HEART & SOUL
Food, family, celebration, laughter and cultural identity are all gently combined in the recipes created by the Monday Morning Cooking Club (MMCC). The MMCC’s four members – Lisa Goldberg, Merelyn Chalmers, Natanya Eskin and Jacqui Israel – describe themselves as a unique sisterhood. They’re from Sydney’s Jewish community and they meet every Monday morning to collect, test, curate, publish and share recipes.
They began meeting 14 years ago, originally intending to create a book of recipes that reflected the diverse culinary offerings of the Jewish diaspora. “We said ‘let’s think about the best eating experiences we’ve ever had’ – and then collect all the ‘best’ recipes from around the world,” says Lisa.
Since then, they’ve produced three best-selling cookbooks and have just released a fourth, Now for Something Sweet, a collection of heirloom recipes for dreamy cakes, jammy strudels, glossy baked beauties, puddings and more. There is also a small chapter on savoury treats to counter the oozy, delicious sweetness.
The group still meets every Monday. “And every Tuesday, and a few other
