DROKACADEMY

A healing and writing space. Love. Care. Share.

Subscribe

Ukrainian-Canadian Cooking Night at Hills of Peace: Sharing Food Made with Love.

—

by

Sasha
in
2–3 minutes
A plate of Ukrainian dishes: a salmon open sandwich, a cheese-topped mushroom tart, beet salad, a stuffed pepper, varenyky with sour cream and bacon; borshch and pickles behind.

Thank you to all who attended the Ukrainian-Canadian Cuisine Event at Hills of Peace Lutheran Church, and I have to say it was an incredible experience. From start to finish, the event was full of fun, learning, a sense of community and delicious food. Thank you to United for Ukraine Local Love Fund #uwbclm for financial support.

The afternoon began with the joy of finding all the needed ingredients at the local Superstore.

Selfie of a smiling man with three women and two loaded grocery carts outside a store.

We then got to dive right into the cooking experience, where everyone who loved cooking was sharing their talents and those who were learning observed and participated in food making process led by skilled Ukrainian-Canadian chefs.

Five people at a long table fill cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls, a roasting pan and bowls of filling in front of them.

We prepared many traditional dishes from scratch, getting hands-on experience and guidance from the chefs along the way. By 6:00 p.m., we had cabbage rolls, varenyky, nalysnyky, zhul’yen, multiple salads, Borshch, special Ukrainian sandwiches ready to be tasted with cold and warm fruit drinks (compote and uzvar) and various sweets to enjoy together.

A green platter of open sandwiches topped with sprats, pickle slices and dill.
A white platter of bread slices topped with salmon and sprigs of dill.
Two trays of rolled nalysnyky (Ukrainian filled crepes), one browned from the oven.
A large pot of red borshch with a ladle, a dish of sour cream beside it.
Guests stand around a long buffet of salads, tarts and open sandwiches in a church hall under a WELCOME board.
Bowls of tomato and cucumber salad, beet and bacon dishes, stuffed peppers and cheese-topped tarts on a table.
A buffet table of beet salad, mushroom tarts and platters of salmon and sprat open sandwiches.

All participants were able to learn about each recipe. In addition, two copies of the rare Traditional Ukrainian Cookery by Savella Stechishin books were available on-site with other Ukrainian-Canadian cookbooks to ensure those who want to repeat the recipes at home could do so.

Three spiral-bound cookbooks: Ukrainian Traditional and Modern Cuisine, Ukrainian Daughters' Cookbook, and Secrets from the Ukrainian Baba's Kitchen.

This event was a true dream come true for everyone who is always looking to expand their culinary skills and knowledge. Everyone learned much about Ukrainian-Canadian cuisine and culture and met and socialized with other food enthusiasts who shared their passion for learning and trying new things. Special thank you to Olena and her family from Kryvyj Rih for sharing the Ukrainian art of cooking and to all Canadian-Ukrainian community members for allowing us to enjoy the food made with love and for preserving Ukrainian cuisine in Canada.

A man in an embroidered shirt stands with four smiling women wearing Ukrainian ribbons, the women holding small booklets.

Once the learning about food ingredients to make each dish was complete and the moment of silence for those no longer with us was observed, we all sat down together to enjoy the delicious dishes. Every dish was flavorful and made with love and care, from savoury pierogies to hearty borscht soup.

A full church hall of guests eating at tables covered in blue cloths.
Guests line up along a buffet table with a soup pot, bread rolls and covered trays.
Four smiling people stand under a Hills of Peace Lutheran Church banner reading Living and Giving in God's Grace.
Guests dine at long blue-covered tables with yellow napkins in the church hall.
Two smiling women in grey hoodies stand by the serving table.
Four people smile at a blue-covered dinner table, others chatting behind them.
Two smiling women stand arm in arm in the church foyer.
Guests seated at a blue-covered table; a woman in the foreground smiles at the camera.
Smiling guests at a blue-covered table in the hall, with more tables behind.
A smiling man and woman sit side by side, her arm around his shoulders.
Four smiling women, one holding a sleeping baby, pose together in the hall.

The food-tasting event in the evening was fabulous. The dishes were all beautifully presented and tasted amazing, making for a truly unforgettable culinary experience. The organizers were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the whole experience was so much fun. I stay hopeful we will continue creating future events like this and explore the rich and diverse world of Ukrainian-Canadian cuisine.

A man in an embroidered shirt and two smiling women stand under the Lutheran Church banner by the hall doors.

Thank you, Natika, for documenting the event, chefs, learners and food tasters for standing with Ukraine and all the welcoming, caring atmosphere of the community who share the food with love.

Selfie of a smiling man with three women in front of a WELCOME notice board.

Special thank you to Alana, Meo and Warren (not on picture) for making sure that all looked super clean

Thank you, Pastor Jane and Hills of Peace Lutheran Church Congregation Members, for providing space and offering on-site support and the United Way BC Local Love Fund for financial support of the event.

Hills of Peace Lutheran Church logo: blue lettering with a yellow dove over green hills.
United Way British Columbia logo: Working with communities in BC's Interior, Lower Mainland, Central and Northern Vancouver Island.
Sent to the list:
Topics:

Get posts like this by email

Choose the lists you want on the Subscribe page, or enter your email here. Leave at any time with one click.

Discover more from DROKACADEMY

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading