Niagara College’s Be World Ready program, in partnership with the Canadian Food and Wine Institute, chef Daniel Leblanc and two CFWI students, Lia Taraborrelli and Joe Abbruscato, will bring the farm to the virtual table on June 30, showcasing Canadian gastronomy to Ecuadorians.
The Canadian Cooking Online Master Class – hosted in cooperation with the Ecuadorian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Guayaquil – will include a live cooking demonstration. In recognition of the College’s continued bilateral relationship with Ecuador, the menu will highlight Canadian and local products, including fish from the west coast, cheese from Jordan, and many offerings from NC’s own campus, including beer from the NC Teaching Brewery, wine from the NC Teaching Winery, honey, and fresh produce from our garden.
“The culinary event hosted by our partners, the Ecuadorian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, is an example of Niagara College’s commitment to providing students with immersive and life-changing experiences through the NC Be World Ready program,” said Maxine Semple, (acting) associate director, International Student Services.
Since 2013, NC students travelled to Guayaquil, Ecuador with Chef LeBlanc to share Canada’s cuisine with Ecuadorians, and learn and see, first-hand, the culinary industry in a different country. This year’s celebration pivoted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
“Year over year, regardless of format, this experience is an opportunity for students to develop their cultural intelligence and begin building the foundation for a global network – ultimately creating both work-ready and world-ready NC graduates,” said Semple.
“The partnership between Niagara College and the Ecuadorian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Guayaquil has been a successful one for years now, providing students with real life work experience in business and commerce in a new cultural context,” said Chef LeBlanc. “It also provides them with a rich culinary experience and teaches them the importance of planning, logistics and teamwork.”
Students Lia Taraborrelli and Joe Abbruscato were selected by their professor to represent NC for their superb classroom performance.
Lia Taraborrelli is a first year student in the Culinary Management Co-op program.
“This experience will broaden my knowledge as an aspiring chef and will only make me more passionate about applying my experience as a culinary student at Niagara College,” said Lia Taraborrelli, a first-year student in the Culinary Management program. “I have always loved to share and discuss food with people of different cultural backgrounds than myself, so it excites me to connect with an Ecuadorian audience.”
Second year Culinary Management student Joe Abbruscato will participate in the event.
Second-year Culinary Management student Joe Abbruscato is most excited about applying his NC training to meal-prep for a live service – albeit virtually – though it won’t be his first meal service. Abbruscato juggles his studies while working at Zees Grill in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Norchini Co Butchery & Deli in Niagara Falls.
“The virtual event is still a good way for our cultures to connect through food because even though they can’t taste what we are making, they will see it. As some of the chefs at the College say: ‘when plating, you eat with your eyes first.’ That is something I will keep in mind when plating,” said Abbruscato.
What are they looking forward to most about the menu?
“Dan’s elevated play on the classic poutine – one of my favourite foods,” said Taraborrelli.
“I’m excited to see how the appetizer is done – to see how Chef LeBlanc will be putting three salmon components on one dish is very interesting… and learning how to make the candy salmon,” said Abbruscato.
The event through Zoom will have simultaneous translation to Spanish, and attendees will receive a digital recipe book of the dishes prepared during the class.
Be World Ready
Niagara College and the Ecuadorian – Canadian Chamber of Commerce offer culturally diverse learning environments in Ecuador through the Be World Ready Program internships. These opportunities allow students to gain a competitive edge to launch their careers, and to develop global competencies through international experiences. The Be World Ready program continuously strives to create world-ready and work-ready graduates.
For more information on opportunities through the Be World Ready program, please visit beworldready.ca.
