Totterdown Cook Book
September 2008
Tasty treats from Totterdown
A new community cookbook, ‘Taste of Totterdown’, was launched in September 2008 with a traditional street party held in ‘Totterdown Square’ in Oxford Street. Local people celebrated the diversity of the community through some of the recipes featured in the book.
Mia Harris, creative administrator for the project explained: "The inspiration behind the launch event was a photo displayed in local greengrocers, The Banana Boat. It shows local residents on VE day celebrating in nearby Hill Street, and the idea was to recreate the feel of the event with a long table laid out with food prepared by some of the contributors to the book for local people to taste and share."
The cookbook has been published by Totterdown Press as part of the ‘Totterdown in Print’ project with the aid of an ‘Awards For All’ lottery grant awarded to Totterdown Residents Environmental & Social Action, community interest company (TRESA cic).
Local residents were invited to submit recipes which had special significance for them, and the book features tasty treats from around the globe. The result is a wonderfully diverse, and occasionally eccentric, collection of recipes ranging from Smažák, a cheesy starter from the Czech Republic, to an Eritrean version of spaghetti bolognaise – there’s even a Bristolian cocktail, the ‘Fat Tony’! Photographs taken for the book by local resident Natalie Corfield were also on display.
‘Taste of Totterdown’ was inspired by the success of a previous community cookbook published in 2005 as part of FRONT ROOM, Totterdown Art Trail. Special thanks are due to Kate Pollard, a community volunteer, for her dedication and enthusiasm in writing the grant proposal; to all who played a part in bringing it to fruition; and, of course, to all the wonderfully talented people of Totterdown.
The book is available from Totterdown shops and TRESA - email webeditor@tresa.org.uk.
Photographs show VE Day celebrations in Hill Street, Totterdown
If you have any questions about the project contact Mia Harris on 07791 319 614
The project is funded by the 'Awards for All' lottery fund.
