Sick Day Banquet

Part of Soft Sanctuary Season

Sick Day Banquet is a collection of recipes designed by disabled artists: Leah Clements, Kyla Harris, Raisa Kabir, Romily Alice Walden and Bella Milroy, celebrating their ideal sick day foods.

These menus were originally part of Bella Milroy’s 2019 Soft Sanctuary programme at Bootle Library. At the Library volunteers cooked the artists’ recipes for a series of free communal lunches held in Bootle Library.

In 2021 we are very pleased to present the Sick Day Banquet recipe collection, including updated and additional recipes commissioned by Bella. The recipe booklet is available to download, view online, or as a print copy. You can also find audio descriptions of each of the recipes below.

Our At the Library Chopping Club producers Gregory Herbert and Niamh Riordan have also collaborated with artist Kyla Harris and Bella to produce a short film, “Methods Of Care: Ramen Edition”: Since the beginning of the year, Bella and Kyla have been recording a conversation over Voice Notes, about sick day foods, cooking, care, and their experiences of hiring and living with Personal Assistants (PAs). The film weaves together this conversation with footage of a virtual cook along, in which Niamh and Kyla cook Kyla’s recipe for ‘Comfort Ramen’ together over Zoom – Kyla directing Niamh through every detail of the recipe. Watch the film here:

Sick Day Banquet Recipe Collection:

Click the images below to view, download, or listen to the individual recipes:

Image description: On a beige background there is a blue line drawing of a small white dog, with pointy ears. The drawing is in the centre of the page and is enclosed by a blue circular border. The dog is lying under a yellow blanket and on top of a blue scarf. There are also the outlines of cushions or a sofa surrounding the dog. In the bottom right corner of the page, italic blue text reads ‘Soft Sanctuary’.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there are mushrooms, star anise, a carrot, a piece of ginger and an egg. In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Comfort Ramen. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Kyla Harris.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there are cloves of garlic, a spring onion, a sweet potato and some sliced sweet potato, an onion, a chill pepper, some coriander leaves and a few small beans. In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Sweet Jacket Potato. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads:Leah Clements.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there is an onion, a wedge of holey cheese, some small beans, cloves of garlic, a chili pepper, half an avocado, a couple of tomatoes on a vine, a sprig of coriander and some sliced jalepenos. In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Burrito. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Romily Alice Walden.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there ice cubes, a wedge of watermelon, two halves of a lime and a sprig of mint. In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Fruity Spritzer. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Romily Alice Walden.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there are two eggs, cloves of garlic, beans, a leek a thin jar which says Paprika on it, and a bigger jar which says Harissa Paste on it . In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Baked Beans. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Raisa Kabir.
Image description: A bright yellow rectangle, in the centre of which are blue line drawings of a set of ingredients, arranged in a circular formation as though swimming round each other: there are cloves of garlic, a mushroom, a carrot, an egg, a leek, an onion, and grains of rice. In the top left of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Michel’s Fried Rice. In the bottom right of the yellow rectangle, blue italic text reads: Bella Milroy.

Sick Day Banquet Audio descriptions:

Introduction by Bella Milroy, part 1

Introduction by Bella Milroy, part 2

Kyla Harris: Comfort Ramen

Leah Clements: Sweet Jacket Potato

Romily Alice Walden: Burrito

Romily Alice Walden: Fruity Spritzer

Raisa Kabir: Baked Beans

Bella Milroy: Michel’s Fried Rice