These young Windsor newcomers are learning to cook up some tasty meals

Stepping into the community kitchen at UHC - Hub of Opportunities on a Wednesday evening, you'll likely hear a mix of sizzling, chopping and a timer going off, all while the smell of a homemade meal wafts your way.

The chefs behind it all? Young people who have newly settled in Windsor, Ont. 

As her gloved hands mix the ground beef with spices and sauces, Baleria Morillo works to carefully mince the meat. She said it's the first hamburger she's ever made. 

"I love cooking," said Morillo. 

"To cook is something important in our life because all the humans need to eat and if we do it good, we can enjoy it and we can make memories about it." 

Morillo is 16 years old and still learning to speak English. She moved to Windsor about five months ago from Venezuela with some of her family, including her cousin Cesar Muaica. 

Muaica is also in the cooking program. 

"I think cooking can be an art," he said.

"It is very cool, very nice, all the people need it." 

Teaching young cooks like Morillo how to whip up something tasty is one of the program leaders, chef Rafe Hanna. He's been running this initiative since it launched in 2016. 

"The whole idea is to introduce them to the Canadian cuisine, the culture and get different newcomers to kind of interact with each other and get to know each other," he said. 

The program, Connecting Newcomer Youth, is one of many that the UHC - Hub of Opportunities holds free for newcomer families. Youth between ages 14 and 24 can join the program. 

"A lot of newcomers, they're not introduced to different cuisines. They only know their culture or home food. Same myself when I came to this country, I only knew my Middle Eastern food," said Hanna. 

"So these kids, they get to enjoy different cuisines, they get to learn about nutrition facts, we teach them about how to eat healthy, cook healthy." 

He said he's been helping young people from a range of backgrounds and cultures learn to make a variety of dishes, from tacos to pizza. 

And at the end of every cooking class, everyone sits down together to enjoy the food they've made. 

"When they're in the cafeteria eating, you can see them interacting, 'cause food — I believe food brings people together," he said. 

"So, you could see that they're all comfortable with each other, talking, sharing stories and it becomes a really fun environment." 

When the students graduate, they get a recipe book, a certificate and a Crockpot. 

Trevor Mitchell just came to Windsor from Jamaica earlier this year. The 21-year-old said he heard about Hanna's program and wanted to join because he likes cooking. 

But when asked what his favourite part of the whole process is, he can't help but laugh as he says, "eating." 

Mitchell said he plans to start school soon and has also been looking around for a job. 

"Everyone in here is very friendly," he said.