African, Heartwarming Flavours from a Traditional Cuisine ~ Rosamund Grant

When I bought this book I was looking to fill a gap in my collection. I already had a representative sample of Moroccan cuisine, but that was as far as my African recipe collection went, and I do like to have a reasonably complete coverage. While I do absolutely adore Moroccan fare I am the first to admit that my tastes do not necessarily run to that of the rest of the African continent. Many years ago my partner and I dined at an African restaurant in Newtown and while an interesting meal, it certainly wasn't a favourite. Add to that the nasty dose of food poisoning that both I and several fellow diners experienced after a (very ordinary) meal at an Ethiopian restaurant in Canberra, and it doesn't top my list of regional cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised then, having bought the cookbook primarily to fill an information gap, that many of the recipes are much more my thing than I'd have imagined.


I guess it helps that I really like many of the elements that make up a lot of African cuisine, from the spices to the starchy root vegetables, the plantains, okra, christophene pear (choko, oh I do love choko) and the abundance of pulses. The Yam balls are definitely my sort of recipe, as is the East African roast chicken which comes out a gorgeous golden yellow thanks to the turmeric in the rub. The Mutton with black-eyed beans and pumpkin is a warming comfort dish and would sit comfortably alongside Ground rice for a filling winter meal. The few desserts within the book are also both simple and delicious, such as the Pawpaw and mango with mango cream and the Banana mandazi, making up for the lack of variety (with only four desserts) with simplicity and flavour.

The book itself is only small, but each recipe is accompanied by glossy photo's and clear, step-by-step instructions, with additional pictures demonstrating these steps in many cases. It is certainly not comprehensive in covering African cuisine, however it's a handy little addition to fill what was a big gap in my collection.

Recommended for cookbook collectors and those after a few simple and tasty recipes from across the African continent.

- Kath