Kwanzaa: An African American Celebration Of Culture And Cooking (Paperback)

by Eric V. Copage (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-- Upon initial inspection, this book seems to be more of a fine cookbook than a resource for celebrating Kwanzaa. However, a closer examination shows that its recipes, as wonderful as they are, are secondary to the information about this holiday. The recipes themselves, from African and Caribbean countries as well as the United States, include dishes such as the Ethiopian chicken stew, Doro Wat; Shrimp Creole Fettucine; and a Jamaican iced tea, along with at least 100 others. Copage gives a short history of Kwanzaa and explains why more than five million Americans take part in this seven-day celebration in December. The real treasures, however, are his interesting stories of persons such as King Askiga Muhammad, whose reign of 36 years, starting in 1493, restored the city of Timbuktu to its status ``as a world center.'' Several African folktales as well as short biographies of people such as Frederick Douglass and Fannie Lou Hamer help to make the reading interesting and informative. A tremendous resource book.
- Paul McKendrick, W.T. Woodson High Sch . , Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Journalist and author of Kwanzaa: An African American Celebration of Culture and Cooking (Morrow, 1991), Copage provides a theme, a brief quotation from an African proverb or an African American (from Sojourner Truth to Bill Cosby, Muhammed Ali to Oprah Winfrey), a short meditation or explication, together with a suggested affirmation or action, for each day of the year. These meditations are psychological and spiritual, for people of any religious tradition--or none. Sometimes they deal with issues, such as invisibility to whites, special to African Americans, but often the meditations are deeply human, applicable to anyone, in the best self-help tradition. Essential for all public libraries and recommended for all seminary libraries.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (October 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688128351
• ISBN-13: 978-0688128357
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,602,668 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #62 in

  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > African American

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CULTURAL FEAST, December 10, 2000

By	Bonita L. Davis (Decatur, Georgia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Kwanzaa is rapidly approaching and as with all holidays requires detailed preparation. Contained in these pages are all the components you need for a meaningful Kwanzaa celebration with ritual and food.

Eric Copage shares with us the origins of Kwanzaa as well as his own experiences in first celebrating the holiday. We are introduced to the seven princples of Kwanzaa and the relevance that it has for the African-American community.

You can't have a true celebration unless good tasting food is present. At the very heart of the book are over 120 recipes for you to prepare for the Kwanzaa feast. The recipes are samples from Africans throughout the diaspora. Indulge yourself with pigeon peas and rice from the Caribbean. Avocado mousse with shrimp sauce from Brazil will tantilize your taste buds. A pot of mustard greens from "down home" (the South) in the United States will fill your belly. And let us not forget spicy matoke from Kenya. If you mouth is not watering yet for these delicious treats then something must be wrong with your taste buds.

The above dishes are easy to make and you are provided with suggested menus for the feast. If by chance some of the unusual ingredients are not available in your local grocery store, never fear. Mail order resources are provided for you in the book. As Kwanzaa approaches enjoy the friendship, food and celebration but must of all stand firm with the principles which bind us together as a people. Enjoy! Happy Celebration.