how to cook it, too.
Westman Immigrant Services is once again putting on a series of world cooking classes starting in January, said cultural diversity facilitator Trenton Zazalak.
“(The classes) have been very successful … a lot of people ask about it every year,” said Zazalak. “This year, we have 11 classes for 11 different countries, hosted by 10 cooks.”
A wide variety of food cultures are covered by the classes, which include cuisines such as Chinese, German, Indian, Bolivian and Dutch foods. Participants cook their dishes throughout the three hour class, and enjoy eating them at the end, Zazalak said.
“I’m excited to see what my chefs are going to pull out for dishes. We’re asking them to do three dishes, so an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert or a drink,” Zazalak said.
The cooks are permanent residents or citizens who have come from other countries who prepare these ethnic dishes on a regular basis, Zazalak said.
“It’s not over the top … this is not high-end cuisine, it’s comfort food. It’s what normal people eat on a regular basis. It’s not so complex that no one can do it,” Zazalak said. “If you have no cooking experience and you’re worried about it, come out because you’re going to learn from the cook as well, not just about the food, but about their culture — which in my opinion is just as interesting as learning about the food.”
The cooks try to explain the history and the reasoning behind each course, as a better glimpse into the culture, Zazalak said.
“What are the differences, why is different, how is it different — we want our teachers not to only teach you how to cook, but tell you how it’s different and the reasons why … it’s to teach people and to give an appreciation of other cultures and customs and to learn about different countries.”
The kitchen facility is on the smaller side, so each class only accepts about 15 people, Zazalak said. If the demand gets high enough, Zazalak said he’s open to look into larger kitchens.
“My vision of this is to build it bigger and better every year,” said Zazalak.
Each class is $20, and participants can sign up for as many, or as few, as they’d like. The first class starts in mid-January, and registration will be available on westmanimmigrantservices.ca
“We’re very excited to get it going…I’m anxious to get in there and start cooking,” Zazalak said.
» edebooy@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @erindebooy