Together : Our Community Cookbook
on Goodreads (583)
What’s inside...
Together is a charity cookbook that contains over 50 recipes from the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen in West London, who came together to cook in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. The book celebrates the power of cooking to create connections, restore hope and a sense of home. It includes a foreword by HRH The Duchess of Sussex and features simple yet delicious dishes from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Eastern Mediterranean. Each recipe is accompanied by stories of history, culture, and family. All profits from the sales of the book will support the Hubb Community Kitchen, helping to strengthen lives and communities through cooking.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
13-16
Length
128 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
How does the act of cooking together help build a community?
What can we learn about different cultures through their food?
Why is it important to support and help each other in a community?
How do you think the people in the cookbook felt when they were cooking and eating together?
What are some ways we can help our own community, like the people in the cookbook did?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start the conversation with a personal anecdote about a time you cooked with someone else. This can help your child relate to the experiences in the book. Encourage them to describe how different dishes might taste, tapping into sensory details to enhance understanding. Listen actively to your child’s ideas, showing enthusiasm and support for their thoughts. You can also plan a small cooking activity inspired by the book to make the conversation interactive and experiential.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The importance of community involvement
Explanation: The book demonstrates community involvement through the collaboration of women from different cultures to support a communal kitchen following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to participate in community service projects or local events to understand the value of working together for a common goal.
Example Lesson: Celebrating cultural diversity
Explanation: ‘Together’ showcases a range of recipes from various cultural backgrounds, illustrating the diversity within communities.
Real-World Application: Kids can be encouraged to learn about and appreciate different cultures through food, festivals, and sharing stories, fostering a sense of global citizenship.
Example Lesson: Empathy and understanding
Explanation: The origin of the cookbook reflects a compassionate response to a community’s hardship, showing how empathy can lead to impactful actions.
Real-World Application: Children can be taught to recognize when someone in their community is in need and think of ways to help, enhancing their emotional intelligence and empathy.
Example Lesson: The power of storytelling
Explanation: The book not only shares recipes but also the personal stories of the women behind them, highlighting how storytelling can preserve history and personal experiences.
Real-World Application: Encourage children to share their own stories or family histories, which can promote communication skills and strengthen family bonds.
Example Lesson: Creativity and innovation
Explanation: The cookbook exemplifies innovation as the community finds creative ways to heal and connect through cooking and sharing meals.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to try new creative projects or innovative solutions to problems, learning that creativity can be a powerful tool in making positive changes.