The Kwanzaa Celebration: Festive Recipes and Homemade Gifts from an African-American Kitchen [Hardcover]

Angela Shelf Medearis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

Emphasizing foods that traveled with Africans to America, such as yams, sesame seeds, collard greens, and hot peppers, a collection of recipes for the Kwanzaa celebration includes information about the ceremony and inspirational text.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Because Kwanzaa, the celebration of African American heritage and culture, was established as recently as 1966, it is still in some ways an evolving holiday, and these two books provide a variety of different ways of marking the weeklong (December 26-January 1) festivities. Harris, the well-known author of The Welcome Table (LJ 12/94), includes menus for each night of the holiday, along with texts to be read, biographies of honored ancestors, ideas for homemade gifts, and a special project for each night. For example, on the third night, with its theme of collective responsibility, the project is to help fight against hunger, and Harris proposes a potluck supper to which each guest can bring an extra dish for a homeless shelter or other beneficiary. Medearis (The African-American Kitchen, LJ 8/94) offers recipes organized by course, along with separate chapters on cooking for company and bringing gifts from the kitchen. She begins with a step-by-step guide to the holiday, and succeeding chapters describe the different nights of celebration. Quotations from important African Americans serve as headnotes for many of the recipes; it's a bit disconcerting, however, to see a statement about struggle by Frederick Douglass attached to Medearis's recipe for Cheese Steaks. With its readable, informative text and thoughtful menus, Harris's book [BOMC alternate; BOMC HomeStyle Bks. alternate] is the first choice but both titles are recommended.
- is the first choice but both titles are recommended.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525940707
• ISBN-13: 978-0525940708
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,159,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Details, Details, November 23, 1999

By 

"pereztx" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kwanzaa Celebration: Festive Recipes and Homemade Gifts from an African-American Kitchen (Hardcover)

People looking for ideas on what to serve and gifts to give for Kwanzaa will find good suggestions in this book. The book also includes a helpful pronounciation guide for Kwanzaa terms. But I was disappointed to find two critical errors: 1) the author instructs that the green candles are placed to the left of the black candle in the Kwanza Kinara (candle holder) when it is the red candles that go to the left -- as illustrated on the book's cover. 2) The author advises that Kwanzaa feast, or Karamu, is held on the 6th day of the holiday, when it is held on the seventh and last. Everything about Kwanzaa relates to seven -- seven principles, seven symbols, seven days. DUH! Unfortunately, those key errors dampened by enthusiasm for the rest of the book.