There’s something cooking at the Centre Wellington Foodbank.
The foodbank has brought in a George Brown College trained chef to teach clients how to prepare nutritious meals on a limited budget.
Bob Young is teaching the course with about 20 foodbank clients enrolled.
Among them is Tom Huxley, who said he hopes the course will teach him something about cooking on a limited budget.
Young, who doesn’t cook on a regular basis because of a vascular injury that prohibits him from working extensive shifts as a cook, said the program he teaches at the foodbank is aimed at helping those with limited funds prepare hearty meals with food donated to the foodbank.
His course is run each Thursday evening with the 20 participants split into groups of 10 and attending the course on alternate weeks.
“Cooking is something I love to do,” Young said just prior to a cooking class last Thursday, in which participants were taught to prepare a schnitzel dinner with corn on the cob, beans and other fixings. The food is donated by supporters of the foodbank.
“I’m teaching basic cooking skills to improve nutritional content for those using the foodbank,” he said.
The classes are set up so participants take part in the various stages of preparation. Once the meal is completed, the participants sit down for a dinner to see how the food they have prepared tastes.
“Then I know they get a good, hot meal,” Young said of the class procedure.
Clean-up is also done by participants who have to commit to the eight-week course.
“It’s usually a three-hour class with cooking and clean-up.”
The dessert that is prepared in the class is eaten prior to the final clean-up.
Meal items are changed depending on availability of food donated to the foodbank.
“I’ve never really done a cooking class, so I’ve evolved it as we go,” Young added.
When the eight-week class is completed, Young hosts a graduation ceremony where participants are presented with a booklet of the recipes they cooked.
Young also gives graduates a gift upon completion. One time he presented them with a kitchen knife, something many don’t have, engraved with their names.
Foodbank manager Fred Aleksandrowicz said the cooking classes are essential for clients on limited budgets to learn to make nutritious meals.
At present the foodbank is looking for donations of canned tuna, juice, cereal, peanut butter, granola bars for children and toiletries.
Aleksandrowicz said the foodbank is planning a food donation drive with the OPP later this month. No firm date for the event has been set.
