Program News 2010
Cooking and Conversation
Usually, having too many cooks in the kitchen is not ideal, however, when the reason is for a volunteer project, the more the merrier. On a crisp evening in early November, volunteers from Barclays Capital and residents from the Chelsea Foyer met at a cooking studio to prepare and share a meal together. All levels of culinary skill were represented from Julia Child-like French chefs to peanut butter and jelly masters. But the playing field was equalized when volunteers and residents alike donned professional aprons, and with a healthy mix of trepidation and anticipation, approached their stations.
Working in three teams, the groups whipped up a meal of ricotta gnocchi with tomato sauce as an appetizer; herb roasted chicken with honey balsamic glaze, herb-laced potato torte and haricots verts for the main course; and a truly scrumptious dessert of maple syrup and apple cakes with crunchy cinnamon sugar and vanilla bean ice cream. Just your typical, simple, weeknight dinner! Chopping, slicing and peeling, the residents' comfort and confidence grew as they received guidance and encouragement from the volunteers. Denise, one of the volunteers, remarked, "It was so great to see the shift from, ‘I can't do this' to seeing them realize that they could...and could do it well."
The workshop kicked off the first of what we expect will be many volunteer projects between Barclays Capital and the Foyer as the bank has dedicated funding to our Foyer program. The project demonstrated that the firm is not only committed to the program monetarily, but also to ensuring the healthy growth and development of its residents. Cooking and eating together was a wonderful way to help youth build healthy self-esteem, learn critical independent living skills, and exercise networking and communication skills. Foyer resident Chris affirmed the merits of the workshop by proclaiming, "I can't wait to use this recipe at the Foyer!"
We are grateful to Barclays Capital for providing us with the ingredients for such a nourishing and fulfilling project. It was truly a recipe for success that residents will follow in their kitchens at the Foyer and beyond.
December 10, 2010
