Annual 2023 - 2024 Issue - Africa Rising

Africa’s Entrepreneurs Tell a New Food Story

The Quest for

Black Food Sovereignty in Toronto

ERIC ADJEPONG Leaves His Culinary Footprint in the U.S., Africa and Beyond

Preserving

Gullah Geechee

Culture and Cuisine in Savannah 1 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024 2022/2023

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www.cuisinenoirmag.com PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

V. Sheree Williams ART DIRECTOR

Rachel Joyosa DIGITAL DESIGNER

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Deborah Roberts, Janice M. Sellers CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Publisher’s Note

ur storytelling over the last 14 years has focused on bringing global Black communities together from Africa and Europe to South and Central America, Canada and the U.S. through food and drink. As a result, our stories have strengthened and inspired others to embrace who they are in all of their Blackness and to follow their dreams.

Over the last couple of years, it has always been on my mind to do an issue that genuinely centered Africa and its beauty, richness and complexities. This issue is doing just that.

There is, what I like to say, a rumbling happening on the continent that for some time has been spreading an energy that is creating new stories and opportunities, especially within the area of entrepreneurship.

Inside you’ll find stories with a thread of passion, culture, strength and creativity running through them. In addition, it is an honor to tell these stories alongside so many incredible individuals and share the amazing contributions and impact they are making in the world and within their communities.

Once again, we are also excited to amplify the work of 11 Black food and drink creators, 21 food and drink producers and eight wine brands, putting Black excellence on full display for readers to indulge in.

After you enjoy this issue, head online for more stories at CuisineNoirMag.com.

If you love listening to podcasts, you’ll love hearing stories told by our guests in their own words on our podcast Diaspora Food Stories which is available on all platforms.

You can also listen to episodes at diasporafoodstories.com.

Finally, our mission to use the power of storytelling to preserve Black food and drink history and culture wouldn’t be possible without the support of our readers.

As we continue to expand our work nationally and globally, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by scanning the barcode below. You can also make a donation by texting BLACKFOOD to 53-555.

With much gratitude,

V. Sheree Williams Publisher and Executive Director 3 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

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ISSUE PREVIEW

Eric Adjepong is inspired to explore foods and cultures of Black diasporas wherever his travels take him.

6 BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD

Brothers Rudy and Joel Lainé are bringing people together through food they like to call Afropean street food at New Soul Food in Paris.

10 THE ART OF SIPPING TEA For singer/songwriter evrYwhr, a passion for discovering amazing teas inspired his curiosity to research teas from Mother Africa.

12 FLAVORS OF THE DIASPORAS

Travel the globe in your kitchen with 10 recipes that share history, culture and flavors inspired by Africa and its influence throughout the diasporas.

17 NURTURING GHANA’S FOOD TALENT

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Dr. Wanida Lewis founded Ghana’s first coworking hub Crescendo Foods to provide a safe space where innovative ideas can be nurtured and brought alive.

Photography: Devin Brogden, New Soul Food, Marta Rivera Diaz, schmenna and Vislyy_

40 AMPLIFYING BLACKOWNED ACCOMMODATIONS Since launching in 2018, Sleep in Africa has created a platform for travelers wanting to stay at Black-owned accommodations in Africa.

45 TAKING GARIFUNA CUISINE MAINSTREAM

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Honduran cookbook author Isha Gutierrez Sumner feels the time is right to introduce the history and flavors of Garifuna cuisine to homes in the U.S. and beyond.

On the cover

Eric Adjepong, photo by Devin Brogden. Shot on location at Sankofa Children’s Museum of African Cultures in Baltimore, Maryland.

5 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

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Afropean Street Food

you think about the country. If you open your mind, I can speak to everyone.

All the dishes on the menu some people know. Some [are] from Cameroon and some from Guadeloupe, and this is the best way to talk to people,” says Rudy.

With some recipe modifications needed due to not being able to find specific ingredients, some of the duo’s popular dishes on the menu include the Afrocaribéenne (braised chicken with West Indian curry, Afro-Caribbean sweet potato duo and coconut vanilla sauce), the Afrosubsaharienne (braised chicken with penja pepper served with basmati rice, plantains and a Cameroonian spiced peanut sauce) and the Afrovégane (cassava semolina, candied tomatoes and herbs, plantains, corn on the cob and braised okra with a sauce of your choice).

The Lainés add extra touches to dishes by creating special concoctions, cooking over charcoal, adding special herbs and spices and creating sauces such as a yassa sauce, which uses kankan spices and more.

assionate about cooking and entertaining, brothers Rudy and Joel Lainé embarked on a culinary The Power of Food journey several years ago in Paris.

When speaking about New Soul Food, The brothers know their way around the Rudy shares that what he is doing with kitchen as they prepare dishes rooted in his brother goes beyond cooking good their parents’ homelands—their mother food. “We try to educate White and is from Cameroon and their father from Black [people]. The food is the best way Guadeloupe—under their brand New Soul to touch everybody,” he says.

Food that includes two restaurants, a food And they have the fan base to do so. truck, a food booth and a line of hibiscusNamed “Best Food Truck” by the Street infused drinks.

Food International Festival in Paris in Rudy and Joel like to call their approach 2017, their first venture, L’Afro Truck, to food “Afropean,” which allows them has served food on the forecourt of the

By Angela P. Moore to incorporate ingredients and cultures National Library of France (François(@travelnistatravelagency) into dishes served on their award-winning Mitterrand site) and La Defense. food truck, L’Afro Truck, and at their Everywhere they go, the lines grow with restaurants Le Marquis (The Marquis) and La Darkanda new and repeat customers. This proved helpful when opening (Dark Kitchen).

Le Marquis in 2019. The culinarians’ goal is to introduce Parisians and those visiting the city to braised chicken, a dish of African street culture. They have done that and so much more.

A Family That Cooks Together If you come for the food, be sure to have a drink, specifically The Lainé brothers are no strangers to the kitchen; they come one of the hibiscus-infused drinks, a frozen cocktail or beersap, from a family of chefs and pastry chefs. Growing up, the brothers a blonde ale beer the duo created. would help their father at the family’s restaurant. According As word continues to get out about these two brothers in Paris, to Rudy, the brothers loved to cook with their father, and they more food enthusiasts near and far will soon be introduced to couldn’t wait until they were grown so they could follow in his their passion and commitment. Both Rudy and Joel believe that footsteps. Now in business for over seven years, Rudy hopes using food as a way to connect people and cultures creates a better to one day come to America to share his version of soul food. place for everyone.

“My dream is one day to go to New York,” he says.

