Jamie Oliver and Deliciously Ella contribute to #CookForSyria Recipe Book

The #CookForSyria Recipe Book by Instagrammer Clerkenwell Boy and Serena Guen of Suitcase magazine is publishing next week, with all profits donated in aid of UNICEF's Children of Syria Fund.

The authors' nationwide fundraising initiative #CookForSyria first launched at the end of October to raise funds for Unicef UK with NEXTGenLondon, Unicef UK’s young professional movement. It inspired a global movement, with further pop-ups and #CookForSyria charity events in 2017 planned for New York, Berlin, Hong Kong, Sydney and beyond.

The not-for-profit self-published book - for which both photography and design services were donated - aims to "shine a spotlight on some of the incredible dishes from this once peaceful and beautiful country". It is full of Syrian-inspired dishes that have been shared online using the #CookForSyria hashtag, which first became popular to help supporters host their own charity supper clubs and bake sales, or to learn about the cuisine and culture of Syria.

The book includes 100 recipes and stories from Syrian families, and further modern recipes with Syrian-inspired twists from leading chefs and cooks including Anna Jones, Anna Hansen, Bruno Loubet, Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella), Gizzi Erskine, Hemsley+Hemsley, Jamie Oliver, Jeremy Lee, Skye Gyngell, Symmetry Breakfast and restaurants such as Arabica Bar & Kitchen, Barrafina, Brunswick House, Caravan, Honey & Co, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, Lyle’s, Morito, Paradise Garage, Pizza Pilgrims, St John and The Marksman. Recipes range from za’atar flatbreads served with a muhammara (a dip subtly spiced with Aleppo pepper) to fragrant orange blossom and milk pudding. 

A sell-out charity launch banquet was held at The Store Kitchen at 180 The Strand in London, cooked by a line-up of top chefs including Angela Hartnett, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Nuno Mendes, Jose Pizarro and Fergus Henderson. Each put a Syrian-inspired twist to their signature dishes and raised over £40,000 on the first night. More chefs and restaurants have since joined the cause, putting Syrian inspired dishes on their menus, donating at least £2 from the sale of each dish in aid of children affected by the crisis in Syria.

The book is now available to order via www.cookforsyria.com. It will also available in bookstores nationwide, including Waterstones.