A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts [Paperback]

Jessica B. Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 1998

A DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO CELEBRATING KWANZAA THAT HONORS AND AFFIRMS AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE, FOOD, AND FAMILY

Structured around the seven days of Kwanzaa and the virtues each day represents, A Kwanzaa Keepsake contains everything you need to create your own unique holiday traditions: blessings, proverbs, ceremonies, family projects, inspirational biographies of heroes and heroines of the African-Atlantic world, and a feast for each night. Each meal reflects the principle of the day:

FIRST NIGHT -- Umoja (Unity)
Multinational dishes such as Seasoned Olives from Brazil and Moroccan Mechoui-Style Leg of Lamb with Cumin, Mint, and Chile remind us of the union of all peoples of African descent.

SECOND NIGHT -- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
South African Sweet Potato Fritters and Senegalese Chicken Yassa are part of a menu that is composed of dishes from the Motherland.

THIRD NIGHT -- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Share Herbed Chicken Thighs, Spicy Three-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, and Deep Dish Apple Cobbler at a potluck supper for family and friends.

FOURTH NICHT -- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Pecan-Coated Roast Loin of Pork with Baked Peaches accompanied by Baked Potatoes with Spiced Yogurt is the centerpiece of a formal meal to entertain business contacts.

FIFTH NIGHT -- Nia (Purpose)
Honor your ancestors' American presence with a Roast Chicken dinner, accented by Home-Style Collard Greens with Spicy Vinegar and sweetened with Holiday Gingerbread with Molasses Whipped Cream.

SIXTH NIGHT -- Kuumba (Creativity)
An African-American healing supper opens the gates of remembrance through food. Surround your own heritage recipe for stuffed turkey or a vegetarian main dish with Pickled Black-Eyed Peas, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, and Killer Pecan Pie.

SEVENTH NIGHT -- Imani (Faith)
Usher in the New Year with North African Carrot Salad, Red Snapper Fillets in Creole Court Bouillon, and classic Southern Succotash.

With space to record your own family history, memories, and recipes, A Kwanzaa Keepsake is a book to cherish, and to turn to again and again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA?A comprehensive guidebook on this African and African American feast. Prefaced by a history of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, the text comments on practical ways to enhance each phase of the celebration and offers concrete descriptions of rituals associated with each one. Also, a project that families can complete together is presented for each night. This is an excellent companion to Eric Copage's Kwanzaa (Morrow, 1991), which provides more recipes and some culture. This volume has more culture and some recipes. The two together reap the richness of this reflective feast.?Margaret Nolan, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Fireside Ed edition (December 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684853256
• ISBN-13: 978-0684853253
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,200,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduction to the celebration of Kwanzaa., December 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts (Paperback)

Ms. Harris' book, "A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday With New Traditions and Feasts," is excellent. I knew nothing about Kwanzaa when I picked it up but felt as though I had been thoroughly introduced to a marvelous seven-day series of ceremonies, feasts and celebrations. I came away with a great deal of respect for Kwanzaa and the seven principles behind it. It is unfortunate, however, that the creator of Kwanzaa, Maulana Karenga, felt it necessary to discriminate against all but African Americans, for all mankind would benefit from participating in this moving celebration. We could all stand to be affirmed and reaffirmed as members of our families, our communities and our cultures on an annual basis.

5.0 out of 5 stars AN EXCELLENT EXPLANATION OF KWANZAA AND THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES, December 20, 2010

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts (Paperback)

Jessica B. Harris is a "Professor of English in New York City and a culinary consultant." She has written many other books such as The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking, Iron Pots & Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking, Beyond Gumbo : Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim, and The World Beauty Book: How We Can All Look and Feel Wonderful Using the Natural Beauty Secrets of Women of Color.

She writes in a prefatory page to this 1995 book, "May the principles of Kwanzaa reinforce the values of our families and keep all of our children, those of the womb and those of the heart, also."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"Kwanzaa... is not designed as an alternative to or replacement for any of the holidays. Kwanzaa may be celebrated jointly with any or all of the year-end holidays. More importantly, it also offers a time for reflection and self-affirmation, in contrast with the rampant commercialism that has overtaken some of the other holidays." (Pg. 13-14)
"(C)elebrants are open to find the way to the holiday that best expresses their individuality. Some followers of Kwanzaa fast from sunrise to sunset during the seven days, as with the Muslim Ramadan." (Pg. 15)
"Because Kwanzaa aims to avoid the crass commercialism that has overtaken the other year-end festivities, handmade gifts are also particularly appropriate, whether made by the giver or by other African-Americans. Again, as with all Kwanzaa purchases, in purchasing Kwanzaa zawadi, the principle of Ujamaa should be kept in mind. With Kwanzaa symbols and handmade Kwanzaa gifts, the principle of Kuumba should be kept in the foremost." (Pg. 21)