Interested in expanding your culinary horizons?
The Rotary Club of Burnaby is hosting its annual international food and music festival on May 3, and there will be dozens of dishes to sample from around the world.
“We have foods from seven different countries, so people will expect to sample a minimum of at least 20 different types of dishes,” said Rotarian and Burnaby resident Gus Cruickshank. “You have Caribbean, China, India, Africa, Greece.”
Similar to previous years, students in the school district’s ACE-IT culinary arts program prepare the dishes. The event is held at Burnaby Central Secondary, headquarters for the culinary program, where students hone professional cooking skills while earning credits towards graduation.
The Rotary members are part of the culinary team; they supply recipes from their home countries and supervise the students as they execute the dish.
“We will be working with the students at the school, teaching them the recipes,” Cruickshank said. “They’ll be doing the cooking.”
There are also three performances scheduled for the evening: students from other districts will be playing in a steel drum band. There will also be traditional folk dancing and an Indian classical dance performance.
According to Cruickshank, roughly 200 people came out last year, and the event raised more than $6,000. The money went towards student bursaries and supplies for the homeless.
This year, Cruickshank is hoping for even more attendees. Proceeds will go to the Rotary House, which is a residence for people with disabilities, established in Burnaby in 1991. Money raised will also go towards bursaries for students in the ACE-IT culinary arts program.
This year’s festival takes place at Burnaby Central Secondary, at 6011 Deer Lake Parkway, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $40.
There are four numbers to call for tickets: 604-916-3077, 604-437-5420, 604-434-5158, 604-218-8117.
