Dream Cuisines program helps newcomer refugee women share their culture through food ventures
Flavours of Hope is partnering with Coho Collective to help women build business—and community—through their culinary knowledge and traditions
Trixie Ling (far left) with Dream Cuisines participants Angelica Davalos Ramirez, Angeles Canedo, and Huda Abd Elhamid.
Dream Cuisines: A Newcomer Women’s Food Business Pilot Program holds its kickoff virtual event on May 19 from 6:30 to 8 pm PDT.
ANGELICA DAVALOS RAMIREZ is a local baker who folds Mexican flavours into her cookies, cupcakes, and donuts. Angeles Canedo, who also hails from Mexico, uses cazuelas, traditional clay pots, to cook up authentic dishes of home. Huda Abd Elhamid is a Vancouver-based Egyptian cook who represents her culture through her mother’s recipes.
Together, they make up the first cohort of Dream Cuisines: A Newcomer Women’s Food Business Pilot Program. Created by Flavours of Hope, the project aims to help refugee women build food ventures through “collaborative leadership and peer-based knowledge sharing”, with Coho Collective providing kitchen space, mentorship, and access to resources.
Flavours of Hope is a non-profit social enterprise that supports and empowers newcomer refugee women to earn a livable income and build social connections in communities through cooking, pop-up dinners, peer programs, and other events that involve sharing culinary traditions and stories. Through food, they are able to find connection, belonging, community, purpose, and opportunity.
To launch Dream Cuisines, Flavours of Hope and Coho Collective are hosting a virtual event on May 19, with proceeds going toward sustaining the program.
“We wanted to create a digital forum for anyone passionate about culture, food, language, and migration. And also for those who believe in the strength, resilience, and creativity of refugee women,” explains Trixie Ling, founder of Flavours of Hope. “Through this event, we will show the community how food can bring a sense of home and belonging to their lives.”
Ramirez, Canedo, and Elhamid will each do a cooking demo, while the online happening will also feature appearances by Sharon Bond-Hogg, a Nooaitch First Nation member who is the founder and CEO of Kekuli Café, an Indigenous-cuisine restaurant with franchise locations throughout the province; and Jackie Kai Ellis, who founded Beaucoup Bakery.
“When Trixie first approached us with the idea, we knew Coho had to be part of these women’s journeys in Canada,” says Jennifer Chan, spokesperson for Coho Collective, which operates three commissary kitchens in Greater Vancouver and the online Coho Market. “Food can play a pivotal role in creating a sense of belonging in a new country. We are happy to offer a space for them to work and be part of our tight-knit collaborative and entrepreneurial community, as well as provide mentorship while they grow their businesses.”
Dream Cuisine tickets start at $20, while $60 gets guests a Dream Box with a three-course meal and drink created by Ramirez, Canedo, and Elhamid.
For more information, visit www.flavoursofhope.com or www.cohocommissary.com..
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