Mons
2015 is hosting a culinary adventure.
International Lunch is a monthly event with Cook with Danielle (cooking and language workshops in Mons) at Café Europa.
Each Café Europa, located in cities throughout Europe, prepares a lunch following the same theme or using the same ingredients. At lunchtime, we connect (virtually), and eat together, sharing stories of our experience, comparing our results and talking about our love of food.
It’s
like a cook-surfing event, with a local foodie, Danielle Foster, the most Montoise of Americans. A very fun way to practice
our French and English while cook and have lunch.
March is Happiness Month in the Café Europa, we
can cook what we want, just keep smiling!
Danielle said there were about ten people joining
us today, from different backgrounds and nationalities who live around Mons
area. We can choose to come and cook (starting at 11 am) or just to eat (around
12 pm) and pay 6 Euro for the meal (drink charged by Café Europa).
When I came earlier, Danielle had already wait
with all the fresh ingredients and kitchen utensils. She picked our menu of the
day: vegetarian Tex-Mex, inspired by her hometown, using local ingredients
like goat cheese, locally-grown quinoa and a root vegetable called topinambour.
Then she assigned us to prepare different dishes with a recipe and instruction to
follow. With Ray and Susan, I was in charge in making tortillas. To be honest,
I’ve never made it from scratch before, so was kinda nervous. It’s actually
easy, only take a while to roll the dough one by one and put it in the oven
instead using a pan. And we had no idea how long it should be baked (thanks
Didier for helping).
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© Café Europa Mons
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I didn't find any difficulties cooking in a small space which not really a café
or actual kitchen but when more and more people came it became a bit challenging.
Apparently everyone was busy doing their own task and we didn’t really talk a
lot. One of the most interesting thing while we cook, we’re also connected virtually
to a partner city Kaliningrad
(Russia). So we’re able to see what they’re doing and ask
what they cook, how they’re doing with the cooking, the ingredients etc.
Fortunately the tortillas quickly sold out and
no one complained. There were many things to accompany the flatbread and all
taste very good and fresh. Also that chocolate cookie for dessert, oh so good! Danielle
must be proud with the whole team.
Thank you everyone for the lunch. Can’t wait to
cook with you again!