The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa.

Samuelsson, Marcus (author).

Samuelsson established his reputation as one of the foremost exponents of contemporary Swedish cookery through Aquavit, his celebrated New York City restaurant. Now he travels to wholly new territory by returning to the land of his birth and the glorious traditions of African cooking. From his native Ethiopia he prepares injera, the country’s staple fermented flatbread. Moroccan cooking, one of Africa’s most sophisticated, contributes harissa, a fiery spice paste that warms many North African dishes. Cassava stuffs shrimp for a satisfying West African meal. Samuelsson substitutes beef for lamb in South Africa’s renowned bobotie but takes care to preserve the dish’s curry-influenced spicing. Jerk chicken, more generally associated with Jamaica, shows how African eating traditions have spread abroad. He does not flinch at using contemporary ingredients such as arugula and Yukon Gold potatoes to make his recipes attractive. The immensity and diversity of Africa make it difficult to comprehend a continent’s varied cooking styles in a single book, but Samuelsson’s achievement celebrates a little-known cuisine.