Visit newsoulfood.com for locations and hours and follow At all of their locations under New Soul Food, Rudy and Joel Rudy and Joel on Instagram (@newsoulfood) for happenings, are intentional about representing their family roots and the events and more. impact that they can have. “When you think about one dish, 6 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Photography: New Soul Food

Rudy and Joel Lainé Bridge Traditions with New Soul Food in Paris

Unconquerable African Spirit Chef Victoire Gouloubi rises to celebrity ranks in Italy.

By Phyllis Armstrong

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hildren born with health challenges often struggle with acceptance. It was true for acclaimed chef Victoire Gouloubi (@chef_victoire) growing up in the Republic of Congo. She found herself relegated to kitchen duties during family celebrations. Gouloubi was very thin, and her family felt guests would see her, assume she was ill and feel uncomfortable.

Photography: Ph. Manuela G. Milani

Top Chef Stardom Despite neighbors predicting she would die in infancy, Gouloubi lived, endured, moved to Italy and became a celebrated chef seen on television. She was a finalist on “Top Chef Italia” in 2017 and the first African to compete in a professional cooking competition in Italy. She also became one of the most popular contestants on 2023’s “Top Chef: World All-Stars London.”

Her achievements impressed people in her homeland, including a beloved uncle. “The first time he saw me on the TV, he was in Africa. He said, ‘You can’t imagine how the Congolese people are sitting and waiting to see you on the TV.’” Gouloubi’s uncle advised her to leave law school and become a chef after she arrived in Italy as a 20-year-old refugee from the war-torn Congo.

She remembers him saying, “I think you have great character. You never give up, but your way is in the kitchen.”

The unconquerable spirit Gouloubi developed preparing meals for her sizeable Congolese family grew resilient in culinary school and on her first jobs in Italy. She worked her way up from dishwasher to executive chef, cultivating a talent for combining African influences with Mediterranean cuisine. The Top Chef competitions attracted new admirers.

“It was an opportunity to connect with people and come in contact with African Americans. This is my second family in America.”

Gouloubi used some of her favorite ingredients on the Top Chef shows, including Italian cheeses and African 7 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

cassava root. “It is an amazing product. It is gluten-free. You can make pasta, you can make it into a cream, and you can use it for baking,” the chef notes.

After working under the tutelage of two-star Michelin chef Claudio Sadler, Gouloubi began earning recognition and respect for her exceptional culinary skills. She was named Woman of the Year at the 2015 Africa-Italy business awards. She also received the Touring Club Italia award for excellent cooking.

Rising Above Racism Gouloubi battled racism, sexism and more to become one of Italy’s culinary treasures. “To be Black means to fight from the first day you are born,” she says. “African American people know what it means to fight every day. You can be a chef, a nurse, a doctor or a lawyer. But when you are Afro, you are fighting every moment, everywhere.”

Those years of struggle required soul-deep stamina. Gouloubi became emotional while describing how she slept in a train station when the culinary school closed on weekends. “I am starting to cry because when I think about my past, it was very tough. I experienced every kind of violence in the train station. If you go to the police and say I have some injuries from violence, they say, ‘You have to go back to your country. Go home. It’s not your place.’”

She got through being lonely, impoverished and mistreated with dignity and determination. Gouloubi recalls how a departing chef in Milan sent her to wash dishes when she arrived for her new position as executive chef. He assumed the new chef would be a White man. “The hospitality manager saw me washing dishes and said, ‘Chef, what are you doing? Sorry! Sorry!’” She remembers the manager’s apology with amusement and the shocked look on the kitchen staff’s faces when they finally realized who she was. “I said, ‘Good morning everybody. It’s nice to meet you.

I am Victoire. I am your boss.’”

Advancing African Gastronomy Now, the 42-year-old lawyer’s wife and mother of two is a private chef catering celebrity parties and special events. She was on the verge of being awarded a Michelin star for her restaurant Victoire when she sold it in 2015. Her primary focus today is expanding the world’s knowledge of African gastronomy. Her Sky TV cooking show, “My Africa,” resumes filming in the fall.

Gouloubi will also travel back to Africa to continue working on a self-funded film about the achievements of African chefs worldwide.

While Chef Gouloubi’s mission is no longer getting Michelin stars, she does dream of visiting the U.S. “Cooking for people, taking the time to care for people and love them in the kitchen, that’s what I want to do.”

Listen to more of Chef Victoire Gouloubi’s story on the podcast Diaspora Food Stories at diasporafoodstories.com.

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African Ancestry celebrates 20 years of connecting Black people to their roots.

By Kalin Thomas (@kalinthomas50)

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erkley, California, resident and editor of “Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Guide to Travel and Adventure,” Elaine Lee, has traveled the world solo twice and visited 65 countries, including nine in Africa. But it was in the African countries where something started to bother her. “A lot of the African people were asking me where my people were from, and saying that I was African American didn’t seem to do the trick,” laments Lee. “So I thought, I’m going to go trace my lineage so that when I visit Africa the next time, I’ll be ready. So that’s what motivated me to research my ancestry in 2017,” Lee says.

Finding Your Roots Lee had seen television ads and an Essence magazine article on AfricanAncestry.com. “I decided to go with them instead of Ancestry.com because African Ancestry is the only one that 8 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Celebrating 20 Years This year, the company is celebrating 20 years of helping Black people worldwide find their roots by doing a world tour and

Photography: Leroy Hamilton and Marcell Pickins Pictured: Attendees at African Ancestry Family Reunion event in Oakland, California and Dr. Gina Paige

Empowering People Through Connection

can tell you what tribe you’re from,” Lee explains. She did the test through her maternal line and found that her ancestors were from the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon. “Just reading those results caused a physical reaction in my body,” Lee says. “It seems my head is a little higher, my back is a little straighter and it confirmed for me what I felt all these years, that I’m an African that happens to be from America.”

“Our vision is to transform the way we view ourselves and the way we view Africa,” states African Ancestry, Inc. co-founder and president Dr. Gina Paige. “And we believe understanding where you come from in Africa is critical to your identity.” Paige, who holds a degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, was introduced to the concept of genetic ancestry tracing for people of African descent by her business partner and co-founder Dr. Rick Kittles, who is a geneticist and senior vice president of research at Morehouse School of Medicine. “Knowing where we’re from is something I never would have imagined to be possible,” says Paige.

“So to meet someone whose life’s work was committed to answering that question for Black people was intriguing.”

