Face Time: Culinary connection

Whether at the State Fair or a state dinner, food brings people together.

That was certainly the case at the Sambusa Cook-Off at the Lab Theater in Minneapolis. Sambusa, an import from Somalia, is a triangular bread pocket traditionally filled with meat and deep-fried. It's usually eaten to break the daily fast during the monthlong Ramadan.

For the cook-off, five competitors -- a caterer, a wholesaler, a restaurant, a deli and a home cook -- served up hundreds of sambusa to partygoers who then chose their favorite. Because the contest called for a vegetarian sambusa, the competitors made concoctions that incorporated lentils, potatoes, carrots, peas and spinach. They also whipped up dipping sauces that ranged from spicy mango to guacamole.

"We're improving sambusa in Minnesota," said Adar Kahin, one of the judges. Kahin said that sambusa has become more popular in the United States than they are in Somalia: "If it's a good time, we eat sambusa."

The culinary cultural immersion was put together by Neighbors for Nations (an initiative of the American Refugee Committee) as a way to strengthen ties between Somali-Americans and the wider community in Minnesota.

The free event attracted plenty of foodies. For judge Lynne Rossetto Kasper of "The Splendid Table," it was her first taste of sambusa.

"Every culture has figured how you take a small amount of filling and wrap it in dough and make it irresistible," she said. "In Somalia, they've gone the extra mile and deep-fried them."

Safari Restaurant took home the top prize, but everyone went home well-fed and better informed.

"The best thing to me is looking around at the variety of communities overcoming politics," said Kasper. "We might not break down every barrier in the world [with food], but doggone it, it's delicious trying."

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177