Culture & Cuisine with Primary Source

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Culture & Cuisine with Primary Source at New England Culinary Arts Training (NECAT) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 to support empowering teachers in bringing global perspectives to their students!

We are grateful for your support and dedication to the teachers who depend on us for knowledge, inspiration, and care.

We hope that you enjoyed the engaging and informative culinary demonstration by Chef Chris Faison, NECAT Culinary Instructor who stepped in after an unexpected circumstance prevented Chef Saba Wahid from joining us, as well as Primary Source Program Director Dan Osborn’s presentation about the connections of our work around food and commodities to history and culture.

We are thankful to Brittany Burns, chair of the Social Studies Department at Algonquin Regional High School Northborough-Southborough, who expanded on the importance of this work without any sugar-coating, reminding us all of the challenges and instability teachers face in today’s political climate. And teachers do not have to teach history or social studies to benefit from Primary Source programs as former math teacher, Audrey Prager, shared with us. Understanding global cultures and teaching through a diverse lens benefits every teacher and every student.

  • Auction items generously provided by Primary Source supporters included:
  • Two signed copies of Jacques Pépin’s recent cookbook Art of the Chicken together with free access for a year to the Pépin Foundation’s video recipe book “Cooking with Jacques” (it’s great if you like to cook or watch cooking shows – together with printable recipes!). 
  • Two tickets to Handel & Hadyn Society’s concert  “Crossing The Deep”  at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum on Sunday, June, 4 at 3pm. H+H will take you on a dramatic—and revelatory—journey exploring the shared wealth of Old and New World music—from cherished African American spirituals to Handel’s uplifting anthems and more. 
  • Two tickets to a 2023/2024 H+H concert of your choice and they’re among the best seats in the house. H+H your way!
Chef Saba Wahid Duffy, Chopped Grand Champion

Meet Chef Saba

Chef Saba Wahid Duffy, Culinary Instructor, Food Truck Owner, and Chopped Grand Champion, is a well known culinary media figure, having built an international brand with a strong presence in New England and the Middle East. Chef Saba had a weekly cooking segment on a Dubai lifestyle TV program, and hosted numerous culinary events around the UAE before returning to New England to work in the culinary industry.

In 2020, Chef Saba was cast for a special episode of Chopped with Martha Stewart on the Food Network. Excited for the opportunity, Chef Saba was up against 16 of the best culinary talents in the country. She prevailed and won the elite title of Chopped Grand Champion and the $50,000 grand prize.

Chef Saba invested the winnings into Kush By Saba, her first official food truck business. She serves up modern Mediterranean fare with global influences, inspired by her South Asian heritage. 

Chef Saba Wahid Duffy is also a culinary instructor at New England Culinary Arts Training (NECAT), Boston, a non-profit tuition-free organization that provides culinary skills training to adults who have faced life challenges to prepare them for careers in hospitality. 

Chef Saba’s commitment to education and serving delicious from-scratch meals is just the beginning. Keep an eye out for Chef Saba’s first cookbook featuring her original twist on  Mediterranean and South Asian cuisine as well as media projects that are set to air this spring!

Health and Safety Guidelines

We are monitoring Massachusetts and CDC COVID-19 guidelines to ensure that our event is as safe as possible for all guests and will send email updates prior to the event as needed. Masking will be at one’s own discretion for the evening. For the consideration of all of our guests, we request that all attendees be fully vaccinated by the date of the event, with an exception of those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical conditions. In addition, we request that you take a rapid COVID-19 test within 24 hours of the event and stay home if you are experiencing cold symptoms.