I don’t usually do food reviews, but there is one I just have to do, mostly because it was an incredibly nice event, put on by the nicest people you could ever meet.
The three Syrian refugee families who have settled in Weyburn put on a supper on Friday evening at Calvary Baptist Church, and featured many traditional dishes from Syria, Middle Eastern fare that you aren’t likely to find in very many restaurants in Weyburn (or even Regina, I would bet).
The three families, the Wardas, the Handals and the Kabbabes, combined their efforts to prepare the food over several days, and then cooked it and served it.
They set up the dining area like a banquet, and set out several dishes on each table, with every place set.
Prior to the meal, they showed a power-point presentation about Syria to the crowd, estimated at around 90 people, showing how very beautiful many of the cities there were — and then showed a jarring contrast with photos of some of the devastation in places like Aleppo, which is one of the most ancient cities of the Middle East and is now mostly a pile of rubble that’s been pounded into the ground.
There were two standing ovations that evening, one after the power-point presentation narrated by Salim Kabbabe (whose English is really very good), and then after the meal itself, once Doug Loden introduced each of the three families. It was quite moving for those who were there, and I’m sure also for the three families.
The food was just amazing. I wish I knew the names of some of the dishes, but it was really good. The meat, which included lamb and chicken barbecued over coals on kabobs, was so tasty, and the spices were exquisite. Even with the hummus, there were two or three different kinds that they had set out, and one had some good hot spices in it that I just loved. Some people felt the spices were too strong or too hot, but I’m pretty sure that for the Syrians, it was pretty mild. In any case, I loved it.
As Doug Loden explained, in their culture special occasions are marked with a feast, and this was definitely a feast that we all enjoyed.
As Salim said that evening, more than once, the supper was held as a way to thank their friends and supporters in the community, including the Weyburn Syrian Refugee Committee, for helping them get settled and for giving them support and a new life in Canada.
For these families, being provided a new place to live here, with English classes provided and help along the way to learn about this new language and culture, it’s a chance to start over and to provide opportunity and a new life for their families, for their children.
