Inmates of Chernihiv colony for women No. 44 were treated to food and entertainment this week when they got to compete in a cooking contest organized by prison authorities.
Five teams of cooks prepared several dishes each to impress what was described as a “competent jury.”
The Penitentiary Service said in a statement on Feb. 20 that the contest consisted of two parts: theoretical and practical. No details were given on the former, but six pictures of cooked food were released to demonstrate the culinary skills of the inmates.
Smothered in mayonnaise and looking heavy, the dishes on the pictures looked like the enthusiastic cooks tried their best to impress the panel of judges, which included three prison officials, Chernihiv city council members and staff from a local restaurant.
The cooking teams were tasked with making a thick soup of vegetables and meat with spices, a meat dish with potato garnish, and a dessert. As a result, the judges got to try grilled meat, chops and pies, something that looked like a green smoothie, and more.
The winning team, called Gospodarochka (hostess), must have won the palates of the jury with their unique heart-shaped, meaty dumplings decorated with mayonnaise hearts.
“The prize for the competition is a cake. These are rare confections behind bars, so all the teams got their sweet presents and diplomas,” the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine wrote.
“Such events play a great role in the life of a colony; they are actively discussed and treasured for a long time afterwards. Besides that they clearly show that prison is not just a place where one has to reconsider his or her life but it also gives possibilities to develop talents that can be used after their release,” said Dorobaliuk.
Kyiv Post staff writer Daryna Shevchenko can be reached at [email protected]
