The GIANTS group provides support for migrant men living in London (Picture: Praxis)
Far from a dispassionate list of ingredients and instructions, Recipes of Life is a cookbook filled with heartwarming – and sometimes heartbreaking – stories.
The collective book features 38 recipes from 22 migrant men coming from all over the world – including China, Colombia, Nigeria and more – all now residing in London.
It also includes each author’s life story, detailing their direct experience of the UK’s hostile immigration system, including loneliness, exclusion and homelessness.
The people behind the book are all involved with GIANTS, a group for migrant men coming together to reduce isolation and share support while going through similar things.
Members developed Recipes of Life over two years as a form of group therapy, collaborating with NHS therapists. Each week, a member presented a dish, fostering dialogue about the significance of food in their lives and cultures.
Arthur, a member of the group, said: ‘Week after week, a different GIANT would come out of the kitchen with a feast they’d prepared, receiving applause and appreciation. We explained how food is a universal language, connecting people across cultures.
‘We made connections every moment, sharing survival stories, talking about the tough times we faced. We shared stories of strengths, skills, identity, positivity, moving forward, and belonging, as well as the negative impact of hostile immigration policies, homelessness, and isolation.
‘The project gave us an opportunity to talk in front of our brothers, instead of bottling it in. Sharing food and eating these meals together was a safe way to open up that bottle.’
Classic dishes like Jerk Chicken and Jollof Rice are complemented by innovative recipes, such as Alkaline Soup with nettles foraged in Hackney Marshes.
The collection was created alongside human rights charity Praxis and Tim Anderson, chef, writer, and MasterChef winner, who sat in on sessions with the men.
‘The stories shared have been truly moving, uplifting, and inspiring,’ commented Tim.
‘My mother always used to say that food is love. I think this is true – after all, cooking, feeding, and eating are acts of nurturing. In the case of GIANTS, cooking nurtures both new connections and old memories.
‘The recipes and stories here are testament to the power of food as not just physical but also spiritual sustenance – and I have to say, they all sound really, really delicious!’
You can get hold of Recipes of Life by donating £15 to Praxis here, but Praxis has shared one of the featured dishes to give you a feel of what to expect.
Chicken and dumpling soup
Vernal still remembers the smell of the soup as it simmered away on a Satuday afternoon (Picture: Praxis)
Vernal Bernard learned to cook growing up in Jamaica, where he and his friends would participate in what are called Runboats, ‘where the local kids would combine their pocket money and resources to prepare a feast together.’
He loves to watch people enjoy his food, and makes meals for his children to pass on his heritage. After coming to the UK in 2002, he has been fighting for his immigration heritage ever since, and says: ‘I always say that Praxis is my GP and GIANTS is my medicine.’
Here’s his recipe for a Caribbean chicken soup inspired by one his mum would make for him every Saturday.
Ingredients
1 whole medium chicken
1 pack of cock noodle soup mix
1 lb of fresh pumpkin
1lb of yam
1 chocho (chayote)
2 whole corns
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
2 gloves crushed garlic
1 chopped spring onions
1 scotch bonnet
3 sprigs of thyme
A few pimento seeds
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 lb of plain flour for the spinners
Water for the spinners
1 tsp salt for the spinners (optional)
Instructions
Spinners:
Mix the flour and salt (if adding) with half a cup of water and knead the mixture until it becomes a stiff dough. Now you need to create small and medium-sized spinners – you want to add the two sizes of spinners to your soup.
To make the medium sized spinners, pinch off a thumb sized portion of the dough and roll in your hand to create a tube shape.
To make the small spinners, pinch off a smaller piece of the dough and follow the same sets as the medium spinners.
Soup:
Cut the chicken through the bone into small, bite-size pieces.
Place the chicken in a large soup pot along with the pimento seeds, a sliced onion, roughly chopped spring onion, garlic thyme and corn cut into small pieces.
Cover the pot with about 1 1/2 inch of boiling water and let it cook for 10 mins.
Peel and cube the pumpkin, chocho, carrot and yam, then add them to the soup with the spinners with enough boiling water to cover.
Stir in the cock soup mix and add one whole scotch bonnet pepper.
Cover the pot and once the water starts to bubble, turn the heat down.
Let the soup cook for 30 to 55 mins until the vegetables have softened – keep checking with your fork to see if they’ve become tender. Stir occasionally. Be careful not to burst the scotch-bonnet pepper – it’s incredibly spicy.
Once the food is cooked and the soup turns a vibrant yellow, taste, remove the scotch bonnet pepper and add salt to your taste. If you want the soup to be very spicy you can burst the pepper in the last few minutes before you turn the fire off but make sure to remove the pepper before you serve.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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The book was developed over two years as a form of group therapy.