In February 2003, Paige and Kittles started African Ancestry, Inc., aka AfricanAncestry.com, becoming pioneers as the first company to genetically connect people of color to their African country of origin and ethnic group. “When we first started, we got a favorable response from people who took the test, and we were well-received by the media, which was calling us the 21st century ‘Roots’ and that was pretty cool,” Paige smiles. Since its inception, the company has impacted over a million people, including celebrities and icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Chadwick Boseman, John Legend and the King family.

Photography: African Ancestry and Ralston R. Smith Pictured: African Ancestry Family Reunion (AAFR) trip goers pause for a selfie during the immersive birthright journey to Sierra Leone and Dr. Rick Kittles

visiting cities in eight countries on four continents. “We’ll be engaging with African Ancestry family members and bringing new people into the family,” notes Paige.

“We’ll have DNA result reveals, identity conversations, DNA Q&As, DJs with good music, good food and good company.

It’s been really fun so far,” she shares.

There will also be African Ancestry kits for sale and a chance to win a trip to Africa. “And because we research a single branch of your family tree, the results you get can be shared with everybody in your family who is on that branch of the tree,” notes Paige.

You start by deciding which ancestral line you want to research. Then you buy the maternal ancestry or the paternal ancestry kit. Paige explains, “In the kit are three swabs that are like Q-Tips, which you use to gently swab the inside of your cheeks to collect the [DNA], then you activate your kit online and mail your swabs back to our lab in confidential packaging.” She continues, “After about six to eight weeks, our science team completes your analysis and uploads your results to your online portal.”

According to Paige, most people are so pleased with the results that they start incorporating the language, arts, culture and spiritual practices of their ancestral tribe into their lifestyles.

Back to Africa “We have African Ancestry Family Reunions, which launched in 2019, and these are specially curated birthright journeys for people who have taken our tests to go home and have a culturally 9 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

immersive experience,” says Paige.

“We’ve taken hundreds of people home to countries like Sierra Leone, Ghana and Cameroon.”

Nathalie Reshard of Washington, D.C., had the opportunity to go on trips to Sierra Leone and Cameroon. She took her ancestry test in 2020. “I did my maternal line, and it came back as the Kpelle people of Liberia and the Temne people of Sierra Leone,” notes Reshard, whose father is an aspiring genealogist. “I wasn’t that surprised because my mother had always said we had Gullah Geechee ancestry, and most of those people are from Sierra Leone.” Reshard says two of the highlights in Sierra Leone were the superior seafood and the naming ceremony. “My Temne name is Yainkain Isha Komoro and I have an adopted family with my same family name,” she says with pride.

“With every trip we take, there is a naming ceremony within the ethnic group that you share ancestry with,” says Paige, whose own African lineage includes the Fulani, Yoruba and Hausa people of Nigeria, the Kru people of Liberia and the Ngundu people of Angola. “And as soon as people get those names, that’s how they refer to themselves for the rest of the trip.” Reshard took the trip to Cameroon with her father, whose ancestry is from that country. “It was fantastic,” she exclaims. “If Wakanda is based on a real African country, I would say it is based on Cameroon because that country is called ‘Africa in miniature,’” she explains. “And like Sierra Leone, they also have the best food in Africa.”

An Act of Resistance “Now that I know my ancestry and have been to both countries of my ancestors, I realize that we are all connected through the diaspora and we have to empower each other,” states Reshard. Paige adds, “We don’t know who we are because our identity was stripped from us; we were not supposed to have this information. When our ancestors went through the Door of No Return, it was called that for a reason. They were, and we were, never to come back,” she emphasizes. “So doing this work and taking the ancestry test not only honors our ancestors, it’s an act of resistance.”

Ancestry kits, answers to the science behind African Ancestry, apparel, jewelry and more are available at africanancestry.com.

Follow along on social media (@africanancestry) for reunion trip announcements, reunion tour dates and ancestry reveals.

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Spilling the Tea Music star evrYwhr shares tips for the ultimate tea experience.

By Jocelyn Amador

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For the Love of Tea “I love tea and it has become a hobby,” shares evrYwhr, who now regularly makes it a point to find new teas to add to his ever-growing stash during his world travels, including when filming for his KevOnStage platform travel/music show, Destination evrYwhr.

“I saw this [tea] was a way Asian culture lives through time. It was seeing that tie to their cultural history that made me want to dive into my cultural history by researching the kinds of tea that came out of Africa.”

He’s since found several intriguing teas from the Mother Continent.

“Rooibos is big in south and eastern Africa. But there is one that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on; Kenyan purple tea.

Kenya is actually the third largest producer of tea,” he shares.

“From what I heard with the purple tea, they use it as a cultivar to create green and black teas, because green and black teas are all created by how they’re prepared. It’s all in how it’s oxidized.”

Filling the Tea Closet To date, the star counts about 40-plus teas in his “tea closet.”

And while he’s never spent $2000 on a single tea purchase, he admits to investing over $2000 on his tea collection overall.

“I love tea because I’m able to be present. It’s meditative for me,” 10 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

shares the tea lover, who will often do a pour multiple times daily.

“It’s about the practice. I like to be present with as many senses as I can…freeze-framing the moments of [each step] of tea making,” he shares. “I have a system with how I prepare the tea; there’s an order to it. Tea helps to add structure to my world.”

When it comes to exploring the world of tea, evrYwhr is enthusiastic when others join him in his passion for the beverage.

“You can reach out to me in my DM on Instagram @evrywhr, and I am definitely getting back in contact with you. If we’re talking tea, I’m there for it,” says the recording artist.

As for a starter pack of teas to try, evrYwhr suggests, “Start off with a Lung Ching, that’s a good green tea. If you can, get that smoky Golden Monkey [a black tea]. And for another flavor profile, I would have to go with a Milk Oolong, a very fragrant, beautiful tea. Then try a raw pu-ehr tea, anything that’s been aged over 20 years.” The star also happily shared some of his tea sources. “Here in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places to grab a tea is Chado. They have about five locations and they also ship across the country. Then there’s a spot called Merkaba Tea in Idyllwild, California, with some amazing teas.”

A Personal Journey Much like music, including his new album currently in the works, evrYwhr understands the enjoyment of tea is a personal experience.

“Who am I to tell you how to enjoy your tea? But I would say, take the opportunity to really taste the tea. Be mindful,” he advises.

“If you’re going to add honey, do it after you’ve tasted the tea because that’s how you learn the personality of the tea.”

He continues, “One of the things they say about tea is that a lot of the teas that had it the roughest—the tea that grew in high places, dangled on the side of a mountain—have the most personality, the best flavor profiles.” So searching everywhere for it may just be worth the effort, especially when there’s tea treasure to be found.

