<article class="content"> <p>What better way to introduce Syrian culture to the city of Pittsburgh than through food?</p> <p>This past July, Hello Neighbor partnered with Scratch Food &amp; Beverage in Troy Hill to do exactly that! Hello Neighbor and Scratch F&amp;B hosted a Syrian Community Dinner featuring Alya, a Syrian refugee and home cook.</p> <p>This was the second dinner in Hello Neighbor’s pop up dinner series where refugee home chefs partnered with chefs of local Pittsburgh restaurants to offer an authentic and unique cultural dining experience.</p> <p><a href="https://www.helloneighbor.io/hello-neighbor-casa-brasil-first-community-dinner">Read about the first dinner that kicked off the series at Casa Brasil here</a>.</p> <p>During this special evening, Alya worked side by side with the owner of Scratch F&amp;B Don Mahaney and Executive Chef Chris O’Brien to plan the menu and prepare the food. Although Alya had never cooked in a professional setting before, Don and Chris quickly realized that she was an expert in the kitchen and that she has a true passion for sharing food with others.</p> <p><img src="/assets/scratch-dinner-1_food1.jpg" alt="“syrian" food=" 1”="></p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/helloneighborhq/photos/?tab=album&amp;album_id=643195262863854">See more photos from the evening!</a></p> <p>Alya has always loved food and cooking–she grew up raising animals and growing her own plants in Syria, and she first began cooking at age 16. Between dinner and dessert, Alya explained to the guests that she one day dreams of owning her own restaurant. She plans to offer traditional Syrian food and free meals to 10 people per day that cannot afford to pay.</p> <p>In 2017, Alya joined Hello Neighbor and was matched with a kind and wonderful mentor family from the Northside of Pittsburgh. Alya credits some of her passion for bringing Syrian food to Pittsburgh to her mentor Steve and his family, who encouraged her to keep cooking after trying her food for the first time. Alya loves to cook for her Syrian friends and family in the Pittsburgh area.</p> <p>As of early 2020, Alya and her family have moved to Morgantown West Virginia and have purchased a space to open their own restaurant. We cannot wait until it opens, and encourage you all to go and try it.</p> </article>