Okotoks cooking skill share invites the Foothills community to learn pancit and adobo from a Filipino volunteer

A free Filipino Cooking Skill Share in Okotoks, Alberta, led by Filipino volunteer Elaine Bellido, was scheduled for 16 October to teach pancit and adobo as part of a community series run by local immigrant services.

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A free Filipino cooking workshop called A Taste of Culture: Connecting Through Food was scheduled for Friday 16 October at Okotoks United Church in Okotoks, Alberta, OkotoksOnline.com reported. The workshop was fully booked, with spots available on a waiting list.

The session was set to be led by Elaine Bellido, who OkotoksOnline.com described as a Filipino temporary foreign worker who enjoys cooking and baking. She first took part in an earlier kolache baking skill share and was inspired to share her own skills and culture. Participants would learn to prepare pancit and adobo, with all ingredients and supplies provided, and could eat together afterwards or take the food home.

It is the seventh event in the Skill Share series, delivered by Foothills Community Immigrant Services (FCIS) and the Foothills Local Immigration Partnership (FLIP) with funding from Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). The organisers describe a skill share as a free, volunteer-led learning experience where long-time residents, newcomers and immigrants share their skills, culture and stories. Past sessions have included kolache baking and Mexican cuisine.

"We're thinking that it's a universal language for everyone, food," said Jennielyn Galope, FCIS community resource worker and FLIP community engagement coordinator. Participants were to be split into two groups to encourage conversation. "We don't want them to do it separately because we want them to really engage with each other," she said.