Eggplant curry from a very special cookbook.

Did you know that 70 percent of those living on less than $1 a day are female?

Women also are disproportionately affected by war. We’ve all read the horrific stories of women in conflict-torn countries who have been raped, who have lost their husbands, forced from their homes and are left the sole providers for their family.

Zainab Salbi set out to help when she founded Women for Women International in 1993. The organization helps women rebuild their lives. It now operates in eight countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan.

Now comes a remarkable cookbook, “Share: The Cookbook That Celebrates Our Common Humanity” (Kyle). The book, of which I received a review copy, features a collection of recipes from celebrities involved in humanitarian issues, including Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Emma Thompson, Desmond Tutu, Mia Farrow, Ashley Judd, Nelson Mandella, America Ferrera and Christiane Amanpour. The book also includes recipes by renowned chefs who have taken up the cause, including Alice Waters, Jesse Ziff Cool, Greg Higgins, Jamie Oliver, Susan Spicer and Rene Redzepi. Moreover, 16 recipes and stories are included from women in these strife-torn countries, whom the organization has helped.

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