When St. Thomas University president Nauman Farooqi found out the Campus Ministry hosts international lunches every Thursday, he saw an opportunity.
“Claire mentioned that they cook for the students every week. I said that I’d love to cook and she said, ‘we’ll put you on the list.’”
That day came on Jan. 25, when students got to learn directly from Farooqi how to make traditional Pakistani dishes in collaboration with Claire Morrison, STU’s campus minister.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Farooqi offered a cooking class on dishes that reminded him of his family. This included matar pulao, a rice dish with an onion base; chicken tikka, a spicy-barbeque chicken; and raita, a mix of yogurt, salt, pepper, cucumber, onions and tomatoes, as well as multiple vegetarian options.
“It brings back a lot of memories, family get-togethers, family meals. It kind of reminds me of all the memories growing up as a child,” said Farooqi.
An uncommon yet interesting activity for a university president, Farooqi said he got the opportunity to talk to students who attended his class. But his favourite part was when the students tried his food.
“They liked it, they enjoyed it, they were appreciating it,” said Farooqi. “That put a smile on my face.”
For him, food allows for enhancing and facilitating the interaction between different people and cultures. He was reminded of his time living in Boston, where he got to interact with people from all over the world.
“We used to have a potluck dinner. Everybody would make something from their own country,” he said.
“It allows for the conversation to happen and I think it opens doors, opens understanding, opens the hearts of the people.”
Morrison, who is in charge of cooking dishes from around the globe every week for students, said Farooqi was apt at cooking in a kitchen that he’s not familiar with.
“He came and he was prepared and he knew what he was doing. I thought that was pretty admirable,” said Morrison.
She organizes the community meals every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Holy Cross House room G7.
Related: The comforting dishes of STU’s campus minister, Claire Morrison
Morrison explained that this is a free meal by the campus ministry to address food insecurity and to “break the habit of social isolation.”
“It’s one place where they can come and eat as much as they want,” she said.
Morrison herself is conscious of how important food is to unite people from different backgrounds, which is why she cooks food from different cultures.
“My parents come from other countries, so I watched them struggle to bring their home culture to me as a child,” she said. “I see the kids that come to campus ministry like an extension of my own family.”
