We invite you to join Newcomer Kitchen at Butler’s Pantry for Toronto’s first authentic Syrian brunch!
brought to you with the generous support of Westbank
This is the first official public Newcomer Kitchen spin-off project, in a trial-run, limited seating engagement. Come enjoy a lavish spread of traditional Syrian home cooking prepared by the talented cooks of Newcomer Kitchen.
Every Sunday until December 18 — SOLD OUT
NEW SATURDAY SEATINGS AVAILABLE!
Prix fixe menu — sold in pairs of 2 — $30 per person
11am, 12, 1 & 2 pm — Tickets must be purchased in advance
(note: each seating is for nearly 2 hours; no one wants to rush Sunday Brunch!)
LOCATION
Butler’s Pantry, 591 Markham Street, Toronto, ON M6G 2L7 View Map
Shay
Bottomless tea!
MEZE (all included, for sharing for 2 people)
Khabaz Saj
Warm flatbread prepared on the domed sag oven
With za’atar and olive oil for dipping
Labneh
Homemade yogurt cheese balls cured in olive oil and seasoned nigella and sesame seed
Kebbeh Bel Sayniyeh
Baked bulgur dough stuffed with walnuts, potatoes, onions, tomato and pomegranate
Baba Ganouj
Smoky eggplant dip with tahini, pomegranate molasses, walnuts and pomegranate seeds
Salatet Na’ameh
Fresh salad of finely chopped tomato, cucumber & onion with lemon, olive oil and mint.
Mukhallat & Atun
Pickled turnips and wild cucumbers; sun-dried black olives spiced with herbs, lemon and Aleppo pepper
Khdarawat
Selection of fresh vegetables to accompany the meal
MAINS (choice of one)
Jazmaz
The Syrian version of the classic Middle Eastern shakshouka; sunny eggs cooked in a rich, chunky tomato sauce with garlic and olive oil.
Fattet Maqdoos
Crispy pita bread, topped with baked eggplant, yogurt- tahini sauce, caramelized onions, pine nuts & parsley. Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Beid bel Toum
Syrian hash! Eggs scrambled with potato and whole confit garlic cloves, garnished with pine nuts and herbs.
Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Salatet Sabaneh
Wilted spinach tossed with a warm sautée of chickpeas, mushrooms and onions, garnished with lemon & olive oil
Vegan -or- topped with an olive-oil fried egg.
SWEETS, FRUIT & NUTS
Helawiyaat
Figs stuffed with walnuts & dates stuffed with almonds, with grape molasses and tahini for dipping.
Namoura
Semolina and yogurt cake, topped with an almond and infused with orange blossom syrup
Barazek
Buttery pistachio and sesame cookie
Beverages available a la carte | Gratuity not included
Butler’s Pantry + Newcomer Kitchen + Westbank
Newcomer Kitchen invites Syrian newcomer women to share their remarkable cooking skills through collaborations with local restaurants. newcomerkitchen.ca
Butler’s Pantry has become a Toronto institution, serving international comfort foods since 1985. butlerspantry.ca
Westbank is Canada’s leading residential and mixed-use real estate development company, committed to including affordable and social housing, non-profit community partnerships, and accessible public space in all of its projects. westbankcorp.com
NEWCOMER KITCHEN — December 8
Kibbeh Summaqiyah كبة سماقية
[beef ] Kibbeh summaqiyah كبة سماقية
Kibbeh in sumac sauce are a specialty of Aleppo, considered by many to be the culinary capital of Syria. Kibbeh – egg-sized elongated balls of finely ground spiced halal beef and bulgur stuffed with a ground beef and nut mixture, are fried and then cooked a tangy, dark red sumac-infused sauce with lots of onion and sometimes eggplant and/or lamb as well. Served with Rez bel Shairieh (rice with vermicelli)
[vegetarian] Kibbeh summaqiyah كبة سماقية
Vegetarian kibbeh, with a bulgur and potato dough and a mushroom and walnut filling, also cooked in a tangy sumac sauce
Tabbouleh تبولة
Originally from the mountains of Syria and Lebanon, tabbouleh has become one of the most popular salads in the Middle East. A fragrant herb salad of parsley and mint, tomato and onion, with a scattering of bulgur, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon, and salt.
Mahalabia مهلبية
A delicate milk and semolina pudding scented with rose water and garnished with pistachio and a touch of coconut.
$20 +HST
FOR TWO WEEKS ONLY!
Holiday Cookie Box by Newcomer Kitchen!
(If you can resist eating them yourself!)
Add one to your Thursday order for $20.
Meals are available for pickup from The Depanneur,
1033 College Street (between Dufferin & Dovercourt) from 6–7pm
foodora sponsors FREE Delivery within 3km radius
Delivery outside 3km can be arranged with Liam Woolacoot of Saoirse Couriers
647-676-6486 | liamgordonwoolacoot@gmail.com
Meals go on sale on Tuesday at 7am.
