Book review: 'Eat, Share, Love' by Kalpna Woolf

Time and time again chefs and consumers alike search for meaningful food which has that spark that only dishes made with love can provide. This book is chock-full of it.

On first glance, the branding could use a bit of work. The name Eat, Share, Love is marginally too close to another famous book/Julia Roberts film, and the subtitle “our cherished memories and the stories behind them” doesn’t quite encapsulate what this book is about. It’s a deeply personal snapshot of a multitude of communities and their food. Dozens of people share recipes which have been passed down through their families, with an introduction to each one about their heritage and revealing the origins of the dish. It’s a true treasure.

Kalpna Woolf began her journey to this book when she stumbled across a census of Bristol – her hometown – which showed 91 languages are spoken in the city. Woolf founded a charity called 91 Ways to Build a Global City with the aim of bringing communities together, and after six years of running the charity she was inspired to collect the recipes and stories she had heard at the supper clubs run by 91 Ways.

There’s a recipe from LaToyah McAllister-Jones, who perfected her Guyanese roti game during the first UK lockdown. There’s Aluel de Garang, a friend of Woolf’s, who says the food writer has been begging her to share her recipes from South Sudan. There’s even a recipe from Woolf’s son Ben, who tenderly describes his childhood memories of butter chicken.

From the UK with the ‘Wylie family sherry trifle’ to Eritrea with ‘Zigni with homemade berbere spice blend’, dishes in this book span the globe. Each recipe comes with pictures that look like they have been taken straight from family photo albums, and brightly coloured snaps of the dishes themselves.

Family secrets often get lost to history. The way this book collects and parcels so many slices of traditions feels like holding the past in your hands. It’s a comforting read, and full of comfort foods that won’t be too familiar to much of your UK client base.

Eat, Share, Love by Kalpna Woolf (Meze Publishing, £22)