"Share" - A Cookbook That Everybody Needs to Know About

Last month, Lauri Pastrone came to Village House of Books.  Lauri, and 4 collaborators, put together a cookbook, called Share, that she was promoting, and that VHOB was highlighting in the store.  After listening to Lauri, several of us bought the cookbook - and more.

What is Share all about?  Women for Women International is an organization whose mission is to support women in a number of war-torn countries.  The idea is to give women training over the course of a year that allows them to be independent and productive members of their society when that year is up.  By paying $30/month for one year (plus a $30 start-up fee), you are giving these women a chance to turn their lives around.  Joni and I were certainly sold.

What does the cookbook consist of?  There are numerous recipes from:  nationally-renowned chefs, celebrities, and 2 women from each of the 8 war-torn countries.  In fact, Meryl Streep wrote the forward for the cookbook.  So, not only are you supporting the organization by buying a cookbook ($40) or maybe even taking the next step by supporting a woman from the program, but you're also getting a beautiful, coffee table book with fantastic recipes.  Let WfWi explain about the cookbook and the program:

Share – the cookbook that celebrates our common humanity 

Since 1993, Women for Women International (WfWI) has transformed 

the lives of nearly 400,000 women survivors of war.  

About the Cookbook  

 

 An uplifting and beautifully designed cookbook that includes a collection of nearly 100 recipes and 

inspiring stories from women who have gone from victims to active citizens.  

 

 Foreword by Meryl Streep. 

 

 International chefs participating include: Alice Waters, Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi, René Redzepi, 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jesse Ziff Cool, Maggie Beer, Judy Wicks, Susan Spicer, Greg Higgins, Ann 

Cooper, and Nora Pouillon.  

 

 Activists, philanthropists and humanitarians contributing recipes include: Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson 

Mandela, Sir Richard Branson, Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, 

Muhammad Yunus, Ashley Judd, Emma Thompson, Annie Lennox, Livia Firth, Christiane Amanpour, Ben 

& Jerry, Kate Spade, Trudie Styler, Jennifer Buffet, Sheryl WuDunn, Craig Kielburger, Alice Walker, Dame 

Judi Dench, Lisa Shannon, Mia Farrow, Robin Wright and Helen Bamber, among others. 

 

 Published by Kyle Books, Share is being sold in the US, UK, Ireland, Romania, Croatia, Holland, Saudi 

Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, New 

Zealand, and Germany (translated).  

 

 Share is the 1st cookbook to be placed on the JP Morgan Summer Reading List (2013). 

 

 Sold at Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores and on Amazon.    

 
All royalties and 100% of publisher’s profits will go to the work of Women for Women International. 

Goals  

 

 To generate new sponsorships for women victims of war through sales and publicity of the cookbook 

and to raise money for ongoing training programs.  

What Is Women for Women International? 

 

 WfWI provide victims of war the opportunity to transform their lives through a year-long skills training 

programme, which includes job skills and business training to earn a living.  

 

 Women in the programme also receive tools and support to deal with the social and emotional 

consequences of war. A key component is information regarding their rights -- what they are and how 

to fight for them in their homes, their communities and their nations.  

 

 Through WfWI’s extensive sponsorship programme, sponsors pledge $30 (£22) per month and 

exchange letters with their assigned ‘sister.’  

 

 Women graduate with a breadth of skills. The variety of trades offered include: organic farming, small 

animal husbandry, tile production, tailoring, cooking, bee keeping, bread making, and more. 

 

 WfWI has training centres in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda, 

Afghanistan and Iraq. (WfWI has centres only in countries of conflict or post-conflict.) 

Women for Women International’s Scope  

 

 WfWI has corporate partnerships and collaborations with many organisations. e.g., Google, Neal’s 

Yard, Harper’s Bazaar, Kate Spade, Browns and others. 

 

 Zainab Salbi, Founder of WfWI, frequently appears on CNN, the BBC, and other international networks 

and was on Oprah many times. In addition to receiving the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian prize, she has 

been named a member of the Clinton Global Initiative by former President Clinton.  

For more information in the USA, contact Tracy Craighead  

+1 (845) 260-2672 or +1 (914) 533-2079  

tracycraighead@hotmail.com  Sold at Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores and on Amazon.  

Do yourself a favor and, at least, buy this book.  Your $40 will get you an amazing cookbook and will do a lot more good than that.  And, if you feel particularly moved, you may want to consider the 1-year sponsorship, at $30/month.  I guarantee that either way, you will feel great.