Heirloom Kitchen
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Sanctuary Kitchen
Refuge and Kinship Around a Community Table
For years, Connecticut’s CitySeed organization has worked to improve the lives of New Haven residents by bringing locally and sustainably grown and prepared food into urban areas that have historically been “food deserts,” largely without access to fresh and nutritious produce. Its programs – including its successful series of farmers markets, a mobile market, and a business incubation program for aspiring entrepreneurs – have helped to alleviate food insecurity and provide new opportunities for many New Haven inhabitants. One of its newest efforts, Sanctuary Kitchen, seeks to continue CitySeed’s mission to build a better and more-equitable food community for New Haven.
Sanctuary Kitchen is a growing catering space and entrepreneurial hub for refugee women, all of whom are talented chefs eager to share the beauty and cuisine of their culture. They came here under trying conditions from Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Colombia, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just in the last few years. Guided through the kitchen by Carol Byer-Alcorace, longtime chef and now Culinary Director, the energy is palpable, and the aromas, positively intoxicating. Coming onboard was, for Alcorace, a no-brainer. “It’s bigger than the food. Being a part of a program like this, especially with women supporting women, is very special.”
Sanctuary Kitchen not only allows the women to show their talents and preserve their cultural heritage, it also provides business-development opportunities. Thanks to CitySeed’s Accelerator program, they are able to gain the tools needed to create their own businesses. Made possible by the leadership team at CitySeed, the Accelerator offers the women technical training, access to resources, and plenty of networking events. Aminah has already reaped the rewards of involvement in the program, leveraging her experience to open her own catering business.
Chef Mona from Syria and Chef Homa from Afghanistan, sitting across from each other while separating grape leaves for yalanji (similar to Greek dolmas), look like a scene from their mothers’ or grandmothers’ past; and yet, they are smiling, helping each other, passing ingredients and tools around a table in a kitchen here, in the United States. It’s a scene that reflects Alcorace’s understanding of the space: what’s happening here truly is bigger than the food.
Photo 1: Chef Maeda
Photo 2: Chef Mona
As the women of all ages prepare food for the farmers markets and the numerous events of the day, a tour of the world is conducted through the spices swirling around the dishes that make their way in and out of the ovens. Of course, there are trays of hummus, likely one of the most popular recipes from the Middle East to infiltrate and tempt Western palates; piles of warm naan and pita in various shapes and sizes; huge pans of toasty kabsa (chicken, spiced rice, and nuts); cold zabadi salads of cucumber, yogurt, and mint; many variations of biryani rice dishes; dumplings like mantu with beef, lentils, and a garlic-mint sauce; or kibbeh, bite-sized croquettes filled with meat or vegetables.
Photo 1: Chef Aminah
Photo 2: Chef Maeda
Photo 1: Chef Laili
Photo 2: Chef Laili
Photo 3: Chef Laili
As preparation of the day’s food continues, a delivery of fresh vegetables arrives to complement the produce gathered from farmers markets. Volunteer student assistants from local schools are on hand to help out, an example of the collaborative community that supports this kitchen and active village of talented women. In fact, the success of CitySeed and Sanctuary Kitchen is made possible by the wealth of connections, kindness, and support that the New Haven community provides, including a sizable list of local businesses, academic organizations, religious institutions, libraries, non-profits, and more, all of which are integral supporters. In turn, Sanctuary Kitchen’s chefs add to and enrich that community by preserving their unique cultural identities and histories, intertwining them with the greater community that has become their own.
Photo 1: Rawaa and Culinary Director Carol Byer-Alcorace
Photo 2: Rawaa
Photo 3: Sumiya Khan, Sanctuary Kitchen Director
> Sanctuary Kitchen: 817 Grand Ave., New Haven; 203-773-3736
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