A Foothills County caterer has expanded her menu as she cooks for those affected by COVID-19.
Sara McGonigal of Sage Catering in Foothills County is preparing more Islamic and Filipino dishes as she helps individuals in isolation at the High River Super 8 Hotel.
“We have a few different cultural groups that are staying at the hotel, which I am trying to accommodate,” McGonigal said. “I make a few different types of meals every day.”
It meant having to do some homework – she hasn’t dabbled in Filipino cuisine too often.
“I went online and looked up a bunch of Filipino meals – a lot of fish-based meals, a lot of rice, fresh vegetables that I am not necessarily used to cooking – long beans, long egg plants and a lot of condiments and sauces that is typically used in the cooking.
“It’s been fun.”
However, there are a few more cooking steps into the mix due to COVID-19.
“It’s been a whole different ball game trying to shop or even find ingredients,” McGonigal said. “It’s not like it used to be before. The process takes twice as long to shop and to sanitize the products.”
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The shop-locally minded McGonigal said the Foothills area grocery stores have been great, and carry a surprisingly large selection of international foods and spices.
She received the request about three weeks ago to see if she could fix meals for those in isolation.
“I got a call from the general manager (at Super 8) to see if I can feed people in isolation, they were mostly Cargill workers,” McGonigal said. “So, I have been doing lunch and dinner there with contact free-delivery.”
Safety is paramount. McGonigal has no contact with those staying at the Super 8 – she’s on her own for this job – that goes from buying the groceries to delivering the food.
“I’m cooking in a commercial kitchen, but there is nobody in the building and I am the only one who has access to the kitchen,” she said. “After I go shopping, I sanitize the groceries before I go into the kitchen.
“I don’t have staff shopping or delivering for me at the moment.”
She deliveries the meals to the Super 8 in microwavable containers. The hotel staff then makes sure the meals are safely delivered to the clients.
Like all businesses in the Foothills, Sage Catering has seen a dramatic drop off in business due to COVID-19. With restriction of no gatherings of more than 15 people due to the pandemic, it’s soured her income.
However, the Super 8 is one job she is glad wasn’t large and is coming to an end. That means her clients are getting back to health and returning to their homes.
“At one time they thought the hotel was going to have 50 people, but the most I have done is 12 adults and a few children for lunch and dinner every day,” she said.
Last week, she served four adults and three children at Super 8.
She is down to two this week.
It’s not the first time McGonigal has cooked for those in need during an emergency.
She also prepared meals for residents having to stay at the Super 8 immediately following the 2013 flood in High River.
Meanwhile, McGonigal is hanging on as Sage tries to get through the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Guidelines of no gatherings of more than 15 people indoors (50 outside) it has hampered the catering business.
Sage Catering has supplemented its business by offering meals to families and making deliveries
However, it’s not the same as when she was serving her regular clientele, such as to the Rotary Club of High River meetings and a Foothills area Christian women’s group of around 50 people.
“Until it comes to a stage where it opens up more, I am kind of restricted to what I can do,” McGonigal said. “But I am happy to be working and I am happy to be serving.
“And it’s nice to see people I haven’t seen in a while, even if just wave through the window.”
For information about Sage Catering go to www.highrivercatering.ca
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