Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking [Mass Market Paperback]

Jessica B. Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 1991

Cajun, Creole, and Caribbean dishes all have their roots in the cooking of West and Central Africa; the peanuts, sweet potatoes, rice, cassava, plantains, and chile pepper that star in the cuisines of New Orleans, Puerto Rico, and Brazil are as important in the Old World as they are in the New World. In Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons, esteemed culinary historian and cookbook author Jessica Harris returns to the source to trace the ways in which African food has migrated to the New World and transformed the way we eat. From condiments to desserts, Harris shares more than 175 recipes that find their roots and ingredients in Africa, from Sand-roasted Peanuts to Curried Coconut Soup, from Pepper Rum to Candied Sweet Potatoes, from Beaten Biscuits to Jamaica Chicken Run Down, from Shortening Bread to Ti-Punch.

Enticing recipes, a colorful introduction on the evolution of transported African food, information on ingredients from achiote to z'oiseaux and utensils make this culinary journey a tantalizing, and satisfying, experience.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The history of Black cooking is a tale of many cooks." This firsthand, folksy introduction to African foods--eaten by a substantial portion of the world's population, yet unfamiliar to many North Americans--finds their origins not only in Africa, but in the Caribbean islands, Brazil and inherited in the cuisine of Afro-Americans. Harris ( Hot Stuff ), a native New Yorker, argues that traditional cookery of North and South American blacks is African-derived, and provides her own appealing adaptations and hybrids of dishes. Most of the hundreds of recipes she has gathered, however, are traditional, covering everything from soup (conch chowder, tropical vichyssoise) to dessert (avocado mousse, shortening bread) and including a glossary of ingredients. In her most impressive chapter, Harris unveils a variety of main dishes combining fish and/or meat with leafy and root vegetables. On the other hand, a chapter on appetizers travels less well: ingredients are hard to come by in North America, and the preponderance of fried and fatty foods may not appeal to health-conscious cooks and diners.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The New York Times One of those rare books that makes clear why food is important and how food helps people understand themselves and their history.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault Chief Africa correspondent, National Public Radio, and author of In My Place [Jessica Harris] is truly the Zora Neale Hurston of culinary anthropology. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 13, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034536418X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345364180
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,981,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cuisine and culture, January 30, 2002

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking (Paperback)

Africa has not been given its place among the world's great cuisines, and its influences on American cooking have not been properly acknowledged. This book is a step in the right direction.

If you enjoy both traditional recipes, and learning about the people and places that developed the traditions, then this book is for you. "Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking: Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons" contains about 180 recipes from over a dozen countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, all of them pieces in the culinary puzzle of the African diaspora.

The recipes are categorized as "Appetizers"; "Soups"; "Sauces and Condiments"; "Vegetables and Salads"; "Starches"; "Main Dishes"; "Desserts and Candies"; and "Beverages". Each category contains a mix of African and African-influenced New World recipes, for example, in the "Main Dishes" section we find "Chicken Pelau" (from Trinidad and Tabago), then "Moqueca de Peixe" (Brazil), then "Caldou" (The Gambia), and "Roast Chicken" (United States). Each recipe is introduced by a short paragraph about its history or the author's thoughts.

In addition to the recipes, the book contains an informative introduction, and a glossary of ingredients and utensils. There is also an index. This book is a worthwhile addition to any cookbook shelf, as is the author's book of African recipes "The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent".

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you want history and great recipes........, October 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking (Paperback)

This was my first Jessica Harris cookbook, but I now own all of them. In the early 90's it was not so common to include history as precursor to a recipe, but it has always been her style. A great beginning cookbook which embraces the African Diaspora.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great recipes and wonderful history., October 28, 2000

By 

solange apon (philipsburg, st. maarten, netherlands antilles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking (Paperback)

I "stole" this book from my mother and my ex "stole" it from me. I am real happy to have found it online. All the wonderful foods of my youth are in there...and it's great to be able to explain to your dinner guest the origins of a particular dish. You will love it so much, you'll ask for seconds (smile)