Recipes from the diaspora for the ‘Community Comfort’ cookbook

Activist Riaz Phillips, with the help of  Ravneet Gill (The Pastry Chef’s Guide), has gathered recipes for a heart-warming charity cookbook for BAME COVID-19 families. Bursting with recipes and stories of food and comfort from People of Colour, Riaz and friends hope to raise awareness and funds for the Majonzi COVID-19 Bereavement Fund in collaboration with the Ubele Initiative.

Community Comfort to raise funds for The Majonzi Fund

Launched alongside Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon, and named for the Swahili word for sorrow, The Majonzi Fund, raises money to help those families COVID-19 has touched in the Black and Ethnic minority community, from funeral arrangements to bereavement counsellors and therapists. All proceeds of the money raised by Community Comfort will go towards this great cause with over £10,000 being raised on the first day of publication.

With roots as far as Uganda to the Philippines, Riaz has recruited the very best chefs, home cooks, Instagram influencers and restaurateurs from the UK’s diverse food talent to share their go-to dishes of comfort they have been making in these trying times, and times that have passed. Whilst there are names you may recognise and love from leek linguine from Bake Off stars, Ruby Tandoh (Eat Up) and chocolate fudge cake from Benji Ebuehi (The New Way to Cake), to household names such as Vivek Singh and Dr Rupy Aujla (The Doctor’s Kitchen), recipes from lesser known faces such as Yvonne Maxwell, with an enchanting dish of Plantain with pistachio and rose water, and Arros caldo, a warming rice dish from Pilipino chef, Mary San Pablo (LUTO), might help you expand your favourite comfort dishes from the British classics, all whilst raising money for charity too.

Riaz was struck by the disparity of frontline staff from non-White backgrounds being affected by COVID-19. The first six doctors to die from the virus were from Black and Asian Minority backgrounds and the government enquiry showed that Black people were four times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared to White Britons, and other ethnic minorities between 10-50% more likely to suffer from COVID-19 overall. This cookbook compilation is Riaz’s effort to in some way help.

“In this time of disarray, and when we can’t break bread with our loved ones, I wanted to do something which brought joy to as many people as possible. Food and recipes are how we connect, heal and mourn but also celebrate when things get better too. For people in our communities and migrant backgrounds, food is our colour when our voices don’t always get heard, so I gathered all these recipes in hope that they might speak to you and bring you some comfort whilst contributing something back to a community that has so been affected, proportionately more so, in the UK ,” said Riaz.

Community Comfort compiled by Riaz Phillips is published by Tezata Press. Please donate a minimum of £10 to download the book https://www.tezetapress.com/

Riaz Phillips

Riaz Phillips is a London-based writer and photographer. Born in Hackney and raised in north London, he studied politics and economics at university in London followed by postgraduate study at Oxford. After this, he founded Tezeta Press – a publishing house dedicated to under-represented ideas and cultures. He is author of Belly Full: Caribbean Food in the UK, which documents Britain’s hidden Caribbean history.

Community Comfort

Published by Tezata Press in July 2020. Minimum donation £10.

Front Cover designed by Javie Huxley, a British Chilean illustrator based in London and avid campaigner and trustee of the Save Latin Village. Find her on Instagram here or more information at her website here.

Community Comfort Contributors:

