YYGS Staff Learn Syrian Cooking Skills Through Refugee Chefs

November 7, 2018

The YYGS leadership team recently met with members of Sanctuary Kitchen for a Syrian cooking demonstration. Syrian chef Randa taught YYGS staff how to make baklava, a popular desert pastry made from filo dough and syrup.

Founded in 2017, Sanctuary Kitchen is a CitySeed program (in partnership with a network of community volunteers) that promotes and celebrates the culinary traditions, cultures, and stories of refugees resettled in Connecticut. Sanctuary Kitchen offers cooking demonstrations, hands-on cooking classes, and catering, all led by resettled immigrants and refugees from around the world.

“By going beyond the headlines and creating opportunities for meaningful encounters through food, Sanctuary Kitchen aims to create income generating opportunities for refugees, improve cultural understanding, mutual appreciation, and build a stronger sense of community.”

After the demonstration, everyone gathered for an authentic Syrian meal to learn more about Randa’s experience as a refugee traveling from Syria to the USA. It was a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange over a meal and conversation.