Minnie's Taste of Mediterranean Delight - Farah Khairat & Omneya Minnie Negm

WHAT started as a school project for 17-year-old Farah Khairat led to her mother realising a long-time desire to write a cookbook.  But this is no ordinary cookbook. Firstly, its authors are Omneya “Minnie” Khairat, wife of the Canberra-based Egyptian ambassador, and their teenage daughter.

And, secondly, “Minnie’s Taste of Mediterranean Delight” is aimed at helping get food on the table for disadvantaged people back “home”.  Attaching a charity to the cookbook was another inspiration to publish and, to put it simply, Omneya says: “We can help people, so why not?”  Farah felt the same, and says: “Moving around my whole life, in between Australia and the place that feels like home – Egypt – I have seen social disparities and something like feeding your family is just so important.” 

The cookbook is a compilation of 180 home-made, personal recipes created by Omneya, which features a few Moroccan ones.