Please indicate “PICKUP” or “DELIVERY” in the Order Notes at the Checkout.
>> PURCHASE HERE <<
Newcomer Kitchen is a new project that invites groups of Syrian refugee women to use our kitchen to cook traditional Syrian dishes in a fun, social setting. Meals are prepared and packaged, and then sold online for pickup or delivery to pay for all the ingredients and provide an honorarium for the cooks.
We also offer 1 spot to help/hang out in the kitchen, learn the recipes and join the ladies for family meal on Thursday afternoon. We are asking for a $50 donation for this, which will go to topping up the $ we have to share with the cooks. This is available for purchase online, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Proceeds from the sale of meals goes directly to the newcomer cooks. However this does not cover the costs of the enormous amount of behind-the-scenes coordination required to keep this project going. You can support the Newcomer Kitchen project directly and our vision of expanding this model to support more women in more neighbourhoods!
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Help us take this idea into any restaurant kitchen, in any city in the world!
http://bit.ly/2gpUUu8
Learn more about the Newcomer Kitchen project.
https://newcomerkitchen.ca/
Cooking Can Be Both An Intimate And Communal Experience | RNR DOCS
Cooking Can Be Both An Intimate And Communal Experience
by Roam New Roads | Dec 5, 2016 | RNR DOCS
With over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Jan O’Hearn is no amateur when it comes to knowing good food. After spending a year and a half in the Middle East, Jan became fascinated with Syrian culture—and food. Using a Canon Rebel T6i and her keen eye for detail, Jan takes close-up shots of the delicious meals made in Newcomer Kitchen (a kitchen space in Toronto offered to government-sponsored Syrian refugees) that she then uploads to Facebook. Sometimes the lovely smell emanating from the depanneur isn’t always enough to draw in customers and other like-minded women, which is why food photography is very important in this project. The communal cooking experience has much more meaning than what meets the eye. Watch the video to learn more about Jan and Newcomer Kitchen!
WATCH THE VIDEO »
Syrian roundtable with Justin Trudeau at The Depanneur | CBC
For the one-year anniversary of the Syrian settlement, CBC Toronto’s Metro Morning gathered a group of newcomers as well as sponsors to reflect on the past year and discuss the road ahead in the heart of the Newcomer Kitchen.
See excerpts from the conversation in CBC’s special online feature, Far and Wide
RADIO
CBC Metro Morning | Dec 5, 2016, Syrians meet the Prime Minister
CBC Metro Morning | Dec 6, 2016, Newcomer Kitchen (@ 20:00m)
PRINT & VIDEO
Syrian newcomers tell Justin Trudeau what they need to succeed in Canada
Matt Galloway, Dwight Drummond on Justin Trudeau roundtable with Syrian newcomers
‘I’m proud to be here’: Syrian refugee has tearful reunion with Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau vows ‘significant improvements’ to refugee system
Trudeau talks Trump, politics
Perspective with Alison Smith | CPAC
Perspective with Alison Smith
by Alison Smith | December 4, 2016 | CPAC
CPAC’s foreign affairs show, Perspective with Alison Smith, examines events from around the world that matter to Canadians.
Perspective this week looks at how Syrian refugees have managed in the year since they came to Canada and what it is like now on the ground in Aleppo.
Alison speaks to CBC Reporter Margaret Evans on what it’s like on the ground in Aleppo. Michael Molloy, former foreign service officer and former Canadians Ambassador to Jordan speaks to Alison about the resettlement of Syrian Refugees in Canada as well as obstacles faced by newcomers to the country. The Newcomer Kitchen, a project in Toronto that invites newly-arrived Syrian refugee women to cook a weekly meal is also profiled.
Finally, Alison speaks to Goldy Hyder, co-founder of Century Initiative about the importance of growing Canada’s by increasing immigration in order to grow the economy.
WATCH THE VIDEO »
NK is featured at 15:00, with additional closing remarks by Rahaf at the end of the segment
Canada : bienvenue aux réfugiés | Arte (France)
Alors que l’Europe, confrontée à une crise migratoire sans précédent, surveille ses frontières, le Canada, lui, organise le plus grand pont aérien de son histoire.
De Mathieu Bana, François Reinhardt et Yann Le Gléau – ARTE GEIE / What’s Up Productions – France 2016
En moins de trois mois, 25000 réfugiés syriens sont accueillis. Emmenées par le gouvernement de Justin Trudeau, les autorités dépêchent 600 fonctionnaires dans les camps de réfugiés au Liban, en Turquie et en Jordanie.
