Newcomer Kitchen is a new project that invites groups of Syrian refugee moms to use restaurant kitchens to cook food for themselves and their families in a fun, social setting. Additional meals are prepared, packaged and sold online for pickup or delivery to pay for all the ingredients and provide an honorarium for the cooks.
NEW! – As a fundraising experiment, we are offering up 1 guest cook spot to help/hang out in the kitchen, learn the recipes and join the ladies for family meal on Thursday afternoon. We are asking for a $50 donation for this, which will go to topping up the $ we have to share with the cooks. This is be available for purchase online below, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Menu — May 26
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[beef] Shamborak شمبورك
by Ameena from Al Qameshly, in the North of Syria.
Probably the ancestor of every meat pie in the Western world. Thin, yeasted wheat flour dough is stuffed with a mixture of cooked onions and halal ground beef spiced with black pepper, and then baked (or sometimes fried). We are going to try and bake some of these in the wood-fired bread oven in Dufferin Grove Park, weather and logistics permitting.
[vegetarian] Harraq Esbaoo حراق اصبعو
by Ameena AlShaar from Damascus.
A very old and well-known dish in Syria, the name translates “burning his finger”. The notion is that the dish is so delicious, that diners can’t resist going for it before it cools, so they burn their fingers. Lentils and fresh, hand-cut pasta are cooked together with spices then mixed with onions, coriander, and a tamarind & pomegranate molasses dressing, then garnished with crispy fried pita croutons, caramelized onions, fresh coriander and fresh pomegranate seeds.
Ok, here’s my stab at Syrian humour:
How did the Syrian hipster burn his fingers?
He ate his Harraq Esbaoo before it was cool.
[#rimshot]
Salateh Malfouf سلطة ملفوف
A cool, refreshing salad made of chopped cabbage and diced tomatoes then dressed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, sumac, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint.
Ghoraibeh غريبه
These delicate pistachio-topped baked shortbread cookies are usually made for Eid (the celebration at the end of Ramadan) as a festive dessert.
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$20 +HST
Meals will go on sale on Tuesday at 7am.
Meals will be available for pickup from The Depanneur, 1033 College Street (between Dufferin & Dovercourt) from 6–7pm on Thursday, May 26.
Foodora has sponsored FREE Delivery within 3km radius
Please indicate “PICKUP” or “DELIVERY” in the Order Notes at the Checkout.
Tonight’s meal is available in limited quantities. Proceeds from the sales of these dishes help pay for all the ingredients prepared by the moms to take home to their families, with any remaining proceeds shared amongst the cooks. Your support is greatly appreciated.