Recently a sunken historic ship was explored further, years after the obvious valuables had been removed and catalogued. And they found even more valuable cargo. The back story
From where I stand, keep the gold and jewels, just let me loose on those spices.
Speaking of valuable food-related information, this came today
Families displaced by the fire, largely Muslim, led by Munira Mahmud, made homeless by the fire, with nowhere to cook, arranged for space for a community kitchen at a nearby Muslim center.
Bed pillows, throw pillows. The green one has a cover I designed and knitted, different design on the back.
Meghan put her name and a lot of effort into working with the women leading the cooking, getting stuck in to cooking along with them, then helping get these recipes collated, published and distributed, proceeds to the Grenfell charity.
The community kitchen, named the Hubb, Arabic word for love, could only afford the space twice a week. With the proceeds from the cookbook sales, they could expand to seven days a week.
Here it is in action
This book has, at last count, raised upwards of half a million pounds, enabling the project to keep its kitchens open seven days a week.
So my buying the cookbook not only brings me new ideas to explore, but helps with their funding. And connects me, however humbly, to these heroic women.
A cheering note on a gloomy, lonely, wet February day.
About cool food ideas, I saw this one on Spain on a Fork and forgot to mention it. He slices cheese with a vegetable parer. Easier than grating, less annoying than the cheese slicing side of the box grater.
So I've started doing it, and wonder why I never thought of this before. I expect a lot of blogistas are thinking she didn't know that? Where's she been living? Well I didn't, but now I do, so I'm happy to have learned a little trick.
About the Lenten activity around here I was thinking about. I'm not religious, just borrowing the idea of doing something consistently for forty days, with an end in view.
I decided that winnowing will start again. Every day I'll offer either via Freecycle or the thriftie, things I can live without, to try to get simpler. By Easter, I'll be further ahead. St least, that's the plan.
Here's the start
Bed pillows, throw pillows. The green one has a cover I designed and knitted, different design on the back.
We'll see if Freecycle does it, or if I'll have to put this batch in the car, ready for a thriftie trip when there's enough to warrant it.
Happy evening everyone, I'm going for a cup of tea now, the cup that cheers, but not inebriates. Good old Hazlitt, a saying for every eventuality.
All right. You take the spices, I'll take the jewelry. I am a fool for jewelry although I don't really wear much these days. I'm like a magpie though- drawn to shiny objects. It really is interesting though, to see the spices that represented wealth, so many of them to be found on all of our shelves today.
ReplyDeleteI've used the veg peeler for cheese for a long time. It really is a handy trick.
I had a feeling you'd know that trick! I'm so tickled with it.
DeleteI too had not heard of the veg peeler trick. Must try tomorrow!
DeleteGreat way to divest yourself of items. It continues here too. I hope to have less around by the summer for sure, but every day a little more disappears!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure what to do but figured winnowing never goes wrong.
DeleteNow that is a good Lenten idea. I might start looking around again, there is still much that might be culled. We have gone off Freecycle - too many time wasters. Our culls now go to either Age UK or a charity called Stella's Voice that works protect the worlds most vulnerable from human trafficking.
ReplyDeleteI've had pretty good experience with free cycle, but the Vietnam vets thriftie is my backup. As long as I don't shop while I'm there!
DeleteNice story and photos about the Grenfell cooking project hosted by Duchess Meghan Merkal! The community kitchen for the muslim survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire is a worthy cause, and I'm glad the cookbook raised a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteIt was her first project after marrying into the royal family. Terrific success. Resented by certain family members who thought she was doing a little too well..but it speaks for itself.
Delete"Together: Our Community Cookbook" -- what a great fundraiser! Looking forward to reading what you think of the recipes and which ones you want to try first!
ReplyDeleteI am, too. This is becoming more and more a food blog. Well, I guess there are worse things..
Delete"Together: Our Community Cookbook" is a great project; good the Duchess could participate. I did not realize the amount of money it raised. Good for them.
ReplyDeleteThey were a great team. All the leading women needed was money and visibility and they just went with it. She worked so well with them and was accepted as a partner not just a visiting waving smiling royal.
DeleteNever heard of that treasure nor Grenfell or the cookbook. I live a sheltered life, apparently.
ReplyDeleteIt was a huge scandal fir which the government has still not admitted responsibility. A 22 floor London public housing apartment building caught fire in June 2017. It started with a faulty refrigerator, but the building had been cladded with cheap, highly flammable illegal material and the place went up like a torch. 72 died, many survived with burns and smoke inhalation. Hundreds were homeless, since the building was a total loss.
DeleteThe brave women cooking at the community center are survivors.
It was a classic corner cutting on public housing for minorities, most of the tenants being minorities, many Muslims. Until Meghan plunged in and dtew attention to it, thoughts and prayers were about the most officials did.
She was able to draw money from the Royal Foundation to fund the project until it got under way. But it was her own visibility and contacts and reputation as a businesswoman that really moved it.
I only recently found out about the spice ship, and was very impressed. The spices are still usable, even.
DeleteAnd...suddenly it was pancake day here, today, thanks to your post yesterday. Cornmeal walnut to be exact. Shrove Wednesday?
ReplyDeleteIt took me a moment to figure out who Meghan was, as I don't follow royal (or unroyal, as it were) doings much. But it sounds like this was a meaningful doing. That Grenfell fire was such a preventable tragedy. Well done, Meghan! And I too look forward to seeing some recipes (or opinions about recipes) once you've delved into the book.
Chris from Boise
There's been such a to-do about Harry and Meghan, I omitted to explain! But I guess it came clear eventually.
DeleteI realized it was shrove Tues reading Sue in Suffolk's blog! We've become a blog samizdat.
This is a wonderful way to raise funds. I so enjoyed your blog. I am now a follower. Thanks for stopping by mine. Have a lovley day.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for commenting, and I'm glad you're enjoying. This blog goes all over the place in subject matter, as the spirit moves me, so I always hope it makes interesting reading.
DeleteAs always, something interesting to read and think about when I visit with you! I'm going to see if our library happens to have a copy of that cookbook and if not perhaps they'll order it. Interesting that those spices survived their watery storage for so long. You'd think some species of marine life would have snacked on them.
ReplyDeleteThey were very carefully packed and sealed. Otherwise there could have been preseasoned fish to catch.
Delete