The Africa Cookbook

Amazon.com
Mr. Mercator, maker of wall maps, would have us believe that the continent of Africa is this piddly little thing, mostly below the equator, weighed down by the size and majesty of Europe. Jessica B. Harris, author of The Africa Cookbook, shows us how big this continent truly is (three times the landmass of Europe; 1,000 different languages); how incredibly ancient its history is; how grand and majestic is the sweep of cooking styles and food flavors that shift from north to south, east to west; and how up-to-the-minute and relevant those food and flavor experiences can be. As with any of Harris's previous books, the reader can savor equal portions of eye-opening scholarship, delectable storytelling, and delicious recipes.

The book is divided into chapters that discuss the edible history of Africa, the range of food regions in Africa, a glossary of African ingredients and utensils, and an argument that the much vaunted Mediterranean diet needs to look south for its origins. Recipe chapters fall along traditional lines: appetizers, salads and soups, condiments, vegetables, main dishes, breads and starches, desserts, and beverages--and include dishes from all over the continent. You will find the likes of Sardine Fritters (Algeria), Avocado and Papaya Salad (Kenya), Pili Pili Sauce (western Africa), Mashed Eggplant à la Zeinab (Sudan), and Grilled Shrimp Pili Pili (Mozambique).

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
It's a sad fact that in many Western minds, Africa is more associated with famine than it is with food. Or, as Jessica B. Harris writes in The Africa Cookbook, with images of "National Geographic's bare-breasted maidens, Ubangis, and cannibal cooking pots." She suggests that we banish such misconceptions and inaccuracies and look for the reality, which is, of course, infinitely more complex. Part of that reality is a continent that is vastly diverse in every way, from geography to ethnicity to language and, not surprisingly, cuisine. Harris, author of such highly regarded cookbooks as The Welcome Table: African-American Heritage Cooking and A Kwanzaa Keepsake, has now taken on the potentially monumental task of exploring Africa's traditional foods. In The Africa Cookbook, she does not attempt to provide an exhaustive survey of the continent's many cuisines; instead she offers enticing glimpses of a wide variety of them through recipes, anecdotes from her own travels, and historical notes. She includes both dishes that fall into the category of simple home cooking and special-occasion feasts; in either case, this is highly appealing food.

Harris begins with a chapter of small dishes drawn mostly from street food, food that satisfies what she calls "a continent of nibblers." From Egyptian fried cheese to Nigerian bean fritters, South African roasted pumpkin seeds to Ghanian plantain crisps, they would make excellent hors d'oeuvres and appetizers. Later chapters cover salads and soups, including classics like Moroccan spiced carrot salad andlesswell-known but equally appealing dishes like Kenyan Avocado and Papaya Salad; vegetables from Ethiopian collard greens to complex Tunisian stews; and all kinds of meat and seafood, from spicy chicken skewers that originate in Nigeria to Moroccan lamb couscous. One of the most fascinating chapters focuses on condiments; these range from fiery Algerian harissa to a cooling cucumber sambal from South Africa to spice mixtures used to flavor peppery soups or to rub on grilled meat. The chapter on starches contains perhaps the most unfamiliar ingredients, drawing on African yams (light colored and starchy, unrelated to the orange tuber we more commonly think of as yams), plantains, cassava meal, and millet, although potatoes, rice, and couscous also make appearances. This is a fascinating cookbook that opens a window onto a poorly understood world — one that can perhaps be realized a bit more clearly by bringing its tastes into our own kitchens on the other side of the globe.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In The Africa Cookbook, culinary historian and cookbook author Jessica B. Harris takes you on a tour of the Motherland, exploring the extraordinary diversity of the cuisines of the continent.

The Africa Cookbook features more than 200 traditional and contemporary recipes collected from home kitchens across Africa, including the familiar couscous of Morocco, the savory stews of the eastern grasslands, and the curries and chutneys of the Swahili coasts. From the sophisticated cuisine of Senegal to the creolized food of Mauritius and the Seychelles to the Afrikaner barbecues of South Africa, Harris presents the food of the continent and paints unforgettable portraits of the people who shared their culinary heritage with her. Illustrated with archival postcards from the author's collection, The Africa Cookbook celebrates countries whose contributions to the way we eat today have been too long ignored. Now home cooks can sample Potatoes with Mint Leaves and Garlic from Algeria or Senegal's classic Theibou Dienn. Spicy fried oysters with peanut sauce from Togo wakes up the palate, while Mango Cream from Cameroon cools the fire. Carrot Sambal from South Africa makes a piquant side dish, while Kedjenou (chicken stewed with tomato, onions, chile, garlic, and ginger) from C&3244;te d'Ivoire makes an intriguing main course.

A special section of menus using recipes from the book complete with suggestions for appropriate decor and music, makes it easy to plan a variety of African feasts. Harris also includes a glossary of ingredients and utensils, a selection of mail-order sources, and a list of more good reading on African foods.

SYNOPSIS