May 2010

Stories from May 2010.

Rochelle Moyd, Research and Promotion Associate, The Sylvia Center

High atop the Bloomberg building in midtown Manhattan, 40 high-school students from the South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) Organization gathered together to take part in a multi-cultural cooking workshop with the Sylvia Center. Most of the students have roots in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and take part in SAYA center’s school-based programs. Among the services provided by SAYA are academic and career preparation, recreational and artistic opportunities, individual and group counseling, and lastly, leadership and organizing activities. Through its programs and advocacy efforts, SAYA works to create broad social and systemic change that positively impact immigrant youth.

The Sylvia Center’s Chef Instructors Daniel Meyer, Ruth Fehr, Hollie Greene, and Franca D’Amico, supervised by Education Director Nina Simmons, transformed two large office rooms into a bustling kitchen. As the students entered the room, they were greeted by the colorful décor and tasteful graffiti on the many glass walls; some students even bobbed their heads to the hip music that blasted from the speakers. The students were divided up into groups of 10 to start preparing the four recipes on the menu. Each group was asked to enter one of two rooms, which were named after two Burroughs in NYC; Bronx and Brooklyn. In “the Bronx” the menu consisted of Vietnamese Summer Rolls taught by Chef Daniel: fresh vegetables, mint leaves, noodles, and fresh red-leaf lettuce rolled up in softened rice paper with a spicy soy-butter sauce. Chef Franca led stuffed cherry tomatoes with freshly made guacamole. Over in the next room, “Brooklyn,” Chef Ruth led a short course in Vegetable Maki (sushi rolls) prepared with fresh carrots, cucumbers, avocado and sticky rice. Chef Hollie talked about the spices used in Middle Eastern cuisine and then made hummus: pureed chickpeas, lemon zest, chopped garlic, and cumin powder. The students then spread the hummus on whole wheat wraps with roasted red peppers, sautéed onions, feta cheese and cucumbers and rolled them up.

As the night came to a close everyone was eager to taste the food prepared by the SAYA students. They proudly presented the food, and by the look on everybody’s faces the food was beautiful and delicious. The SAYA students came in naïve to the art cooking, but left with knowledge of how to prepare some wonderful, healthy dishes. Most importantly, they all went home happy in the knowledge that everything they had indulged was fresh and healthy.

 

Robin Burger, Community Liason to NYC Immigrant Communities, Hot Bread Kitchen

On what happened to be an exceptionally sunny day in March, Hot Bread Kitchen held its first All-Staff Meeting. While for me, the title of the meeting evokes images of stuffy conference rooms and Xeroxed copies of watered-down agendas, this gathering was one of the most rewarding experiences thus far in my VISTA tenure. For the first time, Hot Bread Kitchen’s bakers, staff and interns all convened in the office together. The meeting was an opportunity for everyone to get on the same page about nitty-gritty topics such as the best techniques for stamping packaging and effectively maneuvering the tape gun, but we also covered broader realms including the organization’s history, mission, and vision for the future. For many of the women with whom I work, this was the first time they had put their work with Hot Bread Kitchen into perspective and saw the bigger picture they are a part of. For the first time, it felt like we were truly all part of the same team working toward a common goal that is larger than ourselves.

Meredith Bethune, Healthy Food Coordinator, The Mary Mitchell Center and La Familia Verde

Most people take backyards for granted. Not in New York City. Green space for gardening, grilling, or other summer activities is highly coveted. The Bronx in particular is a densely populated urban landscape, with tall apartment buildings on every block and very little open space.  There are, however, several community gardens in Crotona, the neighborhood where I work.

Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon I head to the Mapes Garden with several neighborhood teenagers.  In general, I've noticed that kids from the city are fascinated by worms and snails and terrified of bees. They are also hesitant to plop down on the grass like my friends and I did while growing up in a small town in New England.  They just aren't used to being outside!

Our first garden task this spring was pulling up the weeds that inserted themselves into the soil as soon as the weather got warm. The youths are always shocked by how quickly the weeds return after we pull them. When we planted chard seeds, they were surprised to learn that it would take months for the plant to grow and be ready for harvest. With the help of the New York Botanical Garden and seedlings from Green Guerillas, we have transformed our plot at the Mapes Garden into a sea of beautiful vegetables. It will be a fantastic learning tool for both the kids and the teenagers that attend the Mary Mitchell Center's program this summer.