The distinct flavours of Sri Lankan Cuisine were served up at CFB Esquimalt October 26 when cookbook author Ruwan Samarakoon-Amunugama taught a group of Base and Fleet cooks two traditional Sri Lankan recipes: Chicken Curry and Beetroot Curry. The recipes are from her new cookbook, Milk, Spice and Curry Leaves: Hill Country Recipes from the Heart of Sri Lanka.
Her appearance at CFB Esquimalt is part of their Food Diversity Week, during which they promote diversity and inclusion through food. The dishes Samarakoon-Amunugama prepared will be served in galleys across the Base, along with other cultural cuisines, including Chinese, Lebanese, Italian, and Greek.
“Home cooking and incorporating spices into delicious dishes have long been a part of my diet and lifestyle,” says Samarakoon-Amunugama via Touchwood, her publishing company. “The many spices used in the recipes I have included in the book have been used for thousands of years to contribute to health and wellness. During the current crisis we are all facing, being in good health is at the forefront of our minds.”
CFB Esquimalt Base Commander Capt(N) Sam Sader says they were pleased to welcome the author to their week-long event. “Food is just one of the many ways we can come together to celebrate and recognize the rich multicultural community we share. Seeing the diversity of our members better represented in the cuisine we offer is another step forward in building a more inclusive and welcoming workplace.”
Master Sailor Ryan Eves, CFB Esquimalt Cook agrees, saying “this event was a great opportunity for some of our Fleet and Base cooks to learn traditional Sri Lankan Cuisine cooking techniques, including how to use traditional spices and herbs that we don’t normally have in the galley. We can take what we learned here today and bring it back to our units to incorporate this Sri Lankan Cuisine into the menu.”
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