Photography: schmenna

ea, for Grammy Award-winning songwriter/singer evrYwhr, is more than just a drink to be enjoyed. “I love art form. I love creating experiences,” shares the entertainer whose name represents the source of his creative inspiration. The spoken wordsmith’s passion for tea began when he was introduced to the ceremonial aspects of Gong-Fu style tea making by K-Pop star and fellow songwriter Hyuk Shin during a business meeting.

“He started to prepare the tea on this elaborate table with all types of knick-knacks,” recalls the Port Huron, Michigan, native about the variety of tools and the ritualistic steps taken to prepare the tea. “I pulled my phone out to do a video while we were in the meeting because it was just too beautiful.” But what really made evrYwhr take notice was when his host served a 40-year-old pu-ehr tea that cost $2000. He tasted it and was hooked.

Gullah Geechee Cooking Savannah’s Chef Gina Capers-Willis keeps family traditions alive.

By Kalin Thomas (@kalinthomas50)

Photography: Gina Capers-Willis; Pictured: Hoppin’ John with red field peas

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hef Gina Capers-Willis calls herself a Geechee Girl. Her roots come from Daufuskie Island, South Carolina and the Gullah islands off the Georgia coast. But she grew up in Savannah at a time when she says Gullah Geechee culture wasn’t always appreciated. “Our patois language was frowned upon and thought of as broken English. But the Gullah Geechee people were living on islands isolated from the mainland, so they kept more of their African language and heritage,” she explains. “Now people are embracing the culture, but I want them to embrace it for the right reasons and to carry the traditions on authentically,” she emphasizes.

And that’s become her passion and purpose. “My mother taught culinary arts and was a home economics teacher and my father was in hospitality,” she notes. “I started off baking because my mother was known as ‘The Red Velvet Cake Lady.’ She made a mean red velvet cake.” But when her mother stopped making them, one of her mother’s former home economics students asked Capers-Willis if she would. She did it begrudgingly, but the next day the friend brought her five more orders. “Then I started cooking meals for my boyfriend and taking pictures and putting them online, and everybody started asking, ‘What’s Gina cooking today?’ And that’s how I got my handle.”

Culture of the Cuisine “Gullah Geechee cuisine is food from the land—a lot of okra, a lot of rice, a lot of seafood,” states Capers-Willis. “Savannah was one of the largest sites for slave auctions, and a lot of those Africans brought seeds with them,” she explains. “We have something we call Savannah red rice, which is similar to jollof rice in Africa. So there were a lot of rice farms in the Gullah Geechee sea islands.”

She adds that Gullah Geechee cooking is also basic, without a lot of extra ingredients. “My mom used to make the best fried chicken with just salt and pepper. We should be purest about some of our traditional recipes,” she says with passion.

Years ago, her grandparents had a club/restaurant on Wilmington Island, Georgia, where her grandmother was known for her deviled 11 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

crab. “I love making that dish and making gumbo,” says the chef.

“Ours is reddish brown, not chocolate brown like New Orleans because we put tomatoes and tomato paste in it,” she explains. “I also like making sweet potato pone, marsh hens over rice and crab pie. I call mine seafood pie because I add shrimp,” she confides.

Pride in Cooking and Culture Capers-Willis prefers showcasing her cooking through intimate gatherings. She and her friend Cheryl Day of Back in the Day Bakery call themselves The Culinary Cousins. They collaborate on events, including her quarterly Grits & Gumbo Supper Club for 30 diners. “I’ll have to do two seatings next time because I sold out within the first two days of ticket sales,” she exclaims. She and her mom, who passed away in February, also did an episode of “Family Dinner” on the Magnolia Network. And her collaboration with Black Southern Belle magazine for the Food Network garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination.

Working on her third cookbook, Capers-Willis says she’ll include the recipe for her mom’s biscuits. “And I want to start doing preserves and butters to go with them,” she says. Biscuits are part of her favorite Gullah Geechee breakfast, along with smothered shrimp or fried fish and grits. She also loves fried fish with Savannah red rice and [pan] fried okra. And here’s her tip to get rid of the slime, “Slice your okra and line it up on paper towels.

And once it drains, flip it over and drain it again,” she notes. The Savannah chef also shows pride in her culture through her line of T-shirts with sayings like, Thick Like a Bowl of Cold Grits on Sunday Morning and I Come from Collard Greens, Cornbread, Okra Gumbo & Red Rice.

“When I go to Charleston restaurants and see chefs getting credit for what they now call Lowcountry cooking and then see people who look like me doing the actual cooking in the kitchen, it concerns me,” she states emphatically. “That’s why I want to start a commissary kitchen to help my people cultivate their culinary talent and run with it,” she shares excitedly. “Our cooking is not a trend; it’s our heritage.

We must stand on our ancestors’ shoulders and keep it going.”

To see What Gina’s Cooking, check out her website whatsginacooking.com, along with @whatsginacooking on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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Recipes: APPETIZERS 1 teaspoon peri-peri pepper powder (use less for a milder dipping sauce) 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon adobo seasoning blend or seasoned salt ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Plantain Fritters with Peri-Peri Dipping Sauce Plantains, or cooking bananas, are a major staple in the African diet. Having made their way around the world with the African diaspora, you can find them at the center of many West Indian and Afro-Caribbean dishes. Plantain fritters are a simple recipe to serve as an appetizer or accompaniment, and when paired with a spicy peri-peri dipping sauce, the fritters’ mellow flavor takes on more interest.

Peri-peri is borrowed from the Swahili word pilipili, which means pepper. The African bird’s eye chili pepper, or peri-peri, gained popularity in Europe though it was cultivated in Africa. Since then, it has become a favorite way to add spice to various proteins and sauces. With a Scoville heat unit of 100,000, 12 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

peri-peri peppers are 20 times hotter than jalapeño peppers. If you aren’t a fan of spicy foods, feel free to decrease the amount of pepper powder added to the dipping sauce.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes Serving size: 12 fritters INGREDIENTS Plantain Fritters 1 tablespoon kosher salt 4 cups water at room temperature 2 large green plantains 2 cups vegetable oil for frying Peri-Peri Dipping Sauce 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 medium lime) 2 large cloves garlic, crushed to a paste (½ tablespoon)

PREPARATION 1. Add the kosher salt to a large mixing bowl. Fill the bowl with the water and stir to dissolve the salt.

2. Use a chef’s knife to cut the ends off of the plantains. Using the tip of the knife, make a slit lengthwise down each plantain. Use the fleshy part of your thumb to push up the peel to remove it from the plantains. Cut the plantains into two halves across their width. Add the plantain pieces to the salt water and allow them to soak while you prepare the dipping sauce.

3. Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic paste, peri-peri pepper powder, cumin, adobo seasoning blend and oregano to a medium bowl. Use a whisk to stir ingredients together until smooth.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the plantain fritters.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

5. While the oil is heating, remove the plantains from the salt water and dry them well with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

6. Grate the plantains into a shallow dish using the large holes of a box grater.

Once grated, gather 2 tablespoons of the grated plantains into your hands.

Press the mixture to compact it and form patties.

7. Place the patties into the hot oil as you form them. Fry the fritters for 3 minutes on each side. Once the fritters are fried, use tongs to remove them from the oil and drain them on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.

8. Serve the plantain fritters while warm with the peri-peri dipping sauce on the side.

Recipe and photography by Marta Rivera Diaz, Sense and Edibility® (@senseandedibility)

Brazilian Couscous (Cuscuz Nordestino) Couscous, a North African dish made with semolina flour, is nutritious, delicious, highly customizable, and can be prepared a million and one ways. In Brazil, cuscuz nordestino is a variation of the African couscous and has become an iconic staple of everyday Brazilian cuisine.

Brought to northeastern Brazil by the diaspora, it was adapted to be made with flaked corn flour, which is similar in texture to semolina, yet more readily available locally. The following recipe is the classic recipe, widely served for breakfast all over northeastern Brazil. Serve it with a fried egg, some cheese, crispy bacon, sauteed shrimp or pan-fried ham for the ultimate version.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Serving size: 2 cups

INGREDIENTS 1 cup flaked corn flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 ¼ cups water, divided 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for serving Couscous cooker or steamer pot PREPARATION 1. In a medium bowl, add the flaked corn flour and salt. Stir to combine.

2. Pour ¼ cup of water into the flaked corn flour. Stir to combine and let it sit for 10 minutes to hydrate.

The consistency of the mixture should resemble wet sand and should form a loose ball when gently squeezed together.

If necessary, add a little more water.

3. Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of a couscous cooker pan or a steamer pot. Pour the hydrated flaked corn flour into the steaming basket without pressing the couscous down to compact it.

4. Cover the pan with the lid and cook on the stovetop on high heat until the water starts to boil and the pan begins to release steam. Do not uncover the pan at any point.

5. Turn the heat down to low and cook on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. At that point, the couscous should have a pillowy soft bounce when you touch it, and it’ll stick together like a crumbly cake.

6. Remove the steaming basket from the pan and add the cooked couscous to a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot cooking water from the steaming pan along with butter. Crumble and fluff with a fork to combine.

7. Serve with more butter.

Recipe and photography

by Aline Shaw, Brazilian Kitchen Abroad (@aline_shaw)

Recipe Notes

1

Flaked corn flour, also known as yellow biju corn flour, farinha de milho flocada/flocão and harina de maiz amarillo, can be found at Walmart, Amazon, Latin grocery stores and Brazilian markets.

2

A couscous cooker pan, also known as a Brazilian couscous pot steamer/cuscuzeira nordestina, can be found on Amazon, in Latin grocery stores and in Brazilian markets.

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Recipes: APPETIZERS

Deep Fried Creole Rice and Beans Balls Red beans and rice is widely known as a Creole dish originating in the American South. However, its influence actually began in Ghana with red red stew. The history of red beans and rice can be linked to the Transatlantic Slave Trade where enslaved Africans utilized ingredients available to sustain themselves. Combining red beans and rice with an arancini-inspired dish is an amazing collaboration of cultures, cooking methods and ingredients from all over the world.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour Serving size: 22 balls INGREDIENTS 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 14 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

3 large celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup diced) 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 ½ pounds andouille sausage, cut into small cubes 1 tablespoon garlic paste 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 bay leaves 2 cups Arborio rice 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more or less as desired ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less as desired 16 ounces canned kidney beans, drained green onions, chopped for garnish 4 cups vegetable or canola oil hot sauce for serving Dredge 3–4 large eggs, beaten 2 ½ cups flour 3 cups panko breadcrumbs

PREPARATION 1. Add chicken stock and water to a small saucepan. Warm over low heat.

2. In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, until softened and browned.

3. Add andouille sausage and continue to cook until sausage is browned and fat has rendered, about 8–10 minutes.

Add garlic paste and season with Creole seasoning, dried parsley and thyme. Mix together and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Add rice into the large pot with sausage and herbs, stirring constantly.

5. Begin adding chicken stock mixture, one cup at a time, stirring constantly.

When the broth begins to evaporate, add another cup until all liquid is added.

6. Continue to cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, then add Worcestershire sauce.

7. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly. Add kidney beans and remove from the heat.

8. Pour beans and rice onto a baking sheet to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, optimally overnight.

9. When completely cooled, add 4 cups oil to a large pot or deep skillet. Heat oil to between 325 °F and 340 °F. 10. Add beaten eggs to one bowl, flour in a second bowl and breadcrumbs in a third bowl.

11. Scoop 1∕3 cup of the chilled red beans and rice into your hand and roll into a ball and repeat. Dip the balls into the flour, then coat in egg, then cover completely in breadcrumbs.

12. Fry in oil for 3 minutes on one side and turn over and cook for 2–3 more minutes until golden brown. Place balls on a wire rack to drain excess grease.

13. Garnish with green onions and serve with hot sauce.

Recipe and photography by Britney Brown-Chamberlain, Britney Breaks Bread (@britneybreaksbread)

Banana Leaf-Steamed Coconut Prawns Steaming food in banana leaves—from fish to vegetables and even goat—is a traditional African cooking technique that creates a subtly sweet flavor immersion into the main food item. Using this technique, I created a light and delicious appetizer that will naturally wow upon presentation.

Prep time: 7 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Serving size: 16 – 20 prawns INGREDIENTS ½ cup coconut cream ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon harissa spice ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon shallots, minced 1 pound prawns 4 sheets of frozen banana leaves, thawed twine water PREPARATION 1. In a bowl, add the coconut cream, spices, garlic and shallots. Mix thoroughly to form a paste. Add the prawns to the coconut marinade and combine until fully covered.

2. Marinate the prawns for 15 minutes.

3. Take a banana leaf and add 5-6 marinated prawns to the center. Fold the leaf over to create an envelope and secure with twine.

4. Place the tied leaves in a Dutch oven and pour a thin layer of water (about ½ inch) into the bottom. Cover the pot and steam the leaves on medium heat for 7 minutes.

5. Unwrap the leaves and serve the prawns with lemon slices, white rice and bread.

Recipe and photography by Shani Walker, Coined Cuisine (@coinedcuisine)

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Recipe Notes

1

It can be hard to find fresh banana leaves, but many stores will have some in the frozen international section.

