A vegan “Cook & Eat” event was held at the Guildford Church function hall on the 15th of April in Western Australia. The program is one of a few run by a small family-owned charity called “Familia” managed by Gerson and Catherine Robles as part of a vehicle to increase member participation in missionary activities and social networking within their church community.
“We’ve run cooking demos in the past where we teach people and they learn by observation,” Catherine explained. “This program is a bit different, and we facilitated participants to learn by being involved and cooking the recipe themselves on the spot. This relaxed, informal method creates an environment where people feel free to chat, ask questions and just have a bit of fun together while we learn. There’s also the opportunity for those who attend to share knowledge and demonstrate their own vegan recipes.”
The program was attended by five people and was advertised as free admission. Catherine added, “For future programs we are going to charge an attendance fee to cover costs of ingredients and promote a higher attendance rate by those who register.”
Gerson explained that tables were laid out in a circular format, and everyone faced each other. A portable stove with two burners was placed in the middle for cooking. “We are raising funds to purchase another five portable stoves which we’ll place on each table as we increase in size and attendee participation.”
The recipes demonstrated were:
- Red lentil and kaffir lime leaf soup
- Roasted pumpkin, chick pea and garlic infused seed salad
- Chick pea and capsicum hummus
- Wholemeal herb and garlic flat bread
Once everyone was finished cooking, they enjoyed talking together over a delicious meal.
~ Guildford Church
