Share: The Cookbook that Celebrates Our Common Humanity (Women for Women International) by Alison Oakervee (Editor), Meryl Streep (Foreword), Philip Webb (Photographer); 2013. Hardcover. (F&C)

The underlying message of Share is simple: for all our apparent diversity—as individuals, societies and nations—our actions, however small, can have an exponential, positive influence both on the world and the lives of others. Nothing more beautifully conveys our interdependence than the food we eat.

The recipes featured in this uplifting book—provided by contributors who are all actively engaged in humanitarian issues, as well women from the eight countries in which Women for Women International (WfWI) work – celebrate this truth and range from traditional Afghani flatbreads stuffed with falafel and Kosovan sticky doughnuts to split pea soup, lamb burgers with mint and beet, and apple tea with cinnamon. Food builds our physical resilience, brings us joy, and strengthens our bonds with family and friends. What we choose to eat, and how we choose to prepare it, can also generate employment, wealth and economic stability for others.

Chapters include

Well-being: Healthy, Everyday Recipes from Afghanistan and South Sudan, with contributions from Alice Waters, Emma Thompson and Annie Lennox;

Nurture: Nutritious Family Recipes from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, plus contributions from Jamie Oliver, Mia Farrow and Alice Walker;

Community: Generous Recipes Perfect for Sharing from Rwanda and Kosovo, with contributions from Dame Judi Dench and Christiane Amanpour;

Trade Recipes focusing on produce grown as a result of WfWI’s farming initiatives, with contributions from chefs like René Redzepi;

Celebration: Bringing the Global Peace Table to Celebrate our Shared Humanity, with contributions from Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela Ben & Jerry and America Ferrara.