When South Africa went into a countrywide lockdown on 26 March 2020, chef and cookbook author Jason Whitehead decided to use the time he had to raise funds for Streetscapes, a Cape Town NGO that is close to his heart.
“I have been supporting Streetscapes for years and as they have very little in terms of funding, I thought I could utilise this time in lockdown to raise some much-needed funding for them. I know this is a difficult time for all of us, but at least most of us have a roof over our heads and food in our fridges. The homeless community has neither,” says the chef, who is known for his French cooking at the beloved Fréres Bistro in Cape Town’s foreshore.
Jason’s mission was to document his daily recipes, which resulted in an e-book called My Lockdown Cookbook, available for purchase online.
“It is not your run-of-the-mill cookbook,” says Jason. “It’s a diary, of sorts, with stories and recipes from a chef in quarantine. Readers can expect 30 easy-to-make recipes – some more challenging than others – varying from the very basic ‘end-of-the-month Salticrax’ to beef ragu, basil and Mascarpone ravioli. Fifty percent of all My Lockdown Cookbook sales will be donated to Streetscapes, which will result in close to half a million rand if we reach the goal of selling 10 000 copies.”
The team at Streetscapes offers second chances to people living on the street, those who have criminal backgrounds and those who have truggled with chronic and progressive drug and alcohol addiction. By creating work opportunities that are rehabilitative and reintegrative, Streetscapes provides these vulnerable people with a real opportunity to rebuild their lives.
The e-book is available to purchase online on Jason’s website for R99 a copy, with the goal of selling 10 000 copies. This would enable a donation of close to half a million rand to Streetscapes.
*Please do not share the book with your friends and family, but rather see your purchase as a donation to Streetscapes, with a free cookbook included.