African Books - Page 10

Kwanzaa: An African American Celebration Of Culture And Cooking

Eric V. Copage

List Price: $15.00 By: Harper Perennial Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $0.54

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A CULTURAL FEAST 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Kwanzaa is rapidly approaching and as with all holidays requires detailed preparation. Contained in these pages are all the components you need for a meaningful Kwanzaa celebration with ritual and food.

Eric Copage shares with us the origins of Kwanzaa as well as his own experiences in first celebrating the holiday. We are introduced to the seven princples of Kwanzaa and the relevance that it has for the African-American community.

You can't have a true celebration unless good tasting food is present. At the very heart of the book are over 120 recipes for you to prepare for the Kwanzaa feast. The recipes are samples from Africans throughout the diaspora. Indulge yourself with pigeon peas and rice from the Caribbean. Avocado mousse with shrimp sauce from Brazil will tantilize your taste buds. A pot of mustard greens from "down home" (the South) in the United States will fill your belly. And let us not forget spicy matoke from Kenya. If you mouth is not watering yet for these delicious treats then something must be wrong with your taste buds.

The above dishes are easy to make and you are provided with suggested menus for the feast. If by chance some of the unusual ingredients are not available in your local grocery store, never fear. Mail order resources are provided for you in the book. As Kwanzaa approaches enjoy the friendship, food and celebration but must of all stand firm with the principles which bind us together as a people. Enjoy! Happy Celebration.

Editorial Review:

Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking is the only complete guide to the history and foods of Kwanzaa. In this beautiful yet practical book, there are recipes for more than 125 treasured dishes from people of African descent living all over the world. Adorned with biographies of distinguished African Americans, proverbs, and folk tales that illustrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba), Kwanzaa embodies the very spirit of the holiday itself: a culinary celebration and a testimony to the accomplishments and spirit of African Americans throughout history.

This is more than just a book for a holiday. It is a cookbook and a source of inspiration to be used all year long.

The Moroccan Cookbook

Irene Frances Day

Amazon Price: $11.66 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pelican Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $7.19

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Interesting stories, not always exciting recipes 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Day's book was originally published in 1975. My copy cost me $3.95 new. At the time, it was one of the few books, perhaps the only book, on the topic that was readily available. It was great to have and to use.

Day tells interesting stories of her experiences in Morocco, and her recipes aren't bad. But there are now far better and more complete books on the subject, such as Paula Wolfert's "Couscous and other good food from Morocco" and several books by Kitty Morse.

If you are a completist, i'm sure you will find something intriguing in Day's book, as i do. If you are new to Moroccan food, or you only want one good book on Moroccan food, try Wolfert or Morse.

Editorial Review:

This ample sample includes couscous, frackh (baked beans), hareera (a rich, thick soup), and ulk'tban (shish kebob). Even amateur chefs will enjoy using this clear, simple collection of recipes to make these-and many more-classic Moroccan dishes. No special pots or utensils are required. Merely calling these delectable delights "tried and true" would be an understatement. Recipes from "The Moroccan Cookbook" have been excerpted in newspapers throughout the world. One essay on the land and people of Morocco and another on a master Moroccan cook complete this cookery book and create just the right inspiration for sampling this fine, appetising collection of Moroccan cooking.

Cape Town Food: Way We Eat in Cape Town Today

Phillippa Cheifitz

List Price: $18.95 By: Struik Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $0.01

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Best of Regional African Cooking (Hippocrene International Cookbook Series)

Harva Hachten

List Price: $11.95 By: Hippocrene Books Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $10.04

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Just OK 3 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I was very disappointed with this cookbook. I suppose the 1960's original publication should have tipped me off that this wouldn't be the place to look for authentic, exciting recipes. (Ethnic cooking in the U.S., at the time, wasn't known for being authentic or exciting.)
Most recipies are simplified and/or changed for western tastes. There is a heavy emphasis on recipes imported by settlers from other countries (lots of Asian and a fair number of British dishes); dishes which, presumably, would be more familiar to American readers.
There are far better African cookbooks available. (Don't know if it's still in print, but "African News Cookbook" is about the best I've seen so far.)

Best of Regional African Cooking 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Dynamite! It separates the cuisine by region. Excellent

Many good recipes, but gaps in regions covered 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book would be a nice addition to your international cookbook collection. If you're looking for a comprehensive guide to African cooking, however, you might find this book incomplete. It contains a wide range of approachable recipes from North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, and East Africa (but its coverage of Central Africa is weak). There few books out there that clearly describe how to prepare traditional African dishes; if you want to explore the delicious and varied cusines of Africa, this book can help you.

The recipes from South Africa are almost exclusively Cape Malay in style. The cuisines of the rest of southern Africa (for example, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, and Angola) are not included. Nor does the book include the Indian-influenced dishes of Durban or the African cuisine of the townships and former homelands of South Africa.

The book is particularly strong in North African and West African cooking. Most readers are certain to find something new and enjoyable in its pages.

Cooking in West Africa: A Colonial Guide

Muriel, R Tew

Amazon Price: $24.95 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jeppestown Press Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $21.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

NOT A TRUE AFRICA TYPE COOKERY BOOK! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is more of a western type of cook book. The title is rather misleading.I'm very disappointed with the contents of this book!

