An elaborate table is set, and Argentinian tango music fills the room in Mirta Rinaldi’s apartment in NYC’s Queens. Her guests: five strangers, who came together to learn about the culture of Rinaldi’s home country of Argentina.
“Cooking has been my passion all my life, so teaching this from my home and sharing my culture, it's a gift,” Rinaldi says.
Rinaldi is just one of a network of 14 instructors who are part of the League of Kitchens, a group of immigrants from around the world who welcome strangers inside their homes.
The experience allows those from other countries to impart their culture and family recipes onto eager students, regardless of their cooking ability.
Rinaldi believes that when people learn about someone’s culture, they learn to respect each other's differences. That’s why she opens up her home to strangers every Sunday.
“I love it,” says Rinaldi, smiling.
Learn more about the League of Kitchens
here
.