CECILE Yazbek has seen many things in her life from South Africa to the Northern Rivers and to put things in perspective she would write.

Whenever Ms Yazbek started writing the story soon morphed into a memoir about her life both here in Australia and her place of birth, South Africa.

"The process of writing is a clarifying process," she said.

Her first book was a memoir, Olive Trees Around My Table, and was followed with the cookbook, Mezze to Milk Tart.

Although this community worker was not politically active during her time in South Africa, her family drew a lot of attention from police.

"Everything about South Africa at that time was political," Ms Yazbek said.

"We went out to buy bread and you knew someone has been paid a slave wage to produce it.

"If you gave a cup of tea to a person then that was seen as a political act."

Ms Yazbek said that police would often camp at her front door.

Her family finally emigrated from South Africa because she did not want her children to be bought up in a police state.

Mezze to Milk Tart was written because a lot of her readers wanted the recipes from the feast she described in her memoirs.

The cookbook included essays into her connection with food and the origin of some of the dishes.

"I think that food is the medicine," she said.

"The way we eat can help or harm us."

Cooking demonstrations of recipes from Ms Yazbek's cookbook will be on at Murwillumbah Library as part of the National Year of Reading on April 11 at 2pm.

Anyone interested in learning about the Mediterranean and Lebanese style cooking should book a place for this free event by phoning 02 6670 2427.