Thaw them for an hour at room temperature before using them.

2

Prawns can also be difficult to find in stores. You can use large shrimp or Argentinian red shrimp as a substitute.

3

Prawns cook very fast. I suggest having the other items such as rice, fresh bread and dipping sauce ready to go by the time you steam the prawns.

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Creating Space for Ghana’s Food Entrepreneurs Crescendo Foods launches coworking hub to nurture creativity and innovation.

By Wanda Hennig (@wanda_hennig)

W

Photography: Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire and Twinsdntbeg

hen Wanida Lewis was at college working on her Ph.D.—and even earlier than that — she mused on the idea of someday living outside the United States.

The forthright South Jersey-raised dynamo was 16 when she traveled overseas for the first time. To Italy. Back then, she was an ardent French horn player and went as part of a musical ensemble with her dad as a chaperone.

“We still, 20 years later, talk and laugh about the good time it was.”

Like most Americans, she says, she initially envisioned a move to some place in Europe. But life had other plans. Her resume is peppered with awards and fellowships. To list them all would leave no space for the focus of this article, namely her move to Ghana and her launch of Crescendo Foods (crescendogh.com, @crescendo_foods), Ghana’s first-ever shared kitchen coworking hub, which Lewis founded in 2021.

Science of Advocacy To give the briefest overview of the her remarkable string of credentials, she completed her bachelor of science in chemistry at Saint Augustine’s, the private historically Black Christian college in Raleigh, North Carolina; her master’s in analytical chemistry at North Carolina Central University, a public historically Black university in Durham; and her Ph.D. in food science back in Raleigh, this time at North Carolina State University, known as a powerhouse in science, technology, engineering and math.

Back then, in 2013, the newly qualified food scientist went first to work at General Mills in Minnesota, home of Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Cheerios and other household name brands. After immersing herself in product research and development, she says, “I realized I wanted to do policy work.” To champion change.

To make a difference. To pursue her commitment to women’s 17 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

economic empowerment, notably Black women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

While there, on work trips focused on economic, business and agricultural policy—including three months as a science fellow at Embassy Accra in 2018—she noted that there were several food-focused coworking spaces in North America and Europe, but there were none in West Africa.

This spurred her to take the plunge.

Essentially swap fellowship for entrepreneurship. “Looking back, I can say I saw myself as an entrepreneur.” It was just a matter of where and when. The where turned out to be Accra, Ghana’s capital.

Thanks to her time there in 2018, she says, “I felt I had a community for support and especially support from my family, so it made sense.” In fact, she has a paternal cousin who is married to a Ghanaian in the U.S. whose family house is a short walk from where she set up her hub.

Creating Space for Food Stories Crescendo Foods operates from a transformed three-bedroom house in a quiet residential suburb of the buzzing metropolis of Accra. “A focus has been to create this Pan-African ecosystem to celebrate culture through food as well as art,” she tells me.

“The house already had a really large kitchen, so we made two workstations.” Burner stoves, extractors, prep tables, room for storage, pots and pans and ingredients available. “We have a big WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM 17

events space. Where I’m sitting right now can sit anywhere from 10 to 50 people.”

The space can be used for pop-up dinners.

Any U.S. traveler to Ghana is welcome to visit for a culinary experience with a local chef. “We’re about having people experience Ghanaian cuisine in a different way.” And there’s a tasting room, which also serves as a mini photography room “because of the beautiful light.”

Then there is Dr. Wanida herself, as she is fondly called, available with her food science expertise to mentor, advise, problem solve and help with tastings and practical matters such as safety and hygiene. Also, to team up with emerging brands in partnerships and attend expertpanel workshops where food-focused business ideas can be discussed, fleshed out and made real.

The hub provides a safe space where innovative ideas can be nurtured and products worked on. For instance, Ghanaian products, herbs and spices, for which there is potentially a world market. It’s a space where the unity and diversity of Africa as a continent—with its resilience, culture and boundless potential—can be celebrated.

A Shifting Mindset Lewis notes that entrepreneurship in Ghana is often driven by necessity, but there are also those who, like her, spot a gap. “You’re also seeing this rise in entrepreneurship from people across the diaspora, and you have this crisscross of diasporans and Ghanaians.” All of these inspiring conversations around opportunities.

It is Lewis’ first big-time entrepreneurial venture. “I’ve launched small ones before, like with my yoga.” This multifaceted woman is qualified to teach three types of yoga: restorative, yin and vinyasa. Her holistic focus is to gift her students with the ability to rest in their bodies because, as she says, “It has been ingrained among those of us in Black and Brown communities that being productive all the time equals success, which is not what it means for me or should mean.”

Back to her new venture. “When you start something, you have to spend time marketing and educating the public, no matter where you are in the world,” she muses. “That’s the thing about entrepreneurship, connecting, doing novel things. We’re able to transfer energy to each other and address opportunities and challenges.”

All this in an environment very different from the one she left in the U.S. Not that she wasn’t used to being among mainly people “who look like me.” Also, “I come from an interfaith household, 18 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

my dad is a Buddhist, my mom identifies as Christian, so being open-minded and meeting people from different parts of the world was not unusual. But same as in the U.S., there are the cultural differences, depending on where you’re from. Here, you’re adapting to dialects, local language, understanding customs and mannerisms.” And lifestyle differences, living in a climate and environment where you can dress casually. “I miss the cold sometimes when it’s way too hot, but I can wear sandals all the time. I had a lot more hair when I got here. Cut it all off.

It’s been very freeing.”

And whereas in the U.S., “You have to go to the grocery store or wait for Saturday’s farmers market, here people sell stuff on the roadside and the open-air markets. I pick up a pineapple on the way to work, a mango when they’re in season.” Going back to that sense you have to be productive all the time, she declares, “You can’t bring that mentality here. Being here forces you to slow down. To be more intentional about how you are, who you’re with.” This among an abundance of mango trees and coconut palms.

WHAT’S IN YOUR GLASS Discovering new wines to enjoy any day or during special occasions that are Black-owned has never been easier than now to find.

Shoe Crazy Wine Exclusive White | $14.99 Colombard is the primary grape for this semi-dry wine with a full body and delicate finish. A refreshing and crisp sip that is easily enjoyed with spicy foods and Asian cuisines. shoecrazywines.com Edelheiss Sparkling White Wine | $32.99 Müller-Thurgau and reisling grapes provide the perfect blend for this sparkling wine that is made in Germany.

