Easy Cooking

Author(s): Inc. Africa News Service
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Publication Date: 1986-05-06
Pages: 208
Review: If you can only have one cookbook of African food in your collection, this is the one I recommend. I have had it for many years, after finding it in a library. I can’t even count how many times I made the Jollof Rice recipe in this book - I’ve made it following the recipe explicitly, I’ve had chicken as the only meat, shrimp as the only meat, no meat - and it’s been perfect. The recipes from Eastern Africa I know are authentic as I shared the book with a native Tanzanian while I studied Swahili, and she said that the recipes are very similar to hers. Same with a native Nigerian; in fact, she borrowed my book to make Egusi soup (Egusi is a gourd/melon whose seeds are used ground up as a thickener, which adds it’s own flavor)when she misplaced her own recipe. I have made a lot of the recipes, but after the Jollof Rice, the Kuku na Nazi (koo-koo nah Nah-zee - which means Chicken in Coconut in Swahili) is my favorite recipe. I also make the Garum Masala recipe in the book. If you need a recipe for curry, there are several in the book including curry for fruit and curry for fish, and Berberé which is an Ethiopian Curry in liquid form.The Africa News Cookbook is great. My child’s school recently had a festival celebrating cultures around the world. My friend loaned me the cookbook and I shared the recipes with the other parents in the school. The recipes were fairly easy to make and the descriptions were easy to follow. We had a great time sampling food with an African influence and learned a lot in the process.

I am ordering my own copy!If only for one recipe, Doro Wat (my spelling may be off, I loaned out my copy and have never seen it again!) Chicken Stew, it is AMAZING!!!! Don’t be put off by the ingredients (lots of cayenne pepper!) And making the aromatic Berbere, and Ghee yourself is a bit time consuming, but worth the experience and effort. (You can use your old coffee grinder) I made Doro Wat chicken for a party, after having some at a food festival and prying the recipe source from the chef, and it was the most well received dish I EVER served,(to a room of critics!) and I’m a great cook! Plus there are loads of other authentic African recipes,(from various countries) a cusine that gets over-looked too often!I’ve had this book for years and can truly testify that it’s one of the best cook books in my collection which includes classics like the Joy of Cooking by the Rombauer mother and daughter, and Cookwise by Shirley Corriher.
“The AFrica News Cookbook” has delicious recipes, including curry chicken, fish stew, that come from all over the continent. The book illustrates the various cultural mixes that distinguish each region and country.
Plus, the recipes are easy to make.
More ingredients are available since the book was published in 1986. I can buy palm oil at my local grocery store and I live in Cleveland.
This book is worth the money, whether you’re a novice (like I was when I bought it) or experienced with African cooking.
Price: $17.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Bea Sandler
Publisher: Citadel
Publication Date: 2001-02-01
Pages: 256
Review: Gave as a gift to a friend who went to africa on mission trip. This book has recipes from several regions. I even made one of the recipes in the book, excellent choice!I had an african friend look at this cookbook, and was told that the recipes do not represent true african cooking. He suspects that the author at with the upper crust of African society, and the cookbook is so colored. In an example of the inaccuracies of the cookbook, Dagga is represented as consisting of dried fish from Scandinavia. The ordinary people do not have money to buy these products: it is actually small dried prawns.”The African Cookbook” was initially published in 1970 and represented one of the first widely available cookbooks to explore the cuisine of Africa. Author Bea Sandler (who is now deceased) traveled extensively in Africa, and this cookbook was her attempt to introduce regional African food to America. Chapters cover different countries, including Ethiopia, Morocco, and Senegal. Some of the recipes are likely to be familiar to many cooks who have never before read an African cookbook (e.g., chapattis, couscous), but some are refreshingly unfamiliar. Each chapter describes how to put together an entire meal typical of that country, which is likely to appeal to many readers. Additionally, Sandler includes some nice anecdotes, such as the use of pieces of bread as a “tablecloth” of sorts that was common in Ethiopia. Thus, the reader gets some idea about the country’s culture (or at least the culture circa 1970).

Although the all-meal approach is interesting and likely to appeal to many readers, it does have a drawback. Specifically, the author seems to expect that readers will make all the recipes in a particular chapter. The result is that many of the dishes made alone do not have much flair of Africa. For example, I made the braised cabbage, which consisted of cabbage and onion simmered in beef broth with some crushed red peppers. The dish was fine, but it didn’t exactly sweep me away to Africa or make me feel like I was making anything unusual. I’m sure that the dish makes more sense in the context of the full meal.

