Join us for Sanctuary Kitchen's winter series: Soup & Salaam! Soup & Salaam aims to bring the community together through the warm and nourishing power of soup and conversation. We invite you come and break bread over soup with our refugee and immigrant neighbors. It will be an inclusive space to share stories, deepen mutual understanding, and form real connections.

Each month, we will feature a different a Sanctuary Kitchen chef, a traditional soup, salad and bread of her country of origin, and her culinary and cultural stories. This month's comforting meal will consist of Afghan Aush Rishta - a hearty stew made with spinach, a variety of herbs, legumes and noodles (vegeterian) - handmade naan, and a salad prepared by Afghan chef, Maleka.

Maleka came to New Haven in 2013 with her family from Ghazni, Afghanistan. They were forced to leave their home due to the insecurity caused by the Taliban. Maleka has been cooking for 12 years, and her specialties include aush rishta soup, bolani (stuffed flatbread), Qabili palau (spiced rice with lamb, caramelized carrots and raisins), and firni (a creamy cardamom-rose pudding). Maleka loves to cook Afghan food, and want to share it with others through Sanctuary Kitchen. She is also eager to learn from Sanctuary Kitchen chefs from other cultures.

The Kitchen at CitySeed is located in the CitySeed office at 817 Grand Ave. -- two blocks from State St. and downtown New Haven. Free parking is available along Grand Ave. and on surrounding streets.

For inquiries, please email sanctuarykitchen@cityseed.org