Meals for Men giving cooking skills to those who’ve never needed them

By Gillian Slade on October 13, 2017.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

If you have never done the cooking at home and are suddenly thrust into that position, it can be daunting.

This and the importance of healthy home-cooked meals was the impetus for a monthly event called Meals for Men, a joint venture between Strathcona Centre and Meadowlands seniors’ residence. Once a month, up to five men can register to attend. They sit around a big island in a lovely new kitchen at Meadowlands and help prepare a meal.

Stuffed peppers was the menu Wednesday and large red, green, orange and yellow peppers were spilled across the granite centre island as participants pulled up chairs. Soon the men were busy cutting the tops off the peppers and scooping out the flesh and seeds. Someone else was chopping onions and mushrooms.

Mariah Czember, a manager at Meadowlands, loves cooking and looks forward to each event. She helps keep participants busy with the preparations while mixing ground beef, onion, rice and seasoning.

Many of the participants are either widowers, have a wife who now lives in a seniors’ residence, or is not well. Some have never had to do any cooking before. Others are not used to determining the right oven temperature and length of time to cook something.

When the peppers are stuffed and in the oven, Czember hands out beers. When the peppers are cooked they will enjoy the meal together and then each take home four stuffed peppers to freeze and enjoy at a later date.

As they sip the beer, thoughts turn to next month’s event and menu. So far they’ve made shepherd’s pie, borscht with biscuits, lasagna and beef stew. There is general consensus that the lasagna was the best. Someone suggests chicken pot pies for next month and there is agreement. Czember will shop for the ingredients.

The program goes beyond just those meals though.

“There are friendships forming that but for the program would not have happened,” said Czember, who admits to being passionate about seniors and cooking.

There is a nominal fee of $10 to attend but that is for “accountability” purposes, said Czember. Only five people can be accommodated so it is important that those who register actually attend. The money is later donated to the Medicine Hat Food Bank.

To register for Meals for Men in November, call Shantel at Strathcona Centre, 403-529-8368.

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