This box is a small part of a collection of recipes I started in 2014 in Manchester, UK. I set up a small market stall as part of the Hazard festival and encouraged people to order food from me. The simple twist is that they were to “pay” for their food, not with money but instead with a recipe meaningful to them. This project has been ongoing since July 2014 and occasionally my bistro pops up at various locations all over the UK, most recently at Manchester’s Ukrainian Cultural Centre on Cheetham Hill as part of a community ‘Spring Fling’ organised by the local Jewish Museum.
My collection of recipes donated by people from all walks of life include stews, soups, curries, cakes, treats and snacks of all kinds – all infused with memories and stories. Some are also slightly more unusual… a take on flapjacks from a woman named Jill becomes FlipJills and is measured in time rather than weight… (pour 30 seconds of oats to get started!); I am also the proud custodian of a recipe for perfume; of feed for chickens and for how to be a good guest…