Cooking for that someone special is a powerful way to show your love.

Cooking as an act of love and service

Sam’s Place serves up delicious recipes for Valentine’s Day

By Lewis Green and ChristianWeek | February 13, 2015

WINNIPEG, MB—With the onset of Valentine’s Day and the plethora of commercialized expectations for couples, one might wonder how to navigate this time of year with godly love and service. Rachel Isaak, kitchen manager of Sam’s Place, a small café and used bookstore in Winnipeg, has the perfect recipe.

Isaak knows her stuff when it comes to cooking. She is a graduate of the Culinary Arts program at Red River College and did her apprenticeship at the prestigious Provence Bistro in Winnipeg.

“I love food. I love to make others enjoy and experience food the way I enjoy it,” she says. Isaak’s menu includes a lot of unique and creative selections, such as a mushroom and chevre (goat cheese) grilled cheese, not found anywhere else in the city.

Whether you consider yourself to be the next winner of MasterChef Canada or believe your microwave-reheated Kraft Dinner is the height of gourmet excellence, Isaak says the very act of cooking for another person is an act of service. “Cooking is kind of a way to pass on your love to someone,” she says.

That sentiment is reflected in the heart of how Sam’s Place, a ministry of Mennonite Central Committee, is run. Volunteers from the neighbourhood and immigrants from around the city make up a majority of the cooking brigade.

“Volunteers are here because they love it, they are cooking with their love and it really comes out in the food,” says Isaak.

Sam’s Place Seared Scallops

Boil a head of cauliflower until soft. Mash as you would to make mashed potatoes. Heat a skillet to a high temperature with oil. Quickly sear scallops evenly on each side (should take no more than two and-a-half minutes each side). Place scallops on top of the cauliflower puree and drizzle with melted butter. Serve with love.