Two stories in Yasmin Khans cookbook Ripe Figs tell of the power of food.
In the first, Khan recounts how Greek volunteers started bringing containers of food for migrants who were sleeping in a park but insisted on the food being homemade. We wanted to convey the message that somebody cares about you. Cares enough to spend their afternoon baking a cake that smells or feels like home, said Nadina Christopoulou, one of the founders of the initiative.
Second is the story of Home for All, a restaurant on the banks of a fishing port on the edge of the Gulf of Yera in Lesbos, where, every day, 40 immigrants are brought from some of the most violent refugee camps to eat at a restaurant that is bright, communal, and full of life. Being able to eat in this comfort, at a table, with proper cutlery it restores peoples dignity, it reminds them who they are. It makes them feel like home, said Katerina Katsouris, who co-owns Home for All with her husband.
Those acts of care are what inspired Khan, the chef and author of Zaitoon, to take a trip to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to cook in refugee camps. She saw how ones humanity can be restored over a plate of food, a glass of wine, a conversation at a shared table. The cookbook focuses on the similarities between the foods from each place. That way, writes Khan, you can begin to see similarities where political borders insist upon division and difference.
You say you want this book to open peoples eyes to the migrant crisis. Why did you think a cookbook would be a good place to bring this topic alive?
Food is an incredibly powerful vehicle for helping us understand ourselves, and the world around us. When you learn about food, you dont just learn about a set of ingredients. You learn about history, geography, migration. For many years I was a human rights campaigner, working on issues ranging from police shootings to the blockade of Gaza. What I learned was when youre trying to raise awareness of quite heavy political issues, the most important thing to do is to try and build a connection. Food is such a wonderful way of connecting people, because its so visceral, something we can all relate to.
In the US and the UK, theres often an attitude around migration that We dont have enough. You find people who really dont have much opening their arms and not just saying, Were going to give you a sandwich, but Were going to make sure every single thing we give you is homemade. Talk to me about that difference.
Turkey is the biggest recipient of refugees in the world: there are 3.6 million refugees in Turkey. In 2020, the US, settled just under 12,000. The way refugees and migrants have been used as scapegoats by political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic doesnt really reflect the numbers of people moving to these countries, nor the fact that migration is just an essential part of what it means to be human. Throughout our history, weve always moved for our survival.
You mention in the book that you chose recipes from Greek, Cyprus and Turkey to focus on similarities between places where governments insist on seeing difference.
Absolutely. Borders are completely a man-made construct. The very notion of nation states is a very recent one in human history were looking at a few hundred years, mostly. I just wanted to pull right back and look at the region, where we dont see artificial lines and try to, yes, celebrate the commonalities.
You believe in open borders.
We do have open borders for a section of society. The rich can move very easily. Cyprus is a classic example: on the one hand, youve got refugees making perilous journeys on choppy waters and small boats, trying to get to the island and then potentially being put in a camp. And then, for others, there are [investor citizenship schemes] where, if you invest 2m into Cyprus, you can buy a European passport.
In a lot of western democracies, especially in the US and the UK, theres often a presumption that good food is a luxurious or a middle-class preoccupation a rich people thing. What do you think of that mindset?
Im of mixed heritage: my moms from Iran, my dads from Pakistan. My family are small-scale farmers in the north of Iran. Food is such a huge occasion for celebration in my family. Every meal whether breakfast, lunch or dinner is one of the highlights of the day.
Sometimes people ask me, wasnt it difficult talking to people about food in this really challenging circumstance? No, of course it wasnt, it was really fun! In [some places], people live to eat and the concept of food is about a broader concept of community. Thats wonderful. Food is like a universal language that enables you to communicate feelings of empathy, of connection, of hope, of love.
What do you hope this book will open peoples eyes to?
That there isnt some kind of migration crisis this is just what happens when you put up fences and walls. It is the wrong response. As long as humans have existed, we have travelled, and migration has been an intrinsic part of survival. I just hope the book fosters greater understanding and empathy for refugees and migrants so that we can start co-existing in a shared planet, in the way we deserve to.
This is one of those punchy pantry recipes that is easy to whip up as a midweek meal and takes its inspiration from a traditional Greek dish of beans baked in a tomato sauce. What gives this dish its unique flavor is the paprika (I add both the smoked and sweet versions, not the hot and spicy type), which adds a richness and earthiness that I find irresistible. I alternate between sprinkling crumbled feta on top of this dish and having it plain, as its just as delicious without. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Prep 10 minCook 65 minServes 4 as part of a mezze or 2-3 as a main course
3 tbsp vegetable oil1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed1 x 400g tin of diced plum tomatoes1 tsp granulated sugar1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp sweet paprika tsp smoked paprika tsp ground cinnamon2 x 425g tins of lima beans, drained and rinsed200ml just-boiled water3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp finely chopped dill, plus more to serve1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves, plus more to serve100g feta cheese, crumbled (optional)Salt Black pepper
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and gently fry over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, then add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, both types of paprika, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous grind of black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the beans to the tomato sauce with the hot water and another teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil and herbs and cook for a final five minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and sprinkle with more herbs, and crumbled feta if you fancy it, just before serving.
This is an easy chicken sheet pan recipe inspired by a Syrian meal I ate at Reem, a restaurant on the Greek island of Lesvos run by Mahmud Talli. A Syrian doctor who managed to escape the war, Mahmud found himself trapped on the island after seeking refuge there, and soon put all his efforts into helping to provide services for new arrivals to Lesvos volunteering at a local community kitchen and establishing his restaurant. This sticky roasted leg of chicken can be marinated ahead of time and just popped into the oven shortly before eating. If you dont want to use chicken thighs, this also works with a whole chicken, jointed into eight pieces.
Prep and marinate 3 hr 30 minCook 35 minServes 4
8 large chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in3 tbsp olive oil3 tbsp pomegranate molasses1 tbsp tomato paste tsp ground allspice2 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)1 tsp sumac tsp ground cumin2 big garlic cloves, crushedSalt Black pepper
Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour all the ingredients (except the olive oil) over it with 1 teaspoons salt and teaspoon black pepper. Using your hands, massage this into the chicken until it is evenly coated, then cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours.
When you are ready to eat, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (this will take about 20 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/gas 6.
Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Transfer the sheet to the oven and roast for about 35 minutes, or until the juices from the chicken run clear when it is pierced at the thickest part.
A zesty, herb-packed potato salad, perfect for serving alongside grilled meats or fish. Try to use kalamata olives here, but, if you cant find those, just aim for the olives to be oily rather than briny in these dishes. Be sure to toss the dressing in while the potatoes are still warm, as they absorb the flavors better.
Prep 10 minCook 12 minServes 4
1kg Cyprus or new potatoes1 medium unwaxed lemon, finely zested red onion, finely sliced60g black olives, pitted and roughly chopped2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp lemon juicehandful of mint leaves, finely choppedhandful of cilantro, finely choppedSalt Black pepper
Cut the potatoes into large (5cm) chunks. I like to leave the skins on, but remove them if you prefer.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the potatoes to the pot and boil for about 12 minutes until they are soft. Drain and place in a serving bowl.
Add all the remaining ingredients along with teaspoon salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
Recipes reprinted from Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, published by W W Norton & Company
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Yasmin Khans new recipes: cooking in refugee camps from Greece, Turkey and Cyprus - The Guardian