Notes of tropical fruit give way to a crisp palate and refreshing finish that complements a great charcuterie board, lighter fare and desserts. edelheiss.com Ward Four Wines 2022 Viognier | $42 Aromatic and balanced, notes of jasmine, elderflower, chamomile tea and lychee are best expressed when this viognier is nicely chilled. Recommended pairings: seafood, cheese and dishes with a hint of spice. wardfourwines.com The Smith 2019 Red Wine Blend | $33 This blend of cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah and ruby red is aged in French oak for six months and yields a luscious red wine that picks up notes of black cherry, black currant and clove. The soft finish pairs well with a hearty pasta, beef stew and meat lover’s pizza. thesmithwines.com Responsible Hedonist 2022 Rush the Stage Red Syrah | $35 Out of New Zealand comes this light-bodied syrah that is vegan-friendly with notes of red plum, wild strawberry and a hint of spice. The silky smooth palate makes it easy to enjoy with a great steak, tacos and even pasta. responsiblehedonist.co.nz Amoy Wines Rosé | $57 A Napa Valley rosé that is light and crisp for a warm summer day, yet satisfies the palate all year long with expressed notes of citrus, melon and strawberry.

The versatility of this wine complements fruits, cheese, shrimp and chocolate. amoywines.com Fog Crest Vineyard 2018 Estate Pinot Noir | $70 Ruby coloring with subtle aromas of red berries mixed and hints of licorice are accompanied by hints of black tea and dark berries. A lively mouthfeel with silky tannins for pairings to include French cheeses and pizza. fogcrestvineyard.com Sip & Share Wines Ruby Red Port | $19.99 Handcrafted and vegan, end the meal with dessert paired with this port wine that offers notes of chocolate and cherries. This medium body is just enough for cheesecake, a molten cake or good ole chocolate chip cookies. sipandsharewines.com

Pricing at time of publishing. State and country availability and shipping varies per producer. Refer to each producer’s website for information and details.

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Eric Adjepong The celebrity chef’s quest for culinary adventures takes him to West Africa and beyond.

By Phyllis Armstrong

T

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the Caribbean and the Americas. “So many chefs are helping to pave the way for putting food from the Black diasporas on the map.

The decision to do that was strategic and is still manifesting.”

Food Network Family The first-generation Ghanaian-American trained in Michelinstarred restaurants in New York after earning culinary arts and nutrition degrees at Johnson & Wales. The chef also has a master’s in international public health nutrition from London’s University of Westminster. His popularity as The People’s Champion on “Top Chef “catapulted him into celebrity status on the Food Network and other entertainment platforms. “It’s an

Photography: Devin Brogden

raveling thousands of miles through North America, West Africa and the Caribbean gives one of Food Network’s newest stars a wealth of opportunities to learn.

Chef Eric Adjepong (@chefericadjepong) calls the knowledge he gains one of the most valuable rewards of success. “Being able to travel, meet new people and meet different cultures and communities has opened my mind to things I was ignorant to, things that I was curious about, and to worlds I had no idea existed,” says the TV chef, host and culinary judge.

The native New Yorker began appreciating different cultures and cuisines while growing up in the Bronx. He goes to Ghana several times a year to reinforce what he knows about West African food. “Every time I go, I try to go to a different part of the country that I’ve never been to before. In June, I went to Bolgatanga, which is in the upper east region of Ghana,” he shares. “It was amazing to see how life is lived in the villages, the shea butter trees, the watermelon fields and all of the production that happens there.”

Chef Adjepong’s quest for culinary and cultural adventures inspires him wherever he goes. “We all wake up in the morning, go to work, come home and cook food,” says Adjepong, a resident of the Washington, D.C. area. “Traveling and seeing how life is lived through another person’s experience is super transformative.”

The chef demonstrated his expertise in cooking dishes from global Black diasporas when he was a 2018 finalist on “Top Chef: Kentucky” and a 2020 contestant on “Top Chef: All-Stars.” His decision to feature West African flavors put him in the company of Kwame Onwuachi, Michael Twitty, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Pierre Thiam and other ambassadors of culinary influences from Africa,

competing against Brian Malarkey’s west coast team. “I love the east coast and know the cities up and down I-95. I’ve eaten my way through Philly, New York, D.C., Miami, the Carolinas and everything in between.”

Photography: Food Network

Expanding His Reach

absolute honor, but it also helps me realize there is so much more to go after, search for and build upon.”

Adjepong has appeared as either a host, cheftestant or judge on such popular Food Network shows such as “Alex vs America,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Chopped,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Tournament of Champions” and more. He loves sharing his knowledge of food, cooking and nutrition through the lens of West Africa and other cultures. “I’m so appreciative of the higher-ups and production people at Food Network who allow me to speak about food in my own voice. I can talk about food in my own way, in my own cadence, with my own lingo or slang.

That’s super cool to me.”

He also values the support received from other Food Network stars. Chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay sent Adjepong a handwritten letter encouraging him to keep doing the work that is getting recognized. “It really has become like a family in that regard, where everybody wants to see everyone winning.”

The “Alex vs America” host is excited about filming the fourth season of the hit series. Adjepong was a rookie when Lando Entertainment CEO Brian Lando chose him to present Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and her chef challengers to audiences. His creativity, style and authenticity helped Adjepong grow in the role and learn from Guarnaschelli, a highly-respected executive chef and Food Network personality. “I really think it’s those moments we have when the cameras are not rolling that pump up our chemistry, camaraderie and the way we interact with each other. You see the relationship grow and blossom in super cool ways,” Adjepong says.

Over the summer, “Beachside Brawl” introduced more Food Network viewers to Adjepong. He led the east coast chefs 21 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

The Food Network star’s talents are expanding his reach. “Cultural Eats with Eric Adjepong” is coming to ReachTV. Golden State Warriors’ Chris Paul and his brother CJ are producing the eight episodes through their company, Ohh Dip!!! Productions. The show will appear on screens in airports and hotel rooms later this summer. “We’ll go to different cities and explore ethnic eats, people doing high-brow food or mom-and-pop food, most of them immigrants who have settled in America and made a life for themselves through food.”

Adjepong takes time out of his demanding schedule to build food memories with his four-year-old daughter, Lennox.

She watches him on TV and they cook together. “Food is my medium. That is how I express love with her, and if she wants to express that same love back, I will be the world of knowledge for her that she’ll probably never get anywhere else.”

Some of that knowledge will come from the October release of Chef Adjepong’s first children’s book. “Sankofa: A Culinary Story of Resilience and Belonging” is a love letter to Lennox. The book captures the chef’s early life lesson in connecting to his Ghanaian roots through food.

