Island chef celebrating Canada 150 in Africa - Action News
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PEI

Island chef celebrating Canada 150 in Africa

Chef Ilona Daniel will use Canadian foods such as lobster, mussels and beef in the meal she prepares for some 800 guests, but it will be fused with local Ethiopian ingredients.

IIona Daniel asked to prepare Canadian meal for 800 in Ethiopia

That's not Charlottetown. Chef Ilona Daniel has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to prepare a meal for 800 guests. (Ilona Daniel)

An Island chef is taking the taste of P.E.I. to Africa as part of the Canada 150 celebrations.

IIona Daniel was asked by Canada's ambassador to Ethiopia to prepare a meal for 800 people this week, after she was found through a Google search by staff.

She'll be using Canadian foods such as lobster, mussels and beef, but it will also be fused with local Ethiopian ingredients.

Chef Ilona Daniel was asked to come to Ethiopia by the Canadian ambassador, who wanted someone to prepare a special meal for Canada 150. (Kenny Vail photo)

So far she's enjoying the interactions with the other cooks as they get ready for the meal.

"There's a great diversity of men and women in the kitchen," she told Island Morning's Matt Rainnie. "But more so from what I've seen so far, women are doing the prep, like peeling, chopping onions, that sort of thing. So I got them to help me with the beef tenderloin, and we did those sorts of things together, a little bit more skill involved."

Daniel is working in the capital city ofAddis Ababaand had hoped to see more of the country, but has run into a travel issue.

It's mango season in Ethiopia, and local foods will be mingled with P.E.I. favourites to create a meal in honour of Canada 150 put on by the Canadian embassy. (Ilona Daniel)

"Actually there's a festival going on right now, kind of like Old Home Week," she said. "So there's a lot of Ethiopians returning to the country, so all the domestic flights are basically fully booked, so it's limited some of my travel plans."

The guest list for the meal includes politicians and diplomats, restaurant staff, and Canadians who are living in Ethiopia.

From the Island Morning interview by Matt Rainnie