In a celebration of cultural diversity and culinary excellence, the Community Kitchen Club recently held an event called “Feasts of Asia” that aimed to bring students and staff together over fresh cooked Asian cuisine.

The event took place on Thursday, Jan. 25 in the Japanese Cultural Resource Center (JCRC) and was led by the Community Kitchen Club members. They prepared different types of Asian cuisines, like lumpia and pho, along with homemade teriyaki sauce.

Laura Wild, the Community Kitchen Club advisor, shared the club’s meaning and goals.

“This is to create community, it’s to help students learn how to cook and not to feel embarrassed about it,” Wild said. “It started in 2018 and it was a student’s idea. Students drive the menu and pick the themes with two dinners per quarter.”

The club, which is dedicated towards assisting in home cooking and community building, hosts many events and meetings around the topic of food and cooking.

“Having a club like this is so important on many levels and not just the cooking skills but also in building the community and we miss that as a society,” Wild said.

Jeremy Chan shared the importance of students knowing more than basic cooking skills.

“It is definitely important, it’s healthy and if you’re not living with your parents, takeout is much more expensive and unhealthy, while cooking at home is better and healthier,” Chan said.

The Community Kitchen Club meets every Thursday during winter quarter from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the JCRC. The club is open to all students, regardless of their cooking skill or experience.

Mark Beattie, a hospitality and business professor at WSU Everett, shared his input into the culture of an event like this.

“What better way to explore different cultures (than) through food and different themes,” Beattie said.