It was a busy evening in the Stettler Public Library as people gathered to sample holiday tastes from around the world.
The Thursday, Dec. 11 potluck event, hosted by both the library and Stettler Adult Learning, had guests bring in a dish of Christmas food that spoke to their traditions.
Foods ranged from the traditional Ukrainian kutia, the ritual first dish of the 12-course meatless Christmas Eve supper, to tandoori chicken.
Pam Taylor, a program assistant with Stettler Adult Learning, said that after a successful potluck in October, the two organizations couldn’t wait to try it again. Christmas became the perfect opportunity.
The invites went out to staff at Points West Living, the adult learning’s tutor program students and tutors, ESL students and teachers, and participants in the family literacy program.
As people arrived with their dishes, the library had to bring out an additional table to hold all the food, and the coat rack collapsed under the weight of all the coats.
Zakiya Dhanani, an Edmonton student doing a placement here in Stettler, brought the tandoori chicken to the event. It was a popular dish amongst attendees.
Her parents immigrated to Canada from East Africa several decades ago, and while Dhanani grew up on Canadian cuisine, the household dishes had a certain east-Indian influence, she admitted.
She found out about the event from a fellow classmate and friend, Rebecca Gano. Gano’s parents, Barb and Allen, have been host to Dhanani during her placement.
“Events like this give us a chance to discover new food and meet new people,” Taylor said. “They’re a lot of fun.”