Hérité des années 70, le système des parrainages privés fait appel à la générosité populaire. Une mesure qui autorise les Canadiens à parrainer eux-mêmes les réfugiés. Pendant un an, sans aide sociale, les parrains s’engagent à trouver un logement, inscrire les enfants à l’école et subvenir aux besoins des familles.
Dans tout le pays, les intitatives se multiplient, le multiculturalisme, inscrit dans la constitution canadienne, prend tout son sens. Une exception dans cette partie du monde : le Canada pratique l’immigration choisie, vérifie l’identité de ceux qu’il accueille et détermine le moment de leur arrivée.
Read the whole article / Watch the full video
Newcomer Kitchen is featured at 19:00m
Newcomer Kitchen expands with a new Syrian pop-up brunch, prepared by refugees | NOW Magazine
After the success of The Depanneur’s weekly dinners, Mirvish Village developer Westbank steps up to sponsor a Syrian brunch event at Butler’s Pantry
BY KELLI KIELEY NOVEMBER 30, 2016
“Instead of just selling your last sandwich, why not go down in a Thelma and Louise blaze of glory?”
That was the pitch to Atique Azad, the proprietor of the Butler’s Pantry, a 25-year old Mirvish Village institution set to close at the end of 2016 to make way for the development replacing Honest Ed’s.
He thought, “what have I got to lose?” And just like that, Canada’s first Syrian Brunch Pop-Up was born. And it’s a hot ticket. December 4 is already sold out.
It’s the first official spin-off from Toronto’s Newcomer Kitchen, a project co-founded by Cara Benjamin-Pace and Len Senater at College Street’s The Depanneur that specializes in unique food experiences. Since April, more than 55 Syrian newcomer women have cooked a wide range of traditional dishes, and in the process, put over $25,000 directly into Toronto’s newcomer community.
Because each weekly dinner consistently sold out, the next challenge was to tackle Toronto’s most iconic meal: Sunday Brunch. After months of testing, tinkering and tasting, what may be the first Syrian Brunch Pop-Up in the world is ready to be experienced by a handful of lucky Torontonians.
Read the whole article
Syrian refugees build community with cooking | THIS Magazine
Photo by J. Walton
Behind the scenes at the Newcomer Kitchen and Karam Kitchen in Ontario
by Amanda Scriver |
It has been nearly one year since the Liberal government enacted a program to admit 25,000 Syrian refugees arrived in Canada. In their first year, many of the families faced several challenges to overcome: getting to know a brand new country, finding suitable accommodations, and trying to find a job in our country’s tough economic climate, all while facing systemic racism upon arrival. The resettlement process is not easy, and many are still trying to find their way here in Canada. While the Canadian government and private sponsors have helped—offering financial assistance, medical coverage, and housing—the biggest challenge many Syrians have faced is finding community.
Newcomer Kitchen Brunch at Butler’s Pantry
We invite you to join Newcomer Kitchen at Butler’s Pantry for Toronto’s first authentic Syrian brunch!
brought to you with the generous support of Westbank
This is the first official public Newcomer Kitchen spin-off project, in a trial-run, limited seating engagement. Come enjoy a lavish spread of traditional Syrian home cooking prepared by the talented cooks of Newcomer Kitchen.
Every Sunday until December 18 — SOLD OUT
NEW SATURDAY SEATINGS AVAILABLE!
Prix fixe menu — sold in pairs of 2 — $30 per person
11am, 12, 1 & 2 pm — Tickets must be purchased in advance
(note: each seating is for nearly 2 hours; no one wants to rush Sunday Brunch!)
LOCATION
Butler’s Pantry, 591 Markham Street, Toronto, ON M6G 2L7 View Map
Shay
Bottomless tea!
MEZE (all included, for sharing for 2 people)
Khabaz Saj
Warm flatbread prepared on the domed sag oven
With za’atar and olive oil for dipping
Labneh
Homemade yogurt cheese balls cured in olive oil and seasoned nigella and sesame seed
Kebbeh Bel Sayniyeh
Baked bulgur dough stuffed with walnuts, potatoes, onions, tomato and pomegranate
Baba Ganouj
Smoky eggplant dip with tahini, pomegranate molasses, walnuts and pomegranate seeds
Salatet Na’ameh
Fresh salad of finely chopped tomato, cucumber & onion with lemon, olive oil and mint.
Mukhallat & Atun
Pickled turnips and wild cucumbers; sun-dried black olives spiced with herbs, lemon and Aleppo pepper
Khdarawat
Selection of fresh vegetables to accompany the meal
MAINS (choice of one)
Jazmaz
The Syrian version of the classic Middle Eastern shakshouka; sunny eggs cooked in a rich, chunky tomato sauce with garlic and olive oil.
Fattet Maqdoos
Crispy pita bread, topped with baked eggplant, yogurt- tahini sauce, caramelized onions, pine nuts & parsley. Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Beid bel Toum
Syrian hash! Eggs scrambled with potato and whole confit garlic cloves, garnished with pine nuts and herbs.
Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Salatet Sabaneh
Wilted spinach tossed with a warm sautée of chickpeas, mushrooms and onions, garnished with lemon & olive oil
Vegan -or- topped with an olive-oil fried egg.
SWEETS, FRUIT & NUTS
Helawiyaat
Figs stuffed with walnuts & dates stuffed with almonds, with grape molasses and tahini for dipping.
Namoura
Semolina and yogurt cake, topped with an almond and infused with orange blossom syrup
Barazek
Buttery pistachio and sesame cookie
Beverages available a la carte | Gratuity not included
>> PURCHASE HERE <<
Butler’s Pantry + Newcomer Kitchen + Westbank
Newcomer Kitchen invites Syrian newcomer women to share their remarkable cooking skills through collaborations with local restaurants. newcomerkitchen.ca
Butler’s Pantry has become a Toronto institution, serving international comfort foods since 1985. butlerspantry.ca
Westbank is Canada’s leading residential and mixed-use real estate development company, committed to including affordable and social housing, non-profit community partnerships, and accessible public space in all of its projects. westbankcorp.com
Newcomer Kitchen Brunch at Butler’s Pantry — SUN Nov. 20
We invite you to join Newcomer Kitchen at Butler’s Pantry for Toronto’s first authentic Syrian brunch!
This is the first official public NK spin-off project, in a trial-run, limited seating engagement. Come enjoy a lavish spread of traditional Syrian home cooking prepared by the talented cooks of Newcomer Kitchen.
Prix fixe menu — sold in pairs of 2 — $30 per person
3 seatings — 11am, 12 & 1 pm — Tickets must be purchased in advance
>> PURCHASE HERE <<
—–
Shay
Bottomless tea!
MEZE (all included, for sharing for 2 people)
Khabaz Saj
Warm flatbread prepared on the domed sag oven
With za’atar and olive oil for dipping
Labneh
Homemade yogurt cheese balls cured in olive oil and seasoned nigella and sesame seed
Kebbeh Bel Sayniyeh
Baked bulgur dough stuffed with walnuts, potatoes, onions, tomato and pomegranate
Baba Ganouj
Smoky eggplant dip with tahini, pomegranate molasses, walnuts and pomegranate seeds
Salatet Na’ameh
Fresh salad of finely chopped tomato, cucumber & onion with lemon, olive oil and mint.
Mukhallat & Atun
Pickled turnips and wild cucumbers; sun-dried black olives spiced with herbs, lemon and Aleppo pepper
Khdarawat
Selection of fresh vegetables to accompany the meal
MAINS (choice of one)
Jazmaz
The Syrian version of the classic Middle Eastern shakshouka; sunny eggs cooked in a rich, chunky tomato sauce with garlic and olive oil.
Fattet Maqdoos
Crispy pita bread, topped with baked eggplant, yogurt- tahini sauce, caramelized onions, pine nuts & parsley. Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Beid bel Toum
Syrian hash! Eggs scrambled with potato and whole confit garlic cloves, garnished with pine nuts and herbs.
Vegetarian -or- with awarma (confit halal beef)
Salatet Sabaneh
Wilted spinach tossed with a warm sautée of chickpeas, mushrooms and onions, garnished with lemon & olive oil
Vegan -or- topped with an olive-oil fried egg.
SWEETS, FRUIT & NUTS
Helawiyaat
Figs stuffed with walnuts & dates stuffed with almonds, with grape molasses and tahini for dipping.
Namoura
Semolina and yogurt cake, topped with an almond and infused with orange blossom syrup
Barazek
Buttery pistachio and sesame cookie
—–
Beverages available a la carte | Gratuity not included
on Facebook
on Eventbrite
Newcomer Kitchen invites Syrian newcomer women to share their remarkable cooking skills through collaborations with local restaurants. newcomerkitchen.ca
Butler’s Pantry has become a Toronto institution, serving international comfort foods since 1985. butlerspantry.ca
Toronto’s Newcomer Kitchen helps Syrian refugees adjust, share culture — Free Speech Radio News
by Tanya Castle
Asma Al Hariri chops zucchini in a downtown Toronto kitchen. She is one of a dozen Syrian women preparing tonight’s Newcomer Kitchen meal. The dish: Sheikh El Mahshi Bil Laban, a traditional Levantine recipe consisting of zucchini stuffed with beef, cooked in a yogurt sauce thickened with eggs and seasoned with garlic and mint, accompanied by Egyptian rice.
Restaurant and culinary incubator The Depanneur hosts the Newcomer Kitchen. The initiative started out as a space for Syrian women to prepare home-cooked meals for their families while they were stuck in hotels upon arrival in Toronto and has since grown into a weekly take-out restaurant.
Read the rest of the article