Kilkenny cookery course has all the right ingredients for making friends

ABOVE: Monika Frieskrova, Kristina Balsiene, Yana Dhaivoka, Kathleen Hayes, Maria Kennedy, Tania Martins took part in the course

WORKING TOGETHER
“Working together on this project involved social interaction, collaboration, and the possibility of sharing some family recipes. As the adult literacy organiser for KCETB, I am proud to have the opportunity to be part of your learning journey,” she said, commending everyone involved in the project.

Parents from different backgrounds and areas who may never have crossed paths got to meet, the newly arrived in Kilkenny and people who have lived here for years.

During the course participants took part in shopping challenges where they were divided into teams and were given vouchers to shop for meals like a roast dinner or a child’s party.

They also went on outings to the Goodly Barrow café in Goresbridge, Ryland House Cookery School, and shared their favourite recipes from their home countries, which they cooked together at the KCETB kitchen on Patrick Street.

The culmination of the project was the launch of the cookery book which is both a record of the parents’ journey through the project and a collection of their favourite recipes from their home countries.

Orla said the project was a lovely experience. It’s a sentiment echoed by participants on the course, who come from backgrounds as varied and far-flung as Sudan, Lithuania, Kenya, South Africa, Bangladesh, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine, as well as people who grew up in Kilkenny.

Florence, who is originally from Kenya and has been living in Kilkenny for 24 years, not only enjoyed learning about food but meeting people from other countries and learning about their backgrounds. In creating their new friendship network, Florence said the participants told their stories and shared their favourite recipes.

Narissa Carstens was introduced to the group by the principal of the school.
Originally from South Africa she said the group made her feel very welcome and Orla was a great help to her.
There was a lot to learn from everybody, she said, in the culturally diverse group. And, importantly, she looked forward to meeting up with the course group every week.

Sharmin Akhter has lived in Kilkenny for 16 years but she enjoyed meeting new friends during the day when her children were in school. The shopping challenges and the cooking lessons at Ryland House stood out for her as good, as did recipes she learned for cheesecake and chocolate cake! Click NEXT for more photographs and more of the story...