I had a very uplifting conversation with the incredible Jane Morgan who created and runs The Dinner Club in Napier where every Friday people who have been adversely affected by catastrophic Cyclone Gabrielle can get together for a meal, to share experiences, feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie that was sorely missing from daily life, and still is for many displaced people.
The Dinner Club Cookbook is a collection of “comfort food” recipes put together from the food that was made and served at these weekly gatherings. Jane decided to create the book after a guest complimented her on a meal one night .. She said it was just like her Mum used to make. Then she stopped .. And very quietly added: “I lost all her recipes in the floods”.
So many lost so much on that fateful day, The Dinner Club Cookbook has helped to preserve family recipes and memories from those that were there. Jane has bought so much joy to so many by creating The Dinner Club, and now this comfort food Kiwi recipe book can bring you and your family joy also as you cook from the array of recipes (including meat dishes). The book is over 180 pages, full colour on gloss paper – great for butter fingers!
The cookbook book also includes a dozen or so stories (from some of the guests who attended Dinner Club meals) of their cyclone experience that fateful Valentine’s Day. Profits from the sale of this wonderful book, after costs are met, are reinvested in the Dinner Club so that they can continue to support people in need.
I love the recipes and the heart felt stories, please do buy a copy and help The Dinner Club to continue helping those in need.
TO PURCHASE THE DINNER CLUB CLICK HERE
Please allow 5 days delivery, longer if you are RD, from the time you purchase.
From Jane …
This book came about after a guest complimented me on the meal one night .. She said it was just like her Mum used to make. Then she stopped .. And very quietly added: “I lost all her recipes in the floods”. Heart breaking – when I think of the history and notes my Mum and Grandmother have on their recipes which I now have. I can’t imagine losing them let alone any of my cook books.
So I decided to make a book of recipes that we used to feed TDC guests – comfort food, the sort of food Mum would make. And some of the guests who attend dinners share their cyclone experiences in the book too.
The Dinner Club Cookbook was officially launched at a special “anniversary” dinner club, by Napier Mayor, Kirsten Wise with profits being reinvested to enable us to keep supporting The Dinner Club guests as and when they need it.
From The Dinner Club …
A year has passed since Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged the Hawke’s Bay region and too many people still find themselves living in sheds and caravans.
Their days spent painfully navigating the tedious process of insurance settlements, cleaning up and rebuilding – or working through the logistics of a buyout, to move forward.
Time may have passed, winter may have yielded to warmer days, but the chill persists for many within the community.
Over the months, The Dinner Club has been a poignant reminder that the path to recovery is a marathon, aided by the support given to those still reeling from Gabrielle’s fury.
What initially began as a response to an immediate need, that of providing sustenance, soon evolved into something far more profound and is perhaps a testament to the transformative powder of a meal served with love.
TO PURCHASE THE DINNER CLUB CLICK HERE
Please allow 5 days delivery, longer if you are RD, from the time you purchase.
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