Pepper Spices: Building Communities and Toronto Office

pepper spices: Steve Russell / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., May 24, 2017 With the aroma of traditional Syrian delicacies permeating the air, what's usually the drivers' support centre at Uber's Toronto office was transformed into an intimate story-telling party Wednesday night, according to Toronto Star. The guests from Matthew House, a refugee shelter in the city, were welcomed by Uber staff, mingling over faruj batata, a chicken dish with potatoes, a Syrian rice concoction with seven pepper spices, and ouzi, a puff dough pastry stuffed with ground beef and green beans. The dinner is one of a series and is aimed at fostering understanding and building communities. The food, for Toronto's first Refugees Welcome dinner, was prepared by Syrian couple Amir and Nour Fattal, who arrived here from Turkey in July after they were sponsored by a group of Toronto residents. We had problems in our country. It's great to meet new people, said Ali Mahmud, 37, who fled Eritrea for Canada in January and was granted asylum two months ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.