The recipes are also presented in a confusing format - specifically, each ingredient is listed when it is to be added to the recipe. Thus, the ingredients are scattered throughout the recipe directions, making it somewhat difficult to gather together everything you need. The author tries to solve this problem by including a “shopping list” for each chapter, but these lists essentially include what you’d need to make every single recipe in the chapter. In addition, as happens with some foreign cuisine cookbooks, some of the ingredients are not explained in enough detail, such as “salad herbs.”

In sum, this cookbook is of importance due to its historical place in helping to bring African cuisine to American readers, and some of the stories are interesting. However, some of the formatting issues and the outdated feel of the cookbook made it less than ideal for me. Recommended with reservations.

I bought this book from a used book store to bolster my library of african cookbooks (of which, until recently, there are precious few). In general, I found the book a disappointment. The author uses too many packaged foods and cuts spice levels to the point that the dishes are bland facsimiles of themselves, almost unrecognizable. There are other dishes which hardly qualify as african: roast beef, for example.

When it was first published, the author’s changes were no doubt welcomed by timid american cooks. now that our palates have become more sophisticated, we must demand more authenticity from “ethnic” cookbooks. Other african cookbooks deliver. This does not.Simple recipes that include chicken stews, fried cheese, coffee desserts, and entire buffet menus. As a teacher of African American Studies, I use this book to teach to my students. It’s very helpful, resourceful, easy, and fun.
Price: $19.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Lehla Eldridge
Publisher: Struik Publishers
Publication Date: 2003-09
Pages: 80
Review: Just to let you know, Apartheid is still alive in South Africa. GREAT food there, though, especially what the Native Africans cook. Thanks for this great cookbook, got some great original recipes.I spent five months studying in South Africa, and I certainly miss the food! This cookbook does a great job capturing the diversity of country - it’s a great buy!Expertly compiled and wonderfully illustrated with watercolor drawings by Lehla Eldridge, The South African Illustrated Cookbook is a wonderfully imaginative compendium of recipes drawn from the culinary cultures of the Xhosa, Cape Malay, Zulu, English, Indian, Afrikaans, Portuguese, and new integrated South Africa. From Nontobeko’s Steam Bread; Butternut Soup; Karen’s Grilled Line Fish with Gourmet Smoortie; and Darling Evita’s Dried Fruit Bobotie of Reconciliation; to Coconut Chicken; Jose’s Pan-fried Fillets of Ostrich with Port and Cranberry Sauce; Langebaan Cinnamon Pumpkin; and Baked Pears in Red Wine; The South African Illustrated Cookbook offers mouth- watering, appetite satisfying dishes for every course of the family meal. This is a unique and highly recommended cookbook, ideal for multicultural dining clubs and ethnic cookbook collections.

