Announcement
On a crisp winter morning nearly 30 people gathered in a room at the International Rescue Committee's office in Elizabeth. Most had not traveled far that day, maybe a few miles from nearby towns or even a few minutes from their homes in Elizabeth. But nearly all of them had made a very long journey to get here, to the United States, their new home.
Participants prepared dishes from all over the world to learn about safe food handling.
Photo: The United Tastes of America/IRC.
What brought them together on that cold sunny morning was an opportunity to learn a new skill, the first joint project between the IRC and The United Tastes of America. As part of the IRC’s work readiness programs and The United Tastes of America Supper Club program, the two organizations hosted a ServSafe Food Handler training session.
This was no ordinary training, as the session was facilitated by Melina Macall (co-founder of The United Tastes of America) in English, and simultaneously interpreted into Arabic, Dari, Spanish, Tamil and French.
Participants prepared dishes from all over the world to learn about safe food handling.
Photo: The United Tastes of America/IRC.
That small room contained people from all over the world, including Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, The Ivory Coast, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, El Salvador, China, Kenya, Austria, England and the U.S., a true representation of New Jersey's diversity. Each participant was invited to bring a homemade dish that represented their culture and country of origin. The table groaned under the weight of the delicious and beloved tastes from home.
Participants prepared dishes from all over the world to learn about safe food handling.
Photo: The United Tastes of America/IRC.
Persian chicken stuffed with dried yellow and black plums sent over from Iran, Pupusas from the Maya/Pipil culture of El Salvador, stunning Mantu dumplings from Afghanistan, beautiful rice pudding from Syria, Haitian black rice and much more. We all had the chance to share and taste each other’s rich cultural history through food that had been lovingly prepared and presented.
Everyone in the room already knew how to cook, by the end of the training they also knew how to navigate a commercial kitchen and practice safe food handling according to American standards and regulations
Participants prepared dishes from all over the world to learn about safe food handling.
Photo: The United Tastes of America/IRC.
The session provided an opportunity to parse skills and knowledge into work opportunities. There were people in the room who have lived in the USA for three years and people who only arrived two weeks ago. Everyone, regardless of how long they have been here, was welcomed and made to feel a little more confident as they navigate their way through their new lives as valuable and respected members of our community.
We invite you to meet some of these cooks and taste their food. Please join them at one of The United Tastes of America’s events. Visit their website at and see what dinners are coming up under the Calendar of Events.
Participants learned essential food safety skills while sharing dishes from their home cuisines.
Photo: The United Tastes of America/IRC.