Minnie's Taste of Mediterranean Delight

What started as a school project for 17-year-old Farah Khairat led to her mother realising a long-time desire to write a cookbook.

But this is no ordinary cookbook. Firstly, its authors are Omneya 'Minnie' Khairat, wife of the Canberra-based Egyptian ambassador, and their teenage daughter.

And, secondly, "Minnie’s Taste of Mediterranean Delight" is aimed at helping get food on the table for disadvantaged people back "home."

Attaching a charity to the cookbook was another inspiration to publish and, to put it simply, Omneya says: "We can help people, so why not?"

Farah felt the same, and says: "Moving around my whole life, in between Australia and the place that feels like home – Egypt – I have seen social disparities and something like feeding your family is just so important."

Family friends, Docklands Press, sponsored the project, allowing all proceeds to go to the Egyptian Food Bank. The authors say that the sale of one book feeds a disadvantaged Egyptian family for a week.