NEW MILFORD – Literacy Volunteers on the Green, a nonprofit organization that provides free literacy instruction, cooked up a new way to promote their English as a second language students with the launch of a student-written cookbook.
“Dishes from Around the World” includes recipes submitted by 63 students from over 20 countries, including Ecuador, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Egypt, Peru, Morocco, Ecuador, Thailand and Venezuela. The recipes encompass a few of the students’ native dishes, including El Pepian de Pollo, or chicken pepian, from Guatemala; Quabuli Palaw, or spiced lamb pilaf, from Afghanistan; and Papas con Cuy, or potatoes with guinea pig, from Ecuador.
Over 20 people attended a book launch for “Dishes from Around the World” on Thursday afternoon on the second floor of the New Milford Public Library. Copies were also distributed to Literacy Volunteers board members, tutors and students as well as to Cookbook Committee members.
Literacy Volunteers also gave a copy to Susan Kutsocz from the Ellen Knowles Harcourt Foundation, who granted the funding to print the cookbook, and dedicated a copy to Anne Mailtland, co-founder of Literacy Volunteers.
Among the 63 students who submitted recipes, seven attended the launch event, including Rosa Orteiga, who submitted an Ecuadorian salmon and quinoa recipe, and Najila Malikzada. who submitted the recipe for Qabuli Palaw.
“Rosa has been so excited about this,” said Adrienne Coppola, Orteiga’s tutor at Literacy Volunteers. “It’s really been a wonderful lesson for her, and she’s so excited to be published.”
Anda Meierovics, who tutors sisters Najila and Matin Malikzada, said the cookbook was a wonderful way for the students to practice their writing skills and hopes it will generate “a better understanding of the sharing of food and recipes.”
“I think it’s wonderful on so many different levels,” Meierovics said. “I’m also a foodie, so I’m excited to try out these different recipes.”
‘A great teaching tool’
Larry Fiori, head of the Cookbook Committee, said the idea came from a discussion held by Literacy Volunteers at the end of last year that asked, “What can we do to promote the students and tutors above and beyond tutoring and learning?”
Norman Adler, a tutor for Literacy Volunteers, suggested the students write a cookbook, Fiori said. It was “immediately accepted as a good idea” since a cookbook is “a practical example of reading and writing” and “a great teaching tool,” Fiori said.
The first meeting about the cookbook was held in March, and Literacy Volunteers tutors and students continued to work on it over the summer.
“To have it here and be able to talk about it, launch it and give it out is very exciting,” said Lynn Davies, executive director of Literacy Volunteers.
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