Cooking Circles: shared food, shared culture

Posted on 9 May, 2019

There is nothing as universal as our love of food.

One of the greatest ways of bringing people, cultures and communities together, food and cooking provide a meeting space that eludes distance and time; anyone from anywhere can connect.

In 2014, Canberra’s Heidi Zajac was presented with a grant from YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas program which seeks to support women looking to start businesses or projects.

Heidi used this grant to fund her travels to Timor Leste, purchase resources like recording equipment, cover food costs, and attend social media training. With these experiences in hand, she founded Cooking Circles in 2015.

Heidi Zajac (left).

Cooking Circles is a project that focuses on building networks between women through food, recipes and cooking. It comprises of regular group get-togethers, where stories and recipes are exchanged and a sense of community is fostered.

Heidi says that it is especially effective for “those most vulnerable or socially isolated.”

“Most of us have experienced times in our lives when we were isolated, whether from an interstate move, the breakdown of a relationship, or change in life circumstances like falling ill or having a baby. The feelings of connectedness we have to others around us are incredibly important to our resilience, wellbeing, and happiness.”

As the program’s founder, Heidi reflects on the inspiration behind Cooking Circles and explains how its ties to communities in Timor Leste continue to fuel the direction of her objective in connecting women. She first visited the country in 2012, and immediately noticed the strength of the people.

“Despite the country’s small size, poverty, and recent war, it was quickly clear that this was a nation of determined people with a lot to offer,” she says. “Timor Leste has the highest rate of female ministers in the Asia Pacific. The people I’ve met are compassionate, hard-working, generous and hopeful.”

During her stay, Heidi met a local woman called Mana Berta, and the two have since become good friends.

“Food and cooking accidentally became the focus [of my trip], borne out of conversations between Mana Berta and I as we got to know each other while I stayed with her and her family,” says Heidi. Despite their different backgrounds, she notes that they possessed plenty in common in the form of family recipes, favourite foods, and recipes of celebration.

“I remember two dishes distinctly from that trip, and each reveals something about the identity of Timor Leste.” Heidi reflects how the thought of these shared recipes has her “itching to be back there in that yard with that wonderful family.” It’s no surprise that Heidi can’t wait to visit again.

“It is high time to learn some more recipes from Mana Berta… and introduce [the] babies we’ve each had since we last met!”

As such, Cooking Circles’ purpose extends beyond local meet-ups in Canberra. The program is also a way for Australians to connect with those in Timor Leste. Heidi has since established online communication between Canberrans and Timorese women and continues to promote a positive, strong image of the country by sharing her experiences in the group and in blog posts.

Cooking Circles events run regularly throughout the year. The program currently holds lunches at three locations: Currie Crescent Community Centre on Wednesdays, Common Ground in Gungahlin also on Wednesdays, and Mura Lanyon Youth and Community Centre on Mondays once a fortnight.

the essentials

What: Cooking Circles lunch groups
When: Wednesday lunch (weekly), Monday lunch (fortnightly)
Where: Currie Crescent Community Centre, Common Ground Gungahlin, Mura Lanyon Youth and Community Centre
RSVP or find more information at cookingcirclescbr@gmail.com
More information: Website, Facebook