Highlights From Our First Tasting Party!

What’s that, we’re making five meals for the tenants to try? And their feedback will decide the first three meals we will present in our cooking class? If you asked all those questions (you curious folks!) then that’s a resounding “yes” to all of them! Chef Lucca must have conjured these up with a magical spell because they truly sound (and taste) scrumptious!

Let’s take a look at what Chef Lucca prepared for the First Tasting Party:

  • North American Cuisine

    • Veggie Burger

    • BBQ Sauce

    • Baked Potato Wedges

  • Mexican Cuisine

    • Pico de Gallo

    • Veggie Chili

    • Tortilla Wrap

  • Indian Cuisine

    • Chickpea Curry

    • Indian-Style Rice

    • Red Lentils

  • Egyptian Cuisine

    • Koshary

  • Italian Cuisine

    • Zucchini Pasta

    • Carrot Crumble

So, you’ve got me all excited, but how did it all go?!

  • Mary Ann pictured ready to help serve some of the tenants!

  • Our food was going fast during the Party! Must have had some hungry tenants!

  • Chef Lucca enjoying a conversation with the tenants in the courtyard!

  • Omar (leftmost), Lucca (second from left), Mary Ann (second from right), and Lisa (rightmost) helping Chef Lucca with the prep!

  • Chef Lucca busy at work with prep for the Party!

Looking back on our First Tasting Party, I would say it was a hit! We had a fantastic turnout, both of Indwell staff and of tenants it was incredibly encouraging to see so many people interested in what we were doing! Maybe it was the free food that attracted some, but we all had some great conversations with some of the tenants! For example, I got to learn about the story of some of the tenants as we chatted in the Indwell courtyard and it revealed to me just how dynamic of a life each tenant has. While it was a first-time experience for me, I found it incredibly enlightening to be among the tenants and hear them speak, getting to know them on a first name basis. It really is quite something when you can make a deep enough connection with someone that when you pass by them on the street you can shout out their name and wave hello to them! It’s something that fills me with joy and puts a smile on both my face and the tenant’s face.

Honestly, not everyone was captivated by the plant-based aspect of the program, but I did hear enthusiasm when people took our general program flyers and chatted about the meals and what they liked and disliked about them! Speaking of, I kept track of what dishes the tenants liked most, and it seems like the Mexican cuisine, Egyptian cuisine, and Indian cuisine were all favourites among the tenants! They gave some quite constructive feedback to Chef Lucca about what he could do to improve the meals he prepared, and I think he’ll be happy to incorporate those tips into the recipes. I personally felt that Chef Lucca did an amazing job managing the stress of preparing so much food for so many people for the first time and I’m proud of what he was able to accomplish! I know that the success of this First Tasting Party spells that some positive news will be coming our way for our cooking classes, so I’m very much looking forward for what is to come!

We have some more fun updates on what we’ll be doing and more awesome blog posts to come, so stay tuned for those!

My Personal Account of the First Tasting Party