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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Africa Has Finally Been Placed on the Culinary Map, December 15, 1999
It's about time that Africa has been placed on the culinary map. I always knew that Africa had influenced other peoples but to learn about Africa's culinary and cultural connection to Southeast Asians, Mexicans and others is simply a revelation (one such revelation was learning that ancient Cambodians wore their hair in cornrows and ate black-eyed peas!). I will never read another cookbook without comparing it to "The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook." It is revolutionary in concept and content. This book not only offers great recipes, but it is also a great source for African and African American history and insight on a number of issues. No cookbook I have ever read has inspired me more than this one. I highly recommend this book, not only to avid cooks, but also to avid readers of history as well. "The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook" should be mandatory reading from now on for anyone attempting to write anything on African culinary history.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glorious African Cookbook, November 25, 1999
After first buying a copy of the Peppers, Cracklings and Knots of Wool Cookbook, reading parts of it, and trying several of the recipes, I bought a second copy. One copy goes in my kitchen forever! The recipes are fabulous taste treasures that defy adequate description. My family and I simply could not believe how good these meals taste. I did have to search at findng some of the ingredients to the more intricate recipes. The end results were well worth any effort. Since I tend to make a huge mess when cooking and my cookbooks suffer from it, I decided that I needed a second copy of the book. The second copy now occupies a prominent place on the bookshelves in our family room.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eradicates the perceived myth of inferior African cooking, August 3, 2002
As a fan of ethnography and food folkways, I found this book interesting. The first thing that jumped out at me was the author's note of thanks to Embassies of Laos, Peru, and India... Intriguing? African cuisine migrated to India? To Laos? The second thing that jumped out at me was the first recipe, which called for "egusi seeds." No worries - there is nearly 100 pages of glossary, sources of ingredients, and bibliography. The third thing that you notice is the author's penchant for railing against those Eurocentric writers who discredited African foodstuffs and cuisine, and denied the Africanism of Egypt and the Olmecs. Even if you never prepare a single recipe, this book serves as a source of African culinary and social history. Nearly every recipe is followed by a bit of history and the story of African migratory influences. Chapter 1 focuses on "Eastern Ethiopians" and Dravidians (the Southern Indians including speakers of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada) -- participants in the lucrative spice trade for centuries. Highlights for me included "Mississippi Masala Rice"; "Sesame Yam Patties"; "Doro Wat", a chicken in pepper sauce; and "Lamb and Beef Dar Es Salaam" with 7 spices and 3 meats. Chapter 2 is on the Sons and Daughters of Kambu, or those Ethiopian-Indians who migrated and influenced Southeast Asian, Khmer,and Cambodian societies. While highlighting the similarities in certain rituals in Southeast Asia and Africa, the recipes include: Spicy Fish in Peanut Sauce, Afro-Khmer Shrimp and Spicy Rice, Black-Eyed Spring Rolls, and Khmer Sweet Black Eyed Peas (like Hoppin' John, it reminded me of the film "Catfish in Black Bean Sauce"). Chapter 3 is on "Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool" or African cuisine found in Mexico and Central America. The "knots" refers to African hair. While the author discusses African influences, as well as an Almec-Africa connection, her recipes include: Masar Spicy Roasted Turkey; Yam and Plantain Fruit Pudding; Balimaya Pek Corn Dumpling Stew; and Hunabqu Omon Corn and Masa Soup. Chapter 4 presents the story of Africa in Peru and the highlands, titled "Zancu, Sweet Potatoes and Beer." Recipes include: Garden Patties with Onion and Cassava Cream Gravy; Zancu; and Yugeno (a cocktail known as the Peruvian blowdart). Chapter 5, titled, "Body and Soul" The Miscengenation of Cuisine and Culture in Brazil and Cuba," focuses on Brazil and Cuba, while Chapter 6 focuses on America, Haiti, Maroon settlements, and other Caribbean islands. The author, fond of cakes since childhood, include several cake recipes including a Chocolate Coconut cake and a Coconut Cake. "Brazen Tomatoes" will catch your attention. I enjoyed the final two chapters the most. Chapter 7 is a study of the migration of the African American cooks from the American South to the North of the country, and Chapter 8 is titled "Flapjacks and Blue Notes." Recipes include those for dinner rolls; smothered steak; Dr. Carver's peach leather; Booker T's fried chicken; lamb chops in thyme and mushrooms; and a very large variety of flapjacks.
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