FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20 November 2025

EVENT: BOOK LAUNCH — STORIES AND RECIPES FROM THREE GENERATIONS 

In its efforts to encourage Singaporeans to know their family histories and record them for the benefits of their descendants, the Genealogy Society Singapore (GSS) is partnering with the Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation (CKWF) to embark on a project  to record and publish the family histories of six Singaporeans of various ethnicity in ways that are accessible, engaging, and lasting. This series advances GSS’s mission to promote awareness of genealogy and preserve Singapore’s multi-racial heritage by showing how personal stories, migration journeys, and heirloom recipes can become valuable family records. Through these books, GSS hopes to inspire more families to document their roots for future generations.

With this shared dedication to preserving Singapore’s intergenerational heritage, GSS and CKWF is proud to launch Stories and Recipes from Three Generations — a six-book collection celebrating family, memory, and the flavours that shape our heritage.

Each book, titled after its author, offers a personal journey across three generations:

Masako’s Table, Bhumika’s Table, Aaron’s Table, Sarafian’s Table, Eric’s Table, and Shariza’s Table.

These stories bring together migration histories, treasured recipes, and the quiet resilience of the first generation—reminding readers that heritage is not only recorded in archives but preserved through shared meals, conversations, and traditions passed from parent to child.

Books are available for purchase at https://www.catherinekhoo.sg/estore/shop/. Each book is priced at $25. The proceed from sale of the books will be donated to the Children Cancer Society.

Genealogy Society Singapore (GSS)

Founded in 2012, the Genealogy Society Singapore (https://genealogysocietysingapore.com/) aims to establish and provide a forum for anyone interested in genealogy and ancestral studies to meet, interact, share and exchange knowledge. 

GSS also hopes to educate members and the general public in the field of genealogy, to create greater awareness and interest that promote the advancement of our multi-racial, cross-cultural heritage, customs and traditions.

The Society publishes the family histories of Singaporeans to bring about closer family ties, benefit their descendants and enrich the social history of Singapore.

Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation (CKWF)

Created in 2010, the Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation (https://www.catherinekhoo.sg/ckwf/) encapsulates Catherine Khoo’s passion to “help you find your voice through telling your story.” CKWF aims to inculcate the values of camaraderie and empathy in writing projects that have meaning and social value. Revenue from books generated from these projects, including When All is Dark, Reach for the Stars (2017), 100 Fabulous People You Must Meet in Your Lifetime (2020) and the Young Maestro Chef-Author series (2022) were donated to charitable organizations such as Singapore Cancer Society.

CONTACT FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Catherine Khoo
Publications Director, Genealogy Society Singapore
Founder, Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation

Email: catherine@catherinekhoo.sg 
Mobile: +65 90400431

Bhumika Aggarwal

Born in 1980, Bhumika Aggarwal, an ethnic Indian, is a doctor and researcher. She is fascinated by how generations connect, though she firmly believes every recipe passed down should come with a shorter, easier version. Preferably one that doesn’t involve kneading. Her days are spent balancing the precision of science with the cheerful chaos of family life.

Bhumika is intrigued by the threads of intergenerational bonds—how wisdom, love, and sometimes stubborn spice blends are passed down. Though she is not passionate about cooking, she deeply respects the hands that stirred before hers. This book is her tribute to legacy—the kind that simmers slowly, lingers in memory, and reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful inheritance comes wrapped in a kitchen towel. It is about the legacies she inherits and the ones she lovingly recreates—one imperfect naan at a time.

Masako Shirahata

Born in 1981, Masako is a Japanese illustrator living in Singapore, who loves nature, tea, and pandan chiffon cake. Her drawing inspiration comes from her love of nature and fairytales. Working as an artist assistant for Takafumi Hara and Yayoi Kusama has inspired her to continue working as an illustrator. Masako’s work includes textile and T-shirt design for Anna Sui. In recent years, Masako has explored the colourful cultures of Singapore and incorporated them with her childhood memories into her illustrations. Something that she is looking forward to is growing pandan leaf and butterfly pea flowers in her little balcony, waiting for the day she can cook Peranakan dishes. 

Sarafian Salleh

Born in 1970, Sarafian Salleh, whose ancestors came from South Sulawesi in Indonesia, is an engineer, a writer and heritage storyteller, endlessly curious about how memory shapes identity. His days are spent tracing the footsteps of seafarers and settlers, weaving the past into the present streets of Singapore. He believes history lives not in dusty archives but in the stories we carry. He does romanticize the past but deeply honours it. This book is his tribute to legacy; not one sealed in museums, but one that walks beside him, whispers through his city’s wind, and reminds him that heritage is not just inherited. It is remembered, retold, and relived.

Aaron Ng

Born in 1980, Aaron Ng is a curious, creative people-person who turns everyday moments into mini adventures. A natural storyteller, food MacGyver, and lifelong researcher, he delights in chasing insights and uncovering hidden connections, whether through geocaching, exploring history and culture, or deep conversations. He thrives on discovery, empowers others through ideas, and brings a sense of wonder to the ordinary. Above all, Aaron is a devoted family man who finds his greatest joy in fatherhood, seeing the world anew through his son’s eyes. He believes the best stories aren’t just told, they’re lived and shared.

Eric Lim

Born in 1951 to educated parents who carried both the grace of tradition and the weight of its expectations, Eric Lim grew up in an age when old values demanded renewal — much like a beloved but dated outfit waiting for a modern cut. 

In his own way, he has tried to live as both a keeper and a reformer — an entrepreneur who believes that integrity and imagination can coexist, and that business should always have a soul. Whether in boardrooms or community halls, he has sought to apply these lessons: that wealth means little without purpose, and success means less without compassion.

Shariza Kamil

Born in 1974, Shariza Kamil’s ancestors hailed from Minankabau in Indonesia. She has always believed life is like a film — and a little like cooking. You start with raw ingredients, add a dash of courage, a sprinkle of love, and somehow, magic happens. From pretending to be a radio DJ as a child to running her own production house, she’s been telling stories in many forms — on screen and at the dining table. Her family’s recipes and her Minangkabau roots has taught her that heritage is best preserved through the senses: taste, sound, and memory.  Whether filming or cooking, one must love what one creates — taste it, refine it, and only serve it when it truly warms the heart. This book is her way of keeping those memories alive — a celebration of love, legacy, and the stories she continues to serve.