Happy International Women's Day with Newcomer Kitchen...

For our Newcomer Kitchen cooking event #2 Product to Market we had two opportunities to share some cheer with valued co-workers or inspirational leaders. 

Newcomer Kitchen had created two different “Employee Appreciation Gift Bags” filled with yummy goodies from our “Willing to Work” Facilitated Entrepreneurship Program for newcomer women wanting to start their own food businesses. These meaningful gifts also to celebrate International Women's Day have the added impact of support as they make their way into a new life. “Willing to Work” is an IRCC funded program and all the proceeds of these bags goes directly to the trainees.

The bags were Sold Out in a few days last week!

Our two groups of budding entrepreneurs are self-named Seven Sisters and the Mosaic Mamas. This gift bags included both sweet and savoury snacks from Yemen, Nepal, Iran, Syria, Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan and Mexico. Each bag is stuffed with 7 different, beautifully wrapped food items for approximately 28 servings of unique culinary taste experiences. A card is included explaining the recipes, their history, as well as stories from the chefs.

This was my group Mosaic Mamas' product menu... 

It was a fun-filled two days of hands-on experiential learning and production...

Here is Farideh whipping up her crispy and chewy Persian raisin cookies.

Deeelish...

Kulod had her work cut out for her with 240 heart shaped cookies filled with rosehip jam and rolled in coconut, a Yemeni favourite. An extra 40 was tagged on for another event.

Beautifully lined up like ducks in a row!

Saima mixes Paan Masala- a popular South Asian mouth freshner and palate cleanser. We have toasted and candied fennel seeds, toasted coconut shreds, almonds and crystallized sugar lumps.

Crunchy, refreshing and pretty!  Can be eaten by the handfuls as a snack or after dinner mouth freshner, especially having enjoyed a meal with strong flavours like garlic.

What is Belkis making?

These chocolate logs (Mosaic Cake) are a Turkish modern take on fudge layered with butter biscuits, chilled and cut into slices sprinkled with grated chocolate to serve.

Arranging the slices onto individual decorative wax paper then into a small sushi box.

This was a two plus women job! We are making Pakistani Plum and Almond Chutney.

The labour comes from boiling dried golden plums with their seeds and then meticulously removing each one by hand.

Afterwards, the pitted soft plums are cooked with spices, blanched whole almonds and melon seeds for a sweet and savoury desi chutney. Sonia is the curator of this gorgeous big batch!

To cool quickly, the huge pot of chutney is poured into shallow pans then chilled.

I always love the team work when everyone gathers to support eachother's final plating/packaging!

To compliment the chutney, we have Nimkin- a cumin-studded pastry dough, fried until crunchy. More team work :)!

Deep-fried perfectly golden brown and yummmmmm!!

Packaging Time!

Turkish Tiny Savouries complete our 7th offering in our Mosaic Mamas bag!

These are simple cookies that are salty and bespeckled with black and white sesame seeds.

Over to the dining area to package and label everything and to rest the weary feet for a bit.

All hands on deck for assembly line final packaging in our nifty client gift bags!

Setting up in the order of placement in the bags for efficient and speedy expediting!

Finished with coloured paper filler and a mosaic rainbow ribbon!

So very proud of you ladies...

Excellent production and team work!

A huge thank you and credit goes to Sonia for sharing her lovely photographs posted here.

Our term ends in a few weeks with one more cooking event... one last hurrah before graduation!