Featured: Fusion Kitchen

Mango lassi, a spiced yoghurt drink
Source: Fusion Kitchen

Are you adventurous when it comes to food? Eager to learn about the cuisine of different cultures around the world?

Two SFU students have created a start-up business that helps recent immigrant women develop transferable skills and gain work experience and self-confidence through teaching cooking classes focused on dishes specific to their cultural backgrounds.

Sonam Swarup and Chantelle Buffie came up with the idea in a social entrepreneurship class.

Fusion Kitchen seeks to provide an authentic cultural experience and dishes that harken back to "mom's cooking".

The classes are three-hour sessions and provide opportunities to learn about different cultures and immigrant experiences. They feature a tutorial and brief demonstration, hands-on cooking in smaller groups, and a chance to make and taste authentic home-style recipes. At the end of the evening, students sit down to enjoy the meals and take home booklets with the night's recipes.

Classes take place in Vancouver and cost $40 to $65 a session. A portion of the revenue goes to the guest chef and the rest, towards incurred expenses.

The recent class in June, called Flying Through the Flavours of Lahore, explored the traditional dishes of the festival of Basant, in the Pakistani region of Lahore.

Aloo Palak, a potato and spinach side dish.
Source: Fusion Kitchen

Things for prospective students to keep in mind:

1) Come hungry: What better a way to sample everything on offer?

2) Let your curiosity out: If you want to know more, ask questions, and let your curiosity roam free. There's lots to learn about the ingredients, dishes, culture, etc.

3) Bring an apron: Get your hands dirty and be ready to dive in!

Classes are on hiatus right now, but they will resume in the fall, so stay tuned for updates!

For more information or to contact Fusion Kitchen, visit their website: http://www.thefusionkitchen.com/