Launching the Jaffna Tamil Cookbook

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

I’m delighted to announce the launch of my second Sri Lankan cookbook, The Jaffna Tamil Cookbook. Containing more than 300 nourishing traditional recipes, with step-by-step instructions and full-colour photographs, this is a labour of love to celebrate the food cooked by our Ammas, Ammamas and Appachis.

These recipes are not mine. They are our collective, communal recipes, the recipes of our heritage, of women long gone and women who still cook them. They speak of our past, sustain our present, and will grace our future. This cookbook is a great gift for young and old alike to keep the unique cuisine of our people alive.

Proceeds from the sale of the book go towards Palmera’s Women’s Banking Network. I am so pleased to be helping to fund this project, which allows women to build their financial literacy, manage their livelihoods and start to save and access loans. This also lets women work together to overcome the challenges they face in their community. I can’t think of a better way to honour our past than by supporting our future – our next generation.

The launch of The Jaffna Tamil Cookbookwill be held at the Glen Waverley Community Centre on Sunday 2 June 2019, from 3.30pm to 5.00pm. It will include a visual journey through the Tamil Homelands, an ode to the Palmyra Palm and a homage to Yaalpana Veeramani Iyer. Books will be available for sale at $45 a copy. There will also be situndri (snacks) from the book available to satisfy any late afternoon hunger pangs!

I hope to see you there,

Nesa