Editorial Review:

One of West Africa's earliest recipe books, "Cooking in West Africa" was originally published in 1920, and written for the benefit of young bachelor district officers in Nigeria. Over 200 recipes use local ingredients such as ripe, sweet mangoes, beef from zebu oxen, green paw-paw and fresh ground-nuts, together with imported staples such as tinned sausages and condensed milk. Hints on stocking a cook's box and cooking for colleagues struck down with fever are interspersed with delightful vintage advertisements. This book is a piece of West African history - to read, savour and enjoy.

Food Culture in the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa (Food Culture around the World)

Peter Heine

Amazon Price: $55.00 List Price: $55.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Greenwood Press Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $39.24

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Editorial Review:

The similar cuisines of the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa stem from ancient cultures and variable climates, ranging from Mediterranean to desert. The major monotheistic religions developed in the Middle East, and students and other readers will learn how religous strictures on food and drink continue to play an important role in eating habits there today for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Most of the population in the regions is Arab, and therefore the emphasis in this volume is mainly on the Arab Muslim food cultures. The impact of colonialism, globalization, and modernization on the foodways is also discussed in the topical chapters. This thorough overview provides huge insight into the lives of everyday people in the regions through their food culture. One chapter describes the major foodstuffs and how they are used. Another discusses gender roles and cooking, the use of cookbooks, and details the typical kitchen and its contents, from appliances to utensils. A chapter on typical meals shows the daily rituals of the various peoples. The "Eating Out" chapter provides a fascinating look at the workings and decor of small, traditional restaurants, the popularity of picnics, and more. Next, food in the context of religious holidays and life-cycle celebrations is discussed. Finally, traditional folk and modern beliefs about diet and health round out the coverage.

Memories of a Lost Egypt: A Memoir with Recipes

Colette Rossant

List Price: $21.00 By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $3.83

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Matthew's presence transports me back to the Cairo kitchen, where I am tasting the ful that Ahmet, the cook, prepared and helping Grandmaman Marguerite mix dough while she sings songs to me in Arabic. Her family pride was profoundly linked to the kitchen, so when I attempted to make sambousek once for my friends
and did not follow her recipe for this cheese-filled golden dough faithfully, she was outraged. "This recipe is at least
hundreds of years old. You do not change it!" she shouted. I see her standing at the stove, a diminutive woman
usually dressed in black. Her thick, curly,  henna-dyed hair was pulled upward in a large chignon; there was always
a lock of hair escaping that she would try, again and again and without success, to push back into her chignon.  My daughter Marianne, who looks like her, has the same gesture of trying to push a lock of curly dark hair behind her ear. I smile as I watch the curl fall down in front of her eyes."

From Memories of a Lost Egypt

North African Cooking

Tess Mallos

Amazon Price: $15.56 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Periplus Editions Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $8.99

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Editorial Review:

North African Cooking is an exciting collection of regional recipes encompassing Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Unique specialties such as Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Honey and Algerian Fish Tagine with Charmoula and Tomato are joined by better-known recipes such as Spiced Roast Lamb and Nut Shortbread Cookies.

With a sumptuous range of dishes from simple street fare to elaborate banquet food, this book is a wonderful introduction to North African cooking.

Ideas for Entertaining from the African-American Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions for Holidays Throughout the Year

Angela Shelf Medearis

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Editorial Review:

Rich in lore and customs, Ideas For Entertaining From The African-American Kitchen is the first book to show home cooks how to prepare bountiful feasts for all occasions honored in the African American community. A veteran cookbook writer and descendant of a long line of great cooks, Angela Shelf Medearis covers a year's worth of holidays and special occasions, from Emancipation Day and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. There are suggestions for an Afrocentric baby shower, a Rites of Passage ceremony for teenagers, and a "jumping the broom" wedding feast, all rounded out with pertinent information about traditional rituals and modern adaptations. Medearis provides aspiring hosts with indispensable advice on when to send invitations, scheduling preparations, setting a table, decorating ideas, and getting guests to mingle, all in an accessible, hospitable voice that assures readers they can manage a delightful celebration whether large or small. Ideas For Entertaining >From The African-American Kitchen is a one-of-a-kind resource, sure to be welcomed by cooks everywhere.

Healthier Alternatives: Low-Saturated Fat African Cooking: And Recipes Inspired by International Cuisines

May Jideofo

Amazon Price: $15.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tate Publishing & Enterprises Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $12.97

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Amazingly Delicious and Healthy Too! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This cookbook is an essential guide to Nigerian (Ibo) cooking done healthy. It has all the popular staples such as Jellof Rice, a variety of mouth-watering soups, Souya, meat & vegie pies, chin chin and special-occasion foods.

Under its guidance, for the first time in my life, I made a delectable Okro Soup. It was extraordinarily good! Not even the most sophisticated Nigerian cook would have known that it was from a first-timer! Thanks to the detailed instructions, I had the timing down. With Nigerian soups, quality ingredients are important but the timing is also a key factor.

I can't wait to try the other recipes!
-Healthier Alternatives: Low-Saturated Fat African Cooking: And Recipes Inspired by International Cuisines