Lehla eldridge’s ‘The South African Illustrated Cookbook’ is a slim paperback volume that a friend sent me as a gift.
It nestles modestly between Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver on my kitchen shelf, those two enormous volumes (so difficult to read in bed) are not consulted as often or as lovingly.
I love South African food, the warmth of the colours of it, the melting sunshine taste of it in the mouth, and this book captures perfectly the bright informality of the African table.
Beautifully and humorously illustrated with watercolour impressions of people, markets, dogs and dishes, this is a must for anyone who enjoys the complete cooking experience from the first word of a carefully collected recipe to the last mouthful with friends and wine.
And you can read it in bed. Lehla Eldridge has produced a gem.This cookbook does what many others have been unable or unwilling to do. It takes the reader on a senstive journey through South Africas beautiful people and the cuisine in a delightful pictorial way. Lehla is a great artist and a great chef. Lets hope she does many more books
Price: $10.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Angela Shelf Medearis
Publisher: Rodale Books
Publication Date: 2004-09-22
Pages: 304
Review: I used to only cook Thai and Indian vegetarian foods, then saw this book and was impressed by the variety of new recipes, including things I knew from Southern and African restaurants. When tagging the recipes I wanted to try first, I found myself marking half the pages! It’s great for planning a week of menus using similar ingredients to make a ton of different things. I half all the recipe quantities, and they are good for 2-3 people that way. It’s all been delicious and easy, with most main dishes only using one pot. The instructions for Injera (Ethiopian bread) were creative and it turned out great! I’m starting to use the more authentic ingredients suggested in the recipe descriptions instead of the Americanized versions, using produce and flours from Mexican and Indian grocers (we don’t have an African grocer here), and it is even better that way. It’s all very protein-rich, so I’ve never been tempted to add meat to anything in this book.I have tried almost half of the recipes and loved every single one. I was worried about the large amount of food - but I have never had leftovers for very long. Excellent and creative uses for veggie meat.I’ve tried about 5 recipes from this book and all of them were dismal failures. The author is way off with the amounts needed for each ingredient. I tried the jerk tofu and plantain and black bean fritters. What a mess! This is the worst vegetarian cookbook I have and I will not be trying anything else in the book. We are not vegetarians, but I have been toying with reducing meats in my family’s diet. When I picked up this book, I was skeptical. However, each recipie that I have tried has been fantastic! My husband loves the spiciness of the dishes, and I love the rich flavors. The meals are substantial, and you won’t miss the meat. Enjoy!While a few recipes do use eggs or cheese, most do not. Lots of tasty vegan options here.
Price: $18.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Phoebe Bailey
Publisher: Good Books
Publication Date: 2002-08
Pages: 224
Review: I had the opportunity to review this book while I was visiting a relative. I was very impressed with the contents. I have found this book to very resourceful to me in preparation of Soul Food. I would highly recommend it for reference use in the kitchen.I love this book. My daughter brought it home from her school library. I loved it so much that I had to buy a copy to keep. I have made several of the recipes, and all I can say is YUM!!!!This book is my favorite cookbook, and I have at least 50 of them. The recipes are wonderfully delicious, and my teenage daughters and I love to try different ones together. The ingredients are things you would normally have around the house, unlike some cookbooks where you have to buy stuff that you will never use again. You will use this cookbook more than your other ones. It’s great!! I purchased this book and I have to agree with the others that it is a very good cookbook for flavorful homestyle meals. I particularly enjoy baking which was the primary reason I purchased the book. I HIGHLY reccomend everyone try the “Best Yet” Pound Cake recipe… OMG!!!!!! I am asked to bake these often. I have also tried other recipes in this cookbook, some GREAT… some were so-so, but definitely worth the money to invest for your household and family. This is my most consistent in terms of taste of the 5 cookbooks I own. All the recipes I have tried so far have been GOOD and those who have eaten them have given them rave reviews. Some of the recipes aren’t completely written, for example, one says, “Cook for 45-60 minutes.” and it is not clear whether this means in the oven, in the frying pan, and at what temperature. There are enough of similar kinds of recipes though to figure these errors out.

For those who never learned how to cook like grandma or moms, this is the book to learn. You can also substitute ingredients, such as nonfat milk for whole milk, to make the food a bit healthier. You can also substitute smoked turkey for hamhocks and salt pork. However, sometimes you have to splurge and go for those to get that old school taste.
Price: $15.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Dokpe L. Ogunsanya
Publisher: Dupsy Enterprises
Publication Date: 1998-02-01
Pages: 104
Review: I have decided that I want cookbooks from different regions around the world. So I went to Amazon and found this cookbook. My husband was a little nervous about the cookbook but I have only had it for a short time but I have cooked many wonderful dishes and my husband is picking them faster than I can cook. My book is already looking worn.I am not one to judge a book by it’s cover but when I saw the women on the book cover dressed in authentic African garb, I thought the recipes would also be authentic. Then I noticed that some of the recipes said add a can of this and a can of that, I realized it was an “Americanized” North African “short cut” Rachel Ray Style cook book (not Yummo).

Not what I was looking for,a big dissapointment.This book truelly accomplishes the West African style, specifically Nigerian style, of cooking. My husband and I have enjoyed cooking many of these recipes. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to experience true west african cooking.I love the presentation of the recipes and dishes in this book of traditional african cuisine. I am an Igbo woman who was born in the U.S. and I wanted a book to guide me in making some of my favorite dishes from childhood. Food has a healing, therapeutic lulling quality to it and there is just nothing like HOME COOKIN… This is IT for me! Thank you Miss Dokpe for your excellent work!Those of us who hanker after the authentic African taste we grew up with will be pleased with the recipes in the book. Although some of the recipes are labelled with slightly different names, and they may not be just as we knew them, the taste will take you back to good times of street food and full stomachs. The only better African cookbooks I know are “Wild Boar on the Kitchen Floor” and the “Crocodile Cookbook”. I think they’re both out of print.
Price: $12.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Rufus Estes
Publisher: Dover Publications
Publication Date: 2004-11-23
Pages: 160
Review: This is more than a cookbook (because most recipes you can’t recreate), it is a historical account of life as a slave cook. This is a good book to add to your collection if you are into collecting cookbooks or African American collectibles. There is a very brief introduction by the author of his life. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail of his experiences as a chef but names a few places where he worked. Some of the recipes may be familiar to the seniors out there. I remember my grandmother preparing dishes that were similar in nature to some of the recipes listed.

