Author Yasmin Khan on food, the Mediterranean, and the meaning of home

On the Greek island of Lesvos, refugees from the nearby Moria camp gathered in a fish restaurant for lunch.

The owners had converted the restaurant to a nonprofit dedicated to feeding refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere. Families sat around tables, laughing, chatting, and playing music.

In 2020, Moria burned down leaving 13,000 people unsheltered. Before the fire, the camp was often called a living hell by those stuck in it.

But for a few hours a week, refugees could forget their political status. They could get lost in the taste of delicious food and be reminded of home.

This is one of many stories Yasmin Khan tells about the power of food in her third cookbook, “Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.” Khan’s food writing is more than just recipes. We speak to her about the stakes of a good meal in the moments you feel you have little else.