Recently, we’ve been inundated with so much sad and disturbing news involving refugees, especially those from Muslim-majority countries. But over the past few days, a cookbook of all things has us feeling hopeful and excited.
Last year, a catering company called Eat Offbeat launched in New York City. The company's three goals were to provide New Yorkers with a unique food experience that is "off-the-beaten-path," create jobs for home cooks with refugee status, and demonstrate the value that refugees bring to America. Now, Eat Offbeat is creating a cookbook with all those same goals in mind, and anyone can help bring it to life.
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According to the Kickstarter page for Eat Offbeat: The Cookbook, the book will feature 80 recipes from over 20 chefs who also happen to be refugees. These chefs have come to the United States from over 15 different country, and it's not just dishes they're sharing. Each recipe will be accompanied by a stories about the chef's personal connection to the dish and details about their culture and cuisine. With Eat Offbeat: The Cookbook, you'll be able to cook foods from Nepal to Syria, Algeria to Venezuela, and learn a lot along the way. Along with classic staples passed down for generations, the cookbook will also include fusion recipes that these refugees created in their own kitchens, all of which demonstrate the blending of cultures that America is all about.
One of the most exciting things about Eat Offbeat: The Cookbook is that 10% of proceeds will go to the International Rescue Committee, and remaining profits from the Kickstarter campaign will go toward hiring and training more refugees. So, it's the perfect gift for adventurous cooks, who want to do some good.
To receive a copy of the cookbook when it's published next year, pledge $30 or more on the Kickstarter page. With 23 days to go, the campaign is a little less than $5,000 away from reaching its $50,000 fundraising goal. Eat Offbeat's founders put it best when they wrote, "Now, More than ever, we need to stand united across all communities. There has never been a better way to learn and appreciate other cultures than by eating the food. Food is our universal language."