Abby Lee (Mambow), Abbas Asaria (E. African / Indian Supper Club), Aji Akokomi (Akoko), Akudo Agokei (Kedu Cookery School), Alex Situnayake (Wavey Ice), Alice Rae Hale (Italo Deli), Amarachi Clarke, (Lucocao Chocolate), Amy Poon (Poon’s London), Andu’s Café, (Andu’s Café), Belinda Manfo, (Marli’s Kitchen), Benjamina Ebuehi (The Sister Table), Betty Ada Vandy (Bettylicious Cooks), Brian Danclair (Fish, Wings & Ting), Chantel & Joe Yeung (Chubby Dumpling), Shaun & Craig McAnuff (Original Flava), Delroy Dixon (Rhythm Kitchen), Denai Moore (Dee’s Table), Dr. Anna Sulan Masing (Website), Dr. Rupy Aulja (The Doctors Kitchen), Elainea Emmott (Crazy Delicious Finalist), Emeka Frederick (Chuku’s), Emily & Amy Chung (The Rangoon Sisters), Fabian Cadavid (El Bottelon Latino). Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya (Sarap), Frederick Forster (of The Don), Henry Omereye (of the Riding House Cafe), Isreal Mbabazi (Chef Secret), Ixta Belfrage (Ottolenghi), Jacob Fodio Todd (The Feature Kitchen), James Cochran (12:51 ), Janeil Fraser (for Trapfruits London), Jay Morjaria, Jay Patel (Legare), Jenny Phung (Ling Ling’s), Jeremy Chan (Ikoyi), Jimi Famurewa (of The Evening Standard), Jomon Kuriakose (Chef Jomon), Joseph Cumberbatch (Kitchen with Cumbers), Joseph Pilgrim (Island Social Club), Kaleema & Kareema Shakur-Muhammad (Livity Plant-based Cuisine). Kareem Roberts (Broke Dinner), Kavita Meelu (Smells Like Collective), Keshia Sakarah (Caribe), Khadim Mbamba (Little Baobab) , Kim Ngo, Laura Lakam & Rachel Tran (Food & Lycra) , Kindima Bah (Early Aurora), Lara Lee (Coconut & Sambal), Liam Barker (BLKN Tacos), Lillian Luk (Shanghai Supper Club), Lisa Meyer (Yum Bun), Lope Ariyo (Hibiscus), Marie Mitchell (Island Social Club), Mary San Pablo (Luto London), Melissa Saint Hill (The Bare Scientist), Melissa Thompson (Fowl Mouths Food), Micheal Caines MBE (Lympstone Manor), Michelle Salazar de la Rocha (Pollo Feliz London), Michelle Truselle (Myristica), MiMi Aye (Meemalee), Missy Flynn (Rita’s Dining), Monica Sawhney Halder (The Spice Club), Naved Nasir (of Dishoom), Naz Ramadan (Well Fed Naz), Niellah Arboine (Nyamming Nie), Nimatu Owino (Nim’s Din Cham Cham), Nonny Nkomo (Nonny’s Nibbles), Numra Siddiqui (The Empress Market), Nyasha Sakutakwa (Munch Club TV), Patrice Hinds (Pat & Pinky’s), Rachel Ama (Vegan Eats) Raquel Sofa Djalo & Emanuel Jose Correia Tavares Silva (Hawa Eatss), Ravneet Gill (Puff the Bakery), RG Vegan (RG Vegan), Riaz Phillips (Belly Full), Romy Gill MBE (Romy’s Kitchen), Ruby Tandoh (Flavour & Eat Up!). Safiyah Mariyah (Safiyah Mariyah Co.), Safiya Robinson (Sisterwoman Vegan), Saiphin Moore (Rosa’s Thai Cafe & Lao Café), Sameer Taneja (of Benares), Sandra Phillips (NHS), Santiago Lastra Rodriguez (Kol), Sareta Puri, (Sareta Puri), Selasi Gbormittah (Great British Bake Off), Shakya Manage (Sri Lankan Supper Club), Shanice Bryce (OOM Studio), Shelina Permalloo (Lakaz Maman), Shivi Ramoutar (The Ice Kitchen), Simran Randhawa (Sim Snackin), Tanya Gohil (Devi’s), The Daapah Brothers (Daapah Chocolates), Tish Wonders (Tish Wonders), Tomi Makanjuola (Vegan Nigerian), Vivek Singh (The Cinnamon collective), Yasmin Jaunbocus (Sauce communications), Yemisi Aribisala (Longthroat Memoirs), Yo Dough (Yo Dough Brum), Yvonne Maxwell (Pass the Dutchpot), Zosima Fulwell (Cooking with Mama Z)

Illustrations by Javie Huxley & Robin Clare

The Majonzi Fund

The Ubele Initiative and the Majonzi Fund works to provide small grants to help families and work colleagues, community and faith groups to organise memorial events and tributes to celebrate and commemorate the lives of loved one’s post lockdown because of the government policy on social distancing which have not allowed to give proper burial and religious ceremonies, sensitive of religious and cultural factors.

They also look to raise money so individuals can access bereavement counsellors and therapists reflecting religious and cultural diversity of the community through a network of qualified therapists through a platform called AUNTIE.

The fund will be managed the Ubele Initiative, an African Diaspora led infrastructure and leadership organization, leading the work in the UK on developing a community response to BAME communities as result of Covid-19 in London.