Afghan chef uses traditional meals to welcome hundreds of refugees to the U.S.


Afghan refugees settling into the San Francisco Bay Area are getting a taste of home, courtesy of chef Laila Mir.
Mir grew up in Afghanistan and says she cherishes the memories she has of learning to cook traditional dishes with her mom and grandmother. She moved to the United States at age 9, and with the support of her family, became a chef. Mir is on Shef, an online platform where many immigrants and refugees sell meals to customers in their neighborhoods. She specializes in Afghan food, making authentic items like kofta and firni.
Over the last several weeks, Mir has donated hundreds of meals to Afghan refugees in her area, and intends to keep doing so for the foreseeable future. She made a major delivery to the Muslim Community Center in Pleasanton, with every meal including a note welcoming the recipient to the U.S.
Shef is also helping Afghan refugees by waiving the fees to join the platform and giving each one $3,500 to pay for cooking supplies and food safety training. Co-founder Alvin Salehi, the son of Iranian immigrants, told CBS San Francisco that many of the Afghan refugees "have come to the U.S. under incredibly difficult and devastating circumstances. My hope is that we treat them with kindness. My hope is that we actually try hard to show them the America that they've always dreamt about."
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
From Da Vinci to a golden toilet: a history of museum heists
In the Spotlight Following the ‘spectacular’ events at the Louvre, museums are ‘increasingly being targeted by criminal gangs’
-
Can Gen Z uprisings succeed where other protest movements failed?
Today's Big Question Apolitical and leaderless, youth-led protests have real power but are vulnerable to the strongman opportunist
-
The allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria
The Explainer West African nation has denied claims from US senator and broadcaster
-
Operation Rubific: the government's secret Afghan relocation scheme
The Explainer Massive data leak a 'national embarrassment' that has ended up costing taxpayer billions
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacks
speed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages released
Speed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'
Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs say
Speed Read
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?
Speed Read
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign port
Speed Read