West Island community kitchen combats rising groceries prices

Creamy white bean lemon pesto orzo soup, eggplant chickpea stew with garlic crostini, ground pork and cabbage stir fry and blueberry crumb coffee cake. These are just some of the meals that you can learn to make at Corbeille de Pain’s community kitchen workshop in the West Island.

The community kitchen program is one of several initiatives offered by Corbeille de Pain, a local non-profit organization that began in 2004 that serves to promote food security and education.

“All of us share the sentiment that good food does not have to be complicated,” Corbeille de Pain kitchen workshop coordinator Elaine Monaco said. “We show participants how easily a few basic ingredients can be transformed into something healthy and delicious.”

The kitchen workshops run on Fridays from September to June and are hosted in four different locations in the West Island: St-Columba-by-the-Lake Presbyterian Church in Pointe-Claire, Cedar Park United Church in Pointe-Claire, Gerry Robertson Community Centre in Pierrefonds and Manoir Roger Bernard senior’s residence in Pierrefonds.

Each workshop, except Manoir Roger Bernard senior’s residence, welcomes a maximum of eight participants through registration and a nominal $5 fee for each session, but there is a pay what you can model for those that have financial difficulties.

The workshops are led by Corbeille de Pain’s kitchen animators. Monaco started as a kitchen animator in 2019 but transitioned to her new role in 2021. But even in her new role, Monaco still leads some of the workshops.

“The kitchen animators teach the participants how to build a collection of easy recipes that use pantry staples and local, seasonal produce,” Monaco said. “Many discussions take place regarding meal planning, minimizing food waste, and ways to reduce our grocery bills. This is increasingly important with the increase in the cost of food over the last two years.”

With rising grocery prices due to inflation, Monaco noted that the interest in these workshops has increased over the last two years.

“People’s grocery budgets have been stretched to their limits with the soaring food prices,” Monaco said. “The community kitchens provide participants with a full three-course meal and generous leftovers to take home, often enough leftovers for more than one more meal.”

“But equally important are the tips and tricks we discuss while we are together: how to prepare inexpensive meals that are delicious, how to meal plan around pantry staples and grocery sales. This educational element is so important because people now have to be more thoughtful of how they spend their grocery money and feed themselves.”

Along with inflation, Monaco says there are many other variables that contribute to food insecurity as well that the community kitchen initiative aims to address.

“There are pockets of poverty even in what are considered affluent West Island neighborhoods,” Monaco said. “Food insecurity doesn’t only stem from financial difficulties. Isolated seniors, people struggling with mental health issues, those struggling with physical mobility, newcomers from other countries trying to get their footing in a new country, these are all situations that can impact people’s access to nutritious food.”

For that reason, Monaco says incorporating a communal aspect to the community kitchen initiative has been vital in tackling food insecurity in a less intimidating setting.

“Cooking and eating with others can demystify the whole process,” Monaco said. “Sharing a meal with others is something that has been done since the beginning of time, across all cultures. Something special happens when people gather around a table to eat. They share stories and create new friendships, and this sense of community and belonging boosts their well-being.”

For Robin Little who has attended 15 kitchen workshops, she says she values the social aspect of the workshops.

“The benefit is widespread,” Little said. “Not only do I learn new recipes along with better or alternative methods of preparation, but I have also benefitted from working with others towards a common goal.

“We always make recipes and sit down to share them, before packing up the leftovers to bring home. I really enjoy our communal meals. There is a real sense of togetherness.”

Corbeille de Pain’s also collaborates and organizes personalized and private kitchen workshops to organizations like high schools, organizations that help people living with mental illness, organizations that help at-risk youth, and organizations that help recent immigrants to Canada.

Monaco says with the growing popularity of the community kitchen initiative, the importance of the initiative’s mission is even more clear.

 “The isolation brought on by the pandemic, and all the exorbitant food increases that followed suit, exacerbated the food insecurity issues here in the West Island,” Monaco said. “We now have an increased awareness of how important our mission is. We will work even harder to strengthen our approaches to fight food insecurity, and to meet the growing needs of our community.”

For more information, call 514-894-5850, email info@corbeilledepain.com or visit www.corbeilledepain.com.

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