Soul food: ECDA's holiday recipes

It’s that time of year – but what’s on the menu for nourishing our bellies, hearts, and minds this festive season? We asked some of our team members for their recommendations. We hope you enjoy!

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Bea’s choice: Red onion tarte tatin with a side of racial justice

I love this recipe because it’s so simple but incredibly tasty (if you love tangy red onions!) and looks pretty impressive if you’re entertaining. If you want to upgrade it, you can of course make your own pastry. This recipe from chef Delia Smith is a tried-and-tested option, but there’s plenty around to choose from. 

I cooked this up for some friends recently while listening to this conversation between UK journalist Ash Sarkar and US author Ta-nehisi Coates. It’s a fascinating discussion comparing and contrasting how people of color experience racism on both sides of the Atlantic, and connecting the dots between the struggles of the past, such as civil rights and anti-slavery, and those of the present, like Palestinian liberation. Well worth a listen!

Emily’s choice: Gingerbread sheet cake and Fela Kuti

I’m in the middle of a podcast on Fela Kuti called “Fear No Man” that covers the interesting and extraordinary life of one of the most influential people in the last century and the creator of the Afrobeat music genre.

I catch up on podcasts when cooking in the kitchen, and one thing that I can’t live without during the holiday season is gingerbread! This gingerbread sheet cake recipe makes a cozy dessert that pairs perfectly with tea or vin brulée. 

Holly’s choice: Roasted sprouts mixed with breaking down internet culture

This is a recipe from my favorite chef, Hetty McKinnon. She is an expert in vegetarian recipes and has the best salads. This is her Christmas roasted brussels sprouts with medjool dates and hot tahini recipe. 

While you cook your sprouts, you can watch literally anything that Taylor Lorenz, expert in internet and all things online made this year on her channel. Two of my top picks are The Rise and Fall of Rainbow Capitalism with Matt Bernstein and The case against logging off.

Elena’s choice: Red lentil & spinach soup and a fresh take on economics

As a big fan of easy, quick, and nutritious meals, I can’t recommend Pick Up Limes enough. The Red Lentil & Spinach Soup feels like the perfect warming dish for colder days, but their channel offers so much more: plant-based cuisines from around the world, thoughtfully adapted to different seasons, budgets, and levels of expertise.

The step-by-step guidance takes all the effort out of the process, leaving just enough mental space to enjoy an interesting talk alongside it – like this inclusive and thought-provoking discussion of economics with Jason Hickel tackling capitalism from a humane perspective. Hickel excels at science communication, translating complex ideas on global inequality, ecological economics, and climate justice into accessible formats. By bridging academic research with public debate, he helps build positive, visionary outlooks.