Delicious UK - (09)September 2020

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Howcomfortfoodis

providingconsolation

Cooks,chefsandcreativesfrommigrantbackgroundsshare

recipesthatcelebratetheirheritageina newdigitalcookbook

raisingfundsforBAMEcommunitiesaffectedbyCovid-

W

henhereadthatcoronavirusis

disproportionatelyimpactingpeople

fromtheBlack,AsianandMinority

Ethnic(BAME)community,writerand

photographerRiazPhillipswantedtohelp.The

authorofthebookBellyFull, whichexploresthe

historyofCaribbeanfoodintheUK,Riazwas

struckbya changeinthetypeoffoodpeople

werepostingaboutinlockdown.“Morepeople

weresharingtheircomfortfood– andspecifically

turningtotheirheritagefood,”hesays.

Inspiredbyothercommunity

cookbooks,Riazsoughttobringthese

dishestoa wideraudience– andraise

moneyintheprocess.Hechose

tosupporttheMajonziFund– a

bereavementfundthatsupportspeople

fromBAMEbackgroundswhohavelost

lovedonestoCovid-19.“Thefocusis

ontherapy,helpingpeoplewithPTSD,

memorialservicesandremembrance

funds,manyofwhichpeoplearen’treally

thinkingaboutyet,”hesays.

Riazcontactedfriendsandcompiled

submissions,photographingsomeoftherecipeshimself.His

digitalcookbookCommunityComfortwasreleasedonlya fewweeks

later.It bringstogether 100 recipesfromthediaspora,fromthe

Ghanaianstreetfoodkelewele– gingerandchilli-spikedfried

plantain– toThaipapayasaladandMauritianmuttoncurry.

ContributorsincludeBakeOfffavouritesSelasiGbormittah,

BenjaminaEbuehiandRubyTandoh,householdnamesRomyGill,

VivekSinghandMasterChefwinnerShelinaPermalloo,plusa host

oftalentedlesser-knowncooksandchefs.Riazcontributed

a recipeforslowstewpeas,“aJamaicaninstitution”.

Inthebook’sintroduction,Riazwritespowerfullyofthe

importanceoffoodtomigrantcommunities.“I wantedtoharness

thatpowerofcomforttoproviderelieftoothersinthismadtime.”

• Donate(minimum£10)anddownloadthebookattezetapress.com

LOAFSTORY:A LOVELETTER

TOBREAD,WITHRECIPES

TimHayward,writer,broadcasterand

bakeryowner,reflectsonbread’s

enduringpopularity,includingtheappeal

ofthewhiteloaf.Chaptersonsandwiches,

cookingwithbreadandthethingsweput

ontoastoverflowwithheart,triviaandniftyideas.

Out 17 September(Quadrille£20)

SOURDOUGHSEPTEMBERisorganisedbytheReal

BreadCampaigntopromotebakingourown

naturallyleavened,unadulteratedbreadand

supportingindependentbakeries.Thisyearthe

initiativeisencouragingyoutobakesomething

new,notjustloaves,thenshareit onsocialmedia

withthehashtag#sourdoughseptember.

sustainweb.org/realbread/sourdough_september

BREAD

SPECIAL

THESOURDOUGHSCHOOL:SWEETBAKING

SourdoughtutorVanessaKimbell

reimaginesfeelgoodbaking,

exploringthelinkbetweenguthealth

andwellbeing.There’sa lottodigest

(sheconsultedover 300 studies),but

thisinvolvedbookwillrewardthe

curious,withrecipesforcakes,drinksandmore.

Out3 September(KyleBooks£25)

Hotnew cookbooks

WHOLEGRAINSOURDOUGHATHOME

Forbreadbeginnerslookingto

eschewplainwhiteloavesandavoid

excessexplanationandjargon,

homebakerElaineBoddy’sthorough

bookisa greatplacetostart.It has

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Out1 October(PageStreetPublishing£17)

If youfeelinneedofa country

walkbutdon’thavetimeforthe

realthing,YeoValleyhasthe

remedy.TheorganicSomerset

dairyfarmhasteamedupwith

naturalistSteveBackshall(left)

tocreatea 15-minutesymphony

ofsoundsfromthefarm’s

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frombees,owls,skylarks,

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yeovalley.co.uk/biodiversity-with-

steve-backshall

...And relax

Community

comforter

Riaz Phillips

Aubergine

rundown and

(right) roasted

plantain with

pistachio ice

cream

AUBERGINE RUNDOWN BY OOM’S SHANICE BRYCE. ROASTED

PLANTAIN BY YVONNE

MAXWELL @PASSTHEDUTCHPOT

in the know.