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| Authors: Marcus Samuelsson; photographer:
Gediyon Kifle |
For as long as I can remember,
I've had Africa on my mind." Award-winning chef
Samuelsson may be best known for his innovative take
on Scandinavian cuisine at New York's Restaurant Aquavit,
but his story begins thousands of miles away, in Africa.
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden by adoptive parents,
his life transcends national boundaries, and his individual
approach to cuisine is a global yet personal one that
draws freely from many ethnic and cultural influences.
In this book, Samuelsson returns to the land of
his birth to explore the continent's rich diversity
of cultures and cuisines through recipes and stories
from his travels in Africa. Color images by Kifle
bring the breadth of the African experience to life,
from fishermen at sunset off the coast of Zanzibar
to French baguettes loaded onto a bicycle in Senegal.
Samuelsson shares more than 200 enticing recipes,
including his own African-inspired creations and traditional
dishes from all parts of Africa. You can delight in
spicy stews and Barbequed Snapper from West Africa
and the familiar Mediterranean flavors of dishes like
Moroccan Lemon-Olive Chicken, or make your way east
and south for the irresistible taste combinations
of dishes such as Curried Trout with Coconut-Chili
Sauce from Kenya and Apple-Squash Fritters from South
Africa's Cape Malay. Using ingredients that are readily
available in American markets, the recipes are doable
as well as delicious.
Of course, one of the keys to authentic African
cooking is the use of spice blends and rubs, which
elevate simple cooking techniques to an excitingly
varied and intense level. Marcus includes his favorites
here, with blends that go from sweet to spicy and
feature everything from hot chili peppers and peppermint
leaves to sesame seeds and ginger.
As he says, Africa is "a state of mind that
I hope this book will help you tap into wherever you
are." By cooking with a handful of this and a
pinch of that, trying new foods and enjoying old ones
in a new way, and lingering over meals with family
and friends, you will bring the free, relaxed spirit
of African cooking to your table and discover for
yourself the soul of a "new" cuisine.
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From Publishers Weekly
Born Ethiopian, raised Swedish, and now one of New York City's top chefs,
Samuelsson (Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine) has written an
exotic yet accessible book that will hasten the coming of the African
fusion cookery he envisions. His 204 recipes and 258 color photos are
enriched with personal and political history; as in his many condiments
and sauces, the balance is right. While he stresses the diversity and
bounty of the second-largest continent, he repeatedly describes African
cuisine as poor people's cooking, crafted with simple tools and necessarily
emphasizing starches, vegetables and big flavors. Whether it's rosemary
for Honey Bread or turmeric, ginger and cinnamon in his Vegetable Samosas,
herbs and spices are always sauteed in oil or tossed in a hot dry pan,
to intensify and mellow. He even proposes toasting the cinnamon for the
whipped cream accompanying his Ethiopian Chocolate Rum Cake. The recipe
for the cake is typical: the batter is prepared in a single bowl, mixed
with a spoon, and bakes up moist and gingerbread-like, with great keeping
properties. Toasting the cinnamon takes seconds and is impressive in the
complexity it delivers.
© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. |
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$40.00 (hardcover)
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