Dubai prison inmates dish up a cookbook that feeds the soul
Authorities consider opening two kitchens in jail for prisoners after book’s success
Acookbook featuring 30 recipes by Dubai Central Jail inmates was launched at the Emirates Airlines Literature Festival yesterday. The collection of recipes and reflections is titled Feeding the Soul.
In a first, the Dubai Central Jail and Dubai Correctional Institute is also considering opening two kitchens inside their premises for inmates to cook and bond together, following the success of the cookbook.
Feeding the Soul is part of an ongoing project ‘From the Inside Out’, which is a collaboration with Emirates Literature Foundation, supported by Dubai Police and Dubai Central Jail. From the Inside Out organises visits from authors to talk to inmates about books and the process of writing Isobel Abulhoul, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation said that since last March, the Foundation and celebrity chef Zahra Abdalla worked with male and female inmates to record their favourite recipes and memories associated with the dish. and this has resulted is 30 recipes.
Colonel Jamila Al Zaabi from Dubai Police said: “The idea was simple but a powerful one. The intention was to create a programme that would rehabilitate the inmates. The recipes put together in the book are not just recipes from all over the world, they are recipes close to the heart of our inmates. It stirred memories of their families and loved ones.”
Al Zaabi said that it was heartening to see inmates share their memories of cooking and eating with their families.
Chef Abdalla said it was a way to give back to society. “So we went and hosted the workshops. And it kept developing into something bigger. We had 30 recipes from inmates, including from Brazil, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Pakistan, Yemen and UK. “There is a story behind every recipe and that is why it is so special,” she said.