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Tarfumes.com - The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa
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List Price: $40.00
Our Price: $27.83
Your Save: $ 12.17 ( 30% )
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.596
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Wiley
Manufacturer: Wiley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 368
Publication Date: 2006-09-19
Publisher: Wiley
Studio: Wiley
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Editorial Reviews:
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"For as long as I can remember, I've had Africa on my mind." Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson may be best known for his innovative take on Scandinavian cuisine at New York's Restaurant Aquavit, but his story begins thousands of miles away, in Africa. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden by adoptive parents, his life transcends national boundaries, and his individual approach to cuisine is a global yet personal one that draws freely from many ethnic and cultural influences. In The Soul of a New Cuisine, Marcus returns to the land of his birth to explore the continent's rich diversity of cultures and cuisines through recipes and stories from his travels in Africa. Stunning color images by award-winning photographer Gediyon Kifle bring the breadth of the African experience to life, from fishermen at sunset off the coast of Zanzibar to French baguettes loaded onto a bicycle in Senegal. Marcus shares more than 200 enticing recipes, including his own African-inspired creations and traditional dishes from all parts of Africa. You can delight in spicy stews and Barbequed Snapper from West Africa and the familiar Mediterranean flavors of dishes like Moroccan Lemon-Olive Chicken, or make your way east and south for the irresistible taste combinations of dishes such as Curried Trout with Coconut-Chili Sauce from Kenya and Apple-Squash Fritters from South Africa's Cape Malay. Using ingredients that are readily available in American markets, the recipes are doable as well as delicious. Of course, one of the keys to authentic African cooking is the use of spice blends and rubs, which elevate simple cooking techniques to an excitingly varied and intense level. Marcus includes his favorites here, with blends that go from sweet to spicy and feature everything from hot chili peppers and peppermint leaves to sesame seeds and ginger. As he says, Africa is "a state of mind that I hope this book will help you tap into wherever you are." By cooking with a handful of this and a pinch of that, trying new foods and enjoying old ones in a new way, and lingering over meals with family and friends, you will bring the free, relaxed spirit of African cooking to your table and discover for yourself the soul of a "new" cuisine.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably Good Recipes.
Comment: I am obsessed with this cookbook, especially now that I have had a chance to make some of the recipes. If you are looking for new flavors and interesting and challenging new foods to cook then I highly recommend you buy this book. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not buy this book for the travelogue aspect. I wasn't looking for an in depth encyclopedic knowledge of any specific country's cuisine. I was just looking for something new and different and delicious. I'm a cook and a foodie and I love ethnic cooking. This book is a great introduction to the trendiest new food in the US. My favorite so far has been the Crab Burgers, which feature easy black bean crab burgers topped with pickled cabbage and chili mayonnaise. I can still taste how unique and delicious they were. Everyone who tried them was blown away by their flavor, which can't really be imagined before you take a bite. While making all the components was a bit time consuming (but really not that bad) none of the recipes were terribly difficult. But I would say this book is geared more to more experienced home cooks and adventuresome eaters. Those with mundane palates probably should stay away.
In response to an earlier critique, I think that reviewer missed the gist of the book. The idea was to take the cuisine of various African countries and get the basic idea of it but then to expand that idea to something bigger. So the recipes keep a common ingredient but fix it in a unique way or use a technique with a unique combination of ingredients. I love this about the book. Samuelsson keeps techniques, such using a morter and pestle, that can't be matched with modern methods but uses modern technology, such as the mandoline, when it performs the needed task more easily, and in this case if your knife skills are lacking, with better results. I do agree, however, that the photographs that go with the recipes can be misleading. I'm still not sure what the Stir Fry Beef Stew is supposed to look like. The pictures on the pages with the recipe are vastly different and not labeled but both could be the stew in question.
All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking and ethnic foods. The flavors are out of this world and the recipes are highly inspiring.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Impressive Work
Comment: I just made a meal for 10 people from Marcus Samuelsson's new cookbook. 6 of them kept strict kosher, 3 of them were vegetarian, one was allergic to the entire nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant), and another to hard cheese and chocolate. I still managed to produce a great meal with more than enough to eat for everyone and to introduce myself and my friends and family to flavors they might not otherwise have experienced.
The book is impressive both as an exploration of African culture through a Western culinary lens and as a source of widely varied, great, flavorful, and simple recipes. Marcus' perspective is intriguing because he grew up a European but was born an Ethiopian - he clearly feels a deep connection to Africa (especially Ethiopia) and somehow simultaneously commands the perspective of an insider and an outsider. A great read. I very highly recommend it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Treasure
Comment: I collect historical cookbooks and cultural cookbooks. This book is both! There is a ton of information about Africa. Samuelsson has divided its cuisine into four regions. Outside of Moroccan, I know nothing about African cuisine, so I found this book extremely helpful. The beautiful photography and personal stories really bring the dishes to life.
The book is divided into the following sections:
- Ingredients
- Spice Blends & Rubs: 11 recipes
- Condiments, Sauces & Dips: 13 recipes
- Salads & Sides: 9 recipes
- Breads & Sandwiches: 11 recipes
- Vegetables: 12 recipes
- Fish & Seafood: 10 recipes
- Poultry & Meat: 19 recipes
- Desserts & Drinks: 10 recipes
My favorite sections are the spice blends and condiments chapters. They add variety to simple stuff like grilled chicken breasts.
The U.S. has fully embraced cuisines from many parts of the world. Indian cookery seems to be our latest fascination. I applaud Samuelsson for pushing the envelope futher with the favorites of Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Africa. As we explore more with our taste buds, these flavors will become just as welcomed to use as hot and sour soup.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: overrated
Comment: I was really disappointed with this recipe book.
tried many recipes but they were awful. I don't
understand how anyone thinks it's a great cookbook.
This guy means well and probably cooks well, but
I thought the recipes were yucky. sorry.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easily the best cookbook I own.
Comment: This book is gorgeous. It starts with a lovely introduction by Desmond Tutu, then goes on to Marcus explaining his background and inspiration and on to the most amazing history, photographs and recipes I have ever seen compiled in a book about Africa. He even states that he wrote it because there was such a dearth of them, and he did a fantastic job.
This is the kind of cookbook you can read from cover to cover, which is what I'm doing now. The way it is broken down and the sheer number of recipes and photographs make it one to be captivated by for hours and hours!
Covering the entire continent is no easy feat, but he does so in a way that all countries are represented, and I've enjoyed the rich history facts the most. I swear I've learned more in this cookbook that I did in 12 years of school; you'd think slavery and pyramids were Africa's only legacies if you have an American education. LMAO
Each recipe has a wonderful little backstory and history and I think the writing is beautiful. Samuelsson brings African cooking to American shores in a way that isn't daunting, and you can't wait to give the recipes a try. It's worth making the various seasonings, spices and rubs alone to add some excitement to meats and fish if you only want to ogle the pics of everything else (especially him - rawr)!
I was reminded to pick this book up when I saw a scaled-down version of it on sale at Starbucks, along with two special pastries/coffee pairings he created in time for fall. This big version is worth every penny and then some.
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