A Syrian woman is holding a food sale in Regina on Saturday to share her culture with the community and create jobs for her friends.

The Syrian food sale will take place at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre from 1 to 6 p.m. CST. The sale will feature food from 10 Syrian chefs. Regina Open Door Society is helping the group organize it.

Aisha Al Haddad, the sale's organizer and one of its cooks, said one of her friends gave her the idea for the sale.

Al Haddad came to Regina from Syria one and half years ago. Since arrived, she has often had Canadian friends and friends from other cultures over for dinner.

One day, one of her friends suggested she create a Facebook page to post pictures of the food that she makes. The pictures received many likes and one of her followers asked her to hold a bazaar so that people could try her dishes.

Al Haddad and nine other Syrian chefs will spend Friday afternoon and Saturday morning cooking for the sale.

"They need to work," Al Haddad said through a translator. She said she hopes that this sale will encourage the Syrian cooks helping her to look for work as chefs or to open their own restaurant in Regina.

Al Haddad said if the sale is successful, she and her friends will hold a bigger one and then an even larger one so more Syrian cooks can have an opportunity to work in their trained profession.

Cooking for enjoyment and out of necessity

Al Haddad said cooking is one of her hobbies but she said she also gets a lot of practice cooking for her family. Al Haddad has a husband and five young children.

With seven mouths to feed, Al Haddad spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

"I'm a chef at my home," Al Haddad said.