intentional nourishment.

sent every #SisterwomanSunday*

*aka the last sunday of the month

*except for this month

*this month it's sent on a tuesday...

me and dooky chase of the legendary dooky chase restaurant in new orleans!

hey lovely people, sisterwoman here!

i hope your februarys have been beautiful. we are sliding smoothly out of sad season, the days are getting longer, brighter and (slightly) warmer and i hope you have been feeling the changes. now is the time to begin to reacquaint yourself with outside. we need vitamin d, fresh air, earth and greenery. the true new year is leaping towards us.

now, as ever, is a good time to check in with your community. the beginning of the year brings new challenges to overcome and new goals to support and be supported in. self care is collective care. we can't do this alone. invite a friend over for dinner. go on a lunchtime walk while on facetime. write your friends love letters. sit your people down and ask how they could use your support and think about how you need theirs. don't be afraid to be vulnerable. ask yourself if your community makes you feel safe. if it makes you feel heard. if it makes you feel seen and understood. if you feel your community is lacking in some way, now is the time to seek out new spaces who will hold space for you to just be. come along to one of my community check ins to figure out where to start!

i was incredibly blessed to spend a week in new orleans for my mentor kemi's 40th birthday. (she runs be enriched and brixton people's kitchen and is really awesome, support her work!).

new orleans has a vibrancy that london just can not compare to. the streets are alive - the sun shines just that bit warmer, the colours are brighter, everything tuned to the highest possible frequency. the streets are alive - the air breathes. the wind dances. harmonies caress your spirit. no wonder it is the birthplace of jazz. the space invites you to connect with it freely. i felt spiritually powerful there - liberated from self imposed restrictions i wasn't even aware i had put into place. at times i could have sworn i heard my ancestors laughing with glee - sometimes sinister, sometimes with delight. always with an energy that screamed I AM FREE. i am forever grateful for that reminder.

UPCOMING EVENTS

TONIGHT: safiya robinson in conversation with shanice bryce

the final event in my in conversation series with queercircle, a new london based lgbtq+ led charity working at the intersection of arts, culture and social action. 

towards an ecology of care

precipitated by capitalism and overconsumption, the balanced relationship between people and planet has been decaying since the industrial revolution. recently exacerbated by covid-19, brexit and the “cost of living crisis”, few statistics better exemplify the uk’s inequality than those detailing food insecurity – the inability to afford or access fresh, nutritious food. food security is dependent on a predictable climate and healthy ecosystems - without urgent and immediate action, climate change will further disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality. my in conversation series uses care as a lens through which to explore why and how we do what we used to do naturally, in an increasingly unnatural world.

safiya robinson in conversation with shanice bryce - 28/2/23

shanice bryce is a chef, creative director and founder of studio oom.

march 7th, 6pm: the sisterwoman reading group

the sisterwoman reading group is first and foremost an informal meet up group for like minded people to connect, support black vegan business and plan the revolution...

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readings will be shared to enable informed discussion with a shared foundation and encourage self study. however, our conversations aim to be organic and not necessarily always rooted in the texts themselves.

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sisterwoman reading group is open to all regardless of age, race, gender, level of formal education and background. 

this month's book is in pursuit of revolutionary love, by joy james.

SAVE THE DATE

may 2nd, 6pm: community check in

i believe that self care is collective care and that carving out time and space to sit, break bread and learn with and from your community is a beautiful contribution to your overall wellness. alongside my supper clubs, cooking lessons, reading group and events look out for these quarterly check ins. they are designed to be a space of rest and care as well as a reminder you are not alone in this. this event is a motivator to continue on your journey of wellness no matter the peaks and troughs.

FEATURED ARTICLE - WHAT PUTS THE SOUL IN SOUL FOOD

WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING

WORK

i joined the lovely mam sham girlies for their last ever foundation.fm show!

PLAY

all bout dat - black heritage and jazz tour, new orleans

i was so incredibly honoured to join this walking tour of new orleans, led by incredible jazz singer mikhala iverson, who made references to "aunt nina (simone)" and "uncle louis (armstrong)" as we walked. she spoke incredibly candidly about the lives of black people living in new orleans, their history and their contributions. expect singing yoruba worship songs as you walk around congo square, driving around america's historically oldest black neighbourhood treme and checking out all of the black owned businesses on bayou road.

WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING

bywater american bistro, new orleans

i ate so good in nola it was difficult choosing just one dish... check out my ig for the upcoming vegan in nola reel!

this was a fantastic and unexpected dish. bywater american bistro is run by chef nina compton, with a menu heavily inspired by american, french and italian flavours (with a hint of the caribbean). the menu has no vegan options, but they whipped up an off menu vegan special of barbecued celeriac, jerusalem artichoke, roasted brussel sprouts, pickled onions, gooseberries and hazlenuts on a bed of celeriac puree. SIMPLY DIVINE. a must visit if you're in a mixed diet group!

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING

dick gregory's natural diet for folks who eat

fist published in 1974, this natural and whole foods guide by cultural icon dick gregory has been a fascinating read. while extreme at times (gregory is a fruitarian who regularly fasts from solid food), this comprehensive and holistic guide challenges us to rethink our relationships with the natural world. it has been the human condition to attempt to control nature. gregory posits that we should actually be focused on developing self control, in order to live with and alongside nature instead of trying to dominate it.

sending love, gratitude and encouragement for the month ahead.

don't forget to nourish yourself!

until next #SisterwomanSunday

xxxx

sisterwoman saf

p.s. take a look at our spotify playlists to add some joy to your cooking practice! they are updated monthly.