Summary:

Everyone loves to eat. That's something we all have in common. And we're all especially proud of the dishes we were raised on--I loved treating my Iranian husband to his first traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Connecting through food and cooking feels very natural.

I picture two ideal venues: at local fairs and festivals and in places of worship or community centers. Most cities and small towns have a least one festival where the whole town takes part. Having a food truck with dishes (and chefs!) from other cultures would be a great way to warm locals up to the idea. There could also be a both next to the truck with more information about the culture from which the food came. Ideally, there'd be enough people in the "crew" that they could mingle with the eaters at tables. Hopefully the conversation would start with food and move to other important topics. This part of the idea comes from an Ethiopian food truck that appeared at the Cannon Falls Wine & Arts Festival--everyone loved the food and, for most people, it was their first introduction to anything from Ethiopia. It would be great to extend this idea to "church basements" or community centers by offering community-education cooking classes that feature foods from new cultures (perhaps as a follow up to the food-truck visit). Classes would offer enough time for the participants to learn about cultural topics beyond just food. The could end with a community meal where participants and teachers could cook for family and friends.

Both aspects of this project would earn revenue to support the program.