Students share their favourite family recipes

From your kitchen to our plate.

We are all a part of the Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber family. One major commonality within families is that we all love good food!

Given our diverse student body, there are so many variations of homemade and unique family recipes.

There are so many options to pick up food on-campus and off-campus. But nothing beats recipes that are passed down from generation to generation.

An eclectic student body means an equally eclectic book of recipes to feed the mind and body. Given that we have microwaves to warm your food and water fountains all over campus, nothing beats meal prep (if you do it right!).

Another great aspect of a diverse student body is that students can share recipes and share the stories about where their dishes came from. I went around campus and asked students about their favourite family recipes. Here’s what I got.

Tourtière

An image of people on a balcony with many flags of Quebec. — *Via GIPHY*

Carson Leavoy is a third-year student in the bachelor of creative advertising program. Every Christmas, his mom and grandma would make Tourtière (French Canadian meat pie)! They would make a bunch of them and give them out to friends and family.

They’ve been doing it as long as Carson has been alive. He is French Canadian, and this delicacy is his favourite dish. When it’s done well, it’s tough to beat. The crust is flaky and flavourful and it’s easy to mess up if it’s not done right. His family has definitely cracked the code!

Making this dish takes a lot of time and preparation. It is extremely complex, but essentially it includes making the crust, a spice blend, the filling, and egg wash. This delectable treat is part of a time honoured tradition, and encompasses everything we love about French Canadian heritage!

“In a sense, it takes me back to my youth and it brings a level of nostalgia. I really enjoy it, and I could maybe learn in the future and keep the family culture going,” Leavoy said.

Ciorba de burta

An animated image of the flag of Romania. — *Via GIPHY*

A first-year student in the bachelor of music program, Lucas Dina’s Romanian background has an influence on her favourite dish: ciorba de burta (Romanian tripe soup).

This is a warm meal and it makes her feel at home. She can’t make it herself, but that’s not a problem — she isn’t the cook in her family. Whenever her mom makes it, it puts a smile on her face.

This dish has a particularly delicious taste to it. It’s served hot and is a staple in Romanian culture. She would come home from school and look forward to this dish.

This meal is made up of a few simple ingredients such as beef tripe, garlic, sour cream, eggs and vinegar! Making it with just the right measurements is what really brings this dish together. The combination of flavours makes it worth trying!

“[In Romania], we use all that we can. It’s a bunch of scraps from larger meals that we put together. My Mom used to cook it for me while we were younger,” Dina said.

Arroz de cabidela

An animated image of a flag of Portugal — *Via GIPHY*

Nicholas Antunes, a student in his second year of the diploma of business and finance program, chose the Portuguese dish arroz de cabidela.

Beef and steak are the proteins in this dish, and you need to drench the dish in the meat’s blood for a couple of days when making it. The rest of the dish is made up of rice and together is where all the flavour comes alive.

You can include a wide variety of elements that can easily be found in a Portuguese household, such as paprika, garlic, bay leaves, red wine and vinegar to tasty perfection! Olive oil is also a must.

The reason Nicholas really loves this dish is that it reminds him of home and how simple life is. Also, it’s nutritious and good for you. It’s also a versatile meal and you can eat it with bread and potatoes — or pretty much everything.

He wants to visit Portugal again to learn how to make it. “This is a dish that my aunt has made from back home in Portugal. She owns a farm and she gets the ingredients fresh. It’s a little complicated to make it, but I’m going to learn soon, as it’s something I really like,” Antunes said.

From me to you

An image of the Italian flag — *Via GIPHY*

As for myself? A time-honoured tradition in my family is the dish of lasagna! As far back as I can remember, the smell wafting from the kitchen of my family’s oven brings me back to a simpler time.

The kitchen pantry itself was a canvas for this meal made up of sheets of pasta, layered with a cheesy filling, a rich, meaty tomato sauce and more cheese baked into it until it’s bubbly and brown. It’s extremely filling!

Have we got you craving a home cooked meal? Well, we have the next best thing on campus. The IGNITE Soupbar! Come and enjoy a taste of our free grab-and-go soups!

Let us know on our socials @shareignite if you have a favourite family recipe or a favourite soup from the IGNITE Soupbar.

Much thanks to Carson Leavoy, Lucas Dina and Nicholas Antunes for sharing a little bit of their story!

Image courtesy of Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash.

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