ABOUT

Introduction –
Liliane Landor


The idea for this book emerged when the Language Services first moved into New Broadcasting House, the BBC’s new headquarters in the heart of London. Every month one or two of the Language services would host a “meet the neighbours” event to welcome new colleagues from around the BBC. After the fourth or fifth such gathering, having sampled the most wonderful Burmese food, Uzbek snacks and Vietnamese salads, I decided we couldn’t possibly let all these recipes be forgotten -and so the idea of this collection was born.

Food is what links many of us to the idea of “back home”. Sometimes real, sometimes imagined, it allows us to recreate it, however authentically. It’s central to our identity and a crucial way through which we make contact. What we eat, how we eat it, indeed how we prepare and pick the ingredients, it’s ultimately all about communicating. And in the interest of communication we insisted that every recipe should come with a story to situate it and give it “body”.

My own recipe -Moros y Cristianos (also known as rice and peas) -is handed on by my Cuban grandmother, Dolores Lolita Quintero, whose story is one of migration from the Caribbean to the Middle East. It graphically encapsulates the history and mix of Cuba and that of my own family. It’s a simple one. Fry onion and garlic in olive oil. Add some seasoning -cumin, red pepper, thyme or oregano and a bay leaf if you have it. When the onion turns golden add a cup of rice, a can of rinsed and drained black peas, water to cover and salt and pepper. Some like to stir some tomato paste in the mix. When it’s boiled, reduce the heat and let it simmer until it’s cooked. And there you have it.