Sacramento State students learned to make traditional food from the Dominican Republic during The WELL’s Guest Chef: Hispanic Heritage Month event at The Cove on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The WELL’s Guest Chef program allows students to present either their cultural food or family recipes and share it with others at Sac State.
Fourth-year communication studies and kinesiology major and guest chef Ashly Mejia-Ferreras shared that she wanted to teach the class because she hasn’t met many people who know about Dominican food.
“I noticed there’s not a lot of Dominicans in California, so I wanted to bring my culture back to a place that I live, to educate people, but to also eat really good food,” Mejia-Ferreras said.
The three foods featured at the event were scrambled eggs, fried plantains called tostones and morir soñando, a popular Dominican sweet citrus drink. Mejia-Ferreras said these items were a staple in her house when she was growing up.
“I could have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it’s something that I grew up with,” Mejia-Ferreras said. “So I wanted to bring a homemade aspect from my childhood back to the students.”
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During the demonstration, students were shown how to peel and prepare plantains and could follow along and prepare it themselves.
Third-year graphic design major Emily Moreno Orozco shared her appreciation for the event.
“I think this whole setup is really cool, having it as a smaller sort of group,” said Moreno Orozco. “It’s kind of hard when you get lost in a bigger crowd and this was more up close and personal.”
In addition to cutting the plantains, attendees flattened the fried plantains with a plate or mug before frying them to make the plantains crispy.
The event wasn’t just about the food though. Students were encouraged to mingle with their peers and possibly find new friendships.
Fourth-year nursing major Thu Nguyen shares that she appreciated the engagement Mejia-Fereras had with the audience.
“Ashley really interacted with her audience and asked us questions, icebreakers and she even presented about her country,” Nguyen said. “It’s really engaging, more than just a cooking demo, more like a cultural introduction.”
Cooking classes featuring a variety of foods are hosted monthly at The Cove in The WELL. The Cove can be found to the left of the main lobby near the pharmacy. The next cooking demo will be Thursday, Oct. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
