A new Cork cookbook is putting migrant women and their recipes centre stage
Here’s one to jazz up the autumn dinner rotation.
There are cookbooks that tell you what to make for dinner, and then there are cookbooks that tell you a little bit about the people, places and stories behind what ends up on the plate.
Tastes of Home: A Sanctuary Cookbook is firmly in the second camp.
The new book from Cork-based social enterprise Saoirse Ethnic Hands brings together 90 recipes from 10 countries, including Ireland, alongside personal stories from the women who cook them and the cultural traditions behind the dishes.
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And if that sounds like a cookbook worth clearing some space on the shelf for, there’s a launch event happening in Cork next month where you can meet some of the women behind it – and, importantly, eat some of the food too.
The book will officially launch on Tuesday, October 20th, at 6pm in the Atrium, Civic Offices at City Hall, Cork City.
There’ll be music from the Cork Mexican Community, refreshments and the chance to meet the women whose recipes and stories feature in the book. Books will also be available to buy on the night.
The cookbook takes readers from Afghanistan, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Serbia, South Africa and Ukraine, with each country’s food offering a glimpse into the traditions and experiences of the women who make it.
It’s not just about recipes, either.
Alongside the dishes, Tastes of Home explores traditional cooking methods and includes advice on sustainably growing culturally important ingredients in Ireland, developed with the International Garden.
The book has been fully illustrated and photographed by Emma Jervis, with the recipes tested at MTU, and includes guidance from food industry advisor Orla McAndrew.
At the heart of the project is Saoirse Ethnic Hands, a migrant-women-led social enterprise based at Nano Nagle Place. The organisation works to create pathways into training, employment and community engagement, with women encouraged to use their cooking, creative and entrepreneurial skills to build careers and generate income.
So while there are plenty of recipes in the 260-page book, the bigger idea is about who gets to tell the story of food.
Royalties from the book go to Saoirse Ethnic Hands, supporting the organisation’s work with migrant and refugee communities.
Published by Mercier Press, Tastes of Home: A Sanctuary Cookbook is priced at €21.99 – pre-order here.