Obviously, this isn’t a cookbook like the ones of our generation. The recipes are very brief, don’t always list proportions, and are skimpy in preparation detail. If you purchase this and decide you want to try something, make sure you read the recipe over a few times to ensure that it flows and will work. For example, the fried chicken recipe instructs you to steep the chicken but there isn’t enough liquid mentioned in the recipe for that, and the instructions on cooking the marinade are vague as they only specify that the liquid is heated. Since the marinade or steeping liquid includes carrots and turnips (yes, really) you have to assume that either water or broth was used and the mixture cooked until at least those vegetable were softened.

I suppose the recipes are in the tradition of the cooking like Grandma used to do, a pinch of this or a spoonful of that with most of the detail being committed to memory!

The title says that this is the first cookbook by an African American Chef. However, there is another book (available at Amazon), “What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking” that was published in 1881.

Dover Publications has reprinted Rufus Estes’ Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef, the first cookbook by an Afro-American chef, returning this time-lost 1911 culinary classic to print. It’s refreshing to read a title from the past which doesn’t skimp on the lard or the fats, and intriguing to read about Estes’ Southern childhood and early years as a railway attendant, while the easy recipes for Baked Milk (an early form of custard), or Parsnip Fritters.

Price: $9.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Carolyn Quick Tillery
Publisher: Citadel Press
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Pages: 224
Review: I specifically searched for this book on Amazon after reviewing it in the library at the culinary school that I recently graduated from. I thought it would be a very useful cookbook to add to my collection and the heritage part was an added bonus. I had recently read an article on the author of the book in one of the military publications I picked up on Nellis Air Force Base and was thrilled to actually get to purchase the book. Although I’m southern born and bred there are some recipes in the book that I have never heard of in my life and I love having the history there to go with some of the recipes.I have this book in my collection. Some of the recipes are just fabulous.

I love making desserts a lot, and there are some wonderful, old southern style ones like bread pudding and banana pudding recipes that I just adore.

If you’re interested in cooking the old style southern way, this is the book to have on your shelf.

There are a lot of memoirs also that really take you back in time…good reading and good eating!This is not only a cookbook filled with good, heartwarming foods; but a history lesson of the rich heritage of African Americans and the Tuskegee Institute.The stories that go along with the recipes in this excellent book give you a look into a time and place in America that is vitally important to our American culture. The stories are entertaining and informative, while the recipes are authentic and tasty! You can’t go wrong with this book, there are recipes in this book that need to be preserved for history, before they fall from our memories.This book is so reminiscent of my childhood; it makes me tear up at times! Excellent recipes…
Price: $16.95   Buy This Book

Author(s): Magdaleen van Wyk
Publisher: Struik Publishers
Publication Date: 2007-07-23
Pages: 192
Review: This is my bible of cookbooks. I have had a copy for 25 years and have never had a recipe flop or prove to be a diaster. The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients tend to be easily available. The book has an excellent section on cuts of meats and how to best cook them. It also has a conversion section that is concise and extremely useful.

For those wanting South African recipes this book offers many. From koeksisters to bobotie to biltong to boerewors the recipes are excellent.

I have often found that the baking sections of many general cookbooks tend to be less then great. This is not true of “The Complete” cookbook. My husband has managed to make scones using the basic recipe! My daughters have both learnt to cook using this book and have rarely had any failures.

This is a cookbook that allows cooks from basic to advanced the opportunity to find good recipes that offer a variety of choices and many new recipes that will become family favourites. I was given this delightful book in 1982. The recipes are easy to follow and friends often ask me for the recipes .The Bobotie pie is a real favourite.

I have used this book so much it is falling apart, but to my delight I have found new copies on the internet using [...]

For any newly weds this would be a must as often a recipe I cant find in other books I see it in Magdaleens book.

Thora Angell
Price: $16.00   Buy This Book