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Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook has Sophie Grigson as Consultant Editor, but the main contributors are ordinary folks who have an interest in food and who are the winners of the Fairtrade recipe competition 2007.

These original and delicious recipes use Fairtrade products, and there are more of these available every year. It’s not just coffee and tea and fruit but also spices, wine, vanilla and many other items. It’s never been easier to find Fairtrade goods so keep your eyes open.

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook is an attractive, well-illustrated book filled with tempting recipes from not only the competition winners but also Fairtrade supporters. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall offers us Kedgeree using Fairtrade basmati rice and lemons. Antony Worrall Thompson uses Fairtrade avocado, mango and lime juice for his Prawn and Mango Ceviche.

Some of the recipes have a paragraph or two about the producer. Iran Alista Diaz is a producer of Oranges in Cuba. Thanks to Fairtrade the co-operative is thriving and they have just built a workshop which will help to generate a little more income for the members. A vanilla producer in India says “Vanilla helps sustain us. Before Fairtrade, our income was unpredictable and people would migrate to find more stable work.”

It’s all very worthy but I am pleased to be able to tell you that the food looks great as well. Take the Biscuit is a rich, chocolaty, gingery square that sounds divine. Sue Sherman from Winwick, Northampton has found a combination of Fairtrade chocolate and dried fruit that is enough to tempt anyone off a diet. Alex Prichard from Leeds has a recipe for Japanese-style Duck Breasts with Aromatic rice. The basmati rice, cashew nuts and peppers are all Fairtrade and the finished dish looks scrumptious.

Oz Clarke, the celebrated wine expert, has contributed a fine recipe for Salmon Koulibiaca but also some words that sum up the Fairtrade ethos. Oz says “...Fairtrade is about self-help, with people on the ground organising themselves. It’s not about sitting around waiting for hand-outs. It is about offering a hand up.”

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook
Author: Various good cooks
Published by: Dorling Kindersley
Price: £16.99
ISBN 978-1-4053-2005-4