Two years ago, when Stefcho was preparing for Cupi’s Spoon, Marty started helping him in the kitchen. “We decided to give it a try and see how it would go,” says Milen Borisov, the team leader at our sheltered housing facility in Kazanlak. And what happened was that Marty started to feel very comfortable there. He found it interesting, paid close attention to how each step was done, and made sure to follow the instructions exactly. And in the end, he was very happy with the results.
Since then, he has regularly participated in preparing various dishes, and over time, the kitchen has become a place where he feels confident and at ease. So, quite naturally, this year he was among the participants in Cupi’s Spoon – the international culinary competition for people with disabilities.
This year, the local round of the competition took place in Plovdiv on a sunny day in late April. The event took place in the small square in front of the beautiful St. Ludwig Cathedral, and there were nearly twice as many participants as last year – close to 30 people.
There were five of us from our group – Geri, Dana, and the two Martys competed in the Dish category, while Krisi competed in the Cocktail category.
The rules are simple – everyone has ten minutes to prepare their dish, the judges taste it, and finally, they select the winners. The converted food truck stage has room for four people to cook at the same time, and it turned out that the first four were our young people.
Being first in anything always brings a bit of nervousness, but it also motivates. When the host announced that the competition would begin with Cedar, our young people, along with their chaperones, switched into “we have a mission, and we must complete it” mode. After setting up their workstations, the competition began, and the participants immersed themselves in their tasks. This immersion swept the nervousness off the stage.
Being first in anything always brings a bit of nervousness, but it also motivates. When the host announced that the competition would begin with Cedar, our young people, along with their chaperones, switched into “we have a mission, and we must complete it” mode. After setting up their workstations, the competition began, and the participants immersed themselves in their tasks. This immersion swept the nervousness off the stage.
Our young people presented their dishes, which they had prepared with great diligence and attention to detail. Marty from Kazanlak prepared two types of savoury pastry rolls garnished with arugula, olives, and cherry tomatoes. Marty, who attends the social integration centre in Kyustendil, cooked a stuffed chicken fillet. Geri from the family homes in Kyustendil presented a side dish, and Dana made a “cake in a glass” dessert with mascarpone cream and strawberries.
Once the chefs had finished their presentations, the relief of a job well done turned into a little dancing. Then the sun started to beat down on us, but at least we were able to chat and share how we’re handling everyday life in our two cities. On top of everything else, the trip to Cupi’s Spoon was an opportunity for our young team members to meet with our colleagues from Kyustendil and Kazanlak, as well as with colleagues from the central team in Sofia.
Then it was Krisi’s turn to present the “Millennium” cocktail, which sparked the jury’s dreams of summer, the sea, and lazy afternoons in the sun.
We didn’t win the award this year, but our young team members left with delicious memories, a sense of satisfaction, and a desire to return to the kitchen counter next year.
Cupi’s Spoon
Cupi’s Spoon is an international initiative of the Croatian organisation UNUO. Every year, their team travels to different countries in a specially equipped truck that serves as both a stage and a kitchen. To date, they have held over 1,000 workshops for people with disabilities, and many of the participants are now working full-time thanks to the skills they have acquired. The goal of the competition is to show that people with disabilities can successfully manage daily activities when given the opportunity and the necessary support.
