Viewers of Netflix’s documentary series on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will surely remember the sweet story of Meghan pitching in at a community kitchen serving survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster and ultimately helping them release a book of recipes, the proceeds from which went to further support the community. Now her next step into the charity cooking space has us wondering if she’s about to pivot to full-time influencer.
Penguin Random House recently announced that chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen would be releasing its first cookbook to raise money for disaster relief efforts, and the volume features contributions from Michelle Obama, Ayesha Curry, Guy Fieri…and the Duchess of Sussex. Specifically, the recipe for her favorite lemon olive oil cake, per People. She previously sent the treat to female restaurateurs in Chicago during the pandemic, noting that the lemons came from her backyard (citrus is eeeeeverywhere in Southern California, and Markle went to Northwestern, just outside Chicago, so it was kinda perfect).
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Andrés and the Sussexes have collaborated on charitable efforts before, and the chef considers the couple his dear friends, as he told People previously. “I love them…. For me, it is a pleasure to call them friends. All my life I have been trying to learn what exactly we are missing because why is there still hunger? What are we missing? We have to make the most of the opportunities of goodness, and I believe that with people like Meghan and Harry, we can make it happen,” Andres said. The book comes out in September, and my birthday is in October, hint hint.
No doubt this is a sincere gesture and a very yummy cake, but we also sense the soft launch of a lifestyle afoot, no? Before she was a royal, Meghan Markle was involved in acting, charity…and like every other star of the era, blogging. She shuttered her site, The Tig, when she got with Harry, but is reportedly going to relaunch the platform sometime soon. She’s reasserted herself as a fashion and podcasting icon already, but to truly dominate the lifestyle space, she’ll also need a few signature recipes.