He explains what he hopes the jollof rice story will do for his daughter and other youngsters. “Encourage them to stand tall, especially those who look like us. Stand tall in the food they bring to school and the music they hear at home. Stand tall because it will make them different in ways they will seek and yearn for when they get older.”

The chef is working on a cookbook for adults and building partnerships that support his commitment to West African cuisine and culture. Grocery shoppers nationwide can taste his food now with the Waakye and Chicken Yassa frozen entrees he developed for AYO Foods. Versions of those dishes might be served at the restaurant the chef wants to open in the future.

Adjepong has accomplished almost everything he wanted to do as a kid. But there are new goals to set and more work to be done in getting others to recognize the beauty of food, art, design and fashion from West Africa and Black diasporas. “I will do my part, which I hope is enough. If it is, it will inspire someone else to carry on that torch.”

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Exclusive White Wine “Something to Wine About” @exclusivewhitewine

@maggiescupcakecafebakery

Maggie's Custom Sweet Treats “Sweets for the Sweetaholic”

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Photography: Celeste Ceres; Pictured: Anan Xola Lololi and Zakiya Tafari

hen farmer Anan Xola Lololi first came to Toronto from Guyana, he didn’t have farming on his mind. “My first love is music.

I come from a very musical family,” Lololi admits. He composed music and played bass for Truths & Rights, one of Toronto’s most prolific reggae bands. But he was turned off by the drugs in the music scene, so he changed his plans and went back to school.

“I studied business management, and when I graduated, there was $50,000 from the government for new food projects,” notes the Rastafari vegan. “So I put in a proposal for a Black consumer food cooperative and it was accepted.” And that’s when his passion changed.

says the chair of the nonprofit.

“My sole focus is spreading the gospel of Black food sovereignty.”

Spreading the Gospel

According to Lololi, research done by the University of Toronto found that Black families are three times more food insecure than White families, and a third of Black children live in food insecure households. “The best solution is to get Black people to align themselves with the Black food sovereignty movement,” says Lololi. “So our work right now is to start mobilizing the knowledgeable folks in our Black communities: farmers, chefs, academics, policy makers, restaurant owners, food writers, nutritionists, schools and communities to solve this problem,” he Farmer Anan Xola Lololi leads efforts proclaims. Lololi says the to fight food insecurity in Toronto. concept is gaining ground, Black Food Insecurity and the Black food sovereignty Lololi and a team of supporters plan has been approved by the formed the nonprofit Afri-Can Toronto City Council.

FoodBasket (@africanfoodbskt), “In the future, I want to see Canada’s first Black food

By Kalin Thomas (@kalinthomas50) Black chefs creating incubator organization. “We purchased kitchens where they can teach people how to cook foods from food in bulk and had volunteers pack the food up and redistribute the African diaspora, as well as teach people how to be caterers it to communities that were food insecure,” Lololi explains. He or how to run a restaurant,” Lololi visualizes. “I want to see notes that Toronto’s Black population is one of the most diverse Black restaurants buying their food from Black urban farmers in the world with about half from the Caribbean and half from the and Black food curricula at Black schools and colleges that include continent of Africa. the history of our contributions to cuisines in North America,” “And Black people here have the lowest incomes and are the most he continues. food insecure,” he laments. “We purchase the most expensive The farmer also wants to see more food cooperatives between foods because the foods we’re purchasing come from the Caribbean, supermarkets and farms. And he wants to see the Black food Africa and South America and we have to pay for that [shipping cost].” He continues, “For example, callaloo coming from Jamaica sovereignty gospel spread like wildfire in Canada the way he says it’s spreading in the United States. is three times the cost of spinach at more than three dollars a pound. So, Afri-Can FoodBasket was formed to help make the food more affordable.”

Looking Back to Move Forward The organization has even started urban gardens for Black “I feel like Black and Indigenous people think more in terms children. “And when a child plants a cherry tomato plant and they of community instead of capitalism,” states Lololi. “In the see it grow, it’s like magic to them,” Lololi exclaims. But Lololi’s traditional ways of Africans, if a man goes out and kills a deer, passion goes beyond Black food security. “Black food sovereignty he doesn’t just bring it back to his family, he brings it for the is about the right of Black people to define our own food culture whole village.” He concludes, “We need land and the ability to and food policies,” states the farmer. feed ourselves before anything else. And I believe that getting “We can’t have other people feeding us. We need to take government money and resources to help build Black food charge—especially in farming,” laments Lololi, who says Black sovereignty is part of our reparations.” enslavement traumatized us toward farming. “But access to land For more information on the work that Anan Xola Lololi and is the foundation of Black food sovereignty and Black wealth.

Black Food Sovereignty Toronto are doing, visit their website at That’s why we started the Black Food Sovereignty Toronto,” bfstoronto.ca and follow along on social media at @bfstoronto.

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Black Food Sovereignty

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Recipes: ENTREES Curry Goat Empanadas with Tamarind Sauce Curry goat empanadas are a fusion of Jamaican and Latin American culinary traditions and a testament to the interweaving of food cultures throughout the African diaspora.

Prep time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Serving size: 10 INGREDIENTS Jamaican Curry Goat 3 lbs. goat meat, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks ¼ c white distilled vinegar tap water, as needed 2 tbsp. Jamaican curry powder, divided 1 tbsp. ground turmeric, divided 2 tbsp. all-purpose seasoning 2 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. onion powder 2 tbsp. Caribbean green seasoning 1 medium yellow onion, chopped and divided 4 scallion stalks, chopped and divided 4 cloves garlic, chopped and divided 1-inch piece fresh ginger, crushed or 1 tsp. ground ginger 4 tsp. fresh thyme, about 16 sprigs, divided 1–2 whole Scotch bonnet peppers, sliced for more heat or left whole for flavor 1-2 tsp. ground black pepper or to taste 1 tsp. salt or to taste 3 tbsp. vegetable oil or neutral oil, divided 4 c hot water or broth, plus more if needed 6 whole pimento seeds or allspice berries, crushed 2 tbsp. butter Empanadas: 10 empanada discs (store-bought or homemade), each 5 inches in diameter 2 c vegetable or other neutral oil tamarind sauce for dipping PREPARATION For the Curry Goat: 1. Place meat in a medium-large bowl.

Pour vinegar and enough tap water into the bowl to cover the meat. Let it sit for about a minute, then rinse the meat at least twice with fresh tap water to remove the vinegar smell.

2. Allow meat to sit in the bowl for at least one minute to let excess 24 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

moisture drain to the bottom. Drain any remaining liquid and then pat the meat dry with a clean paper towel.

Discard the paper towel.

3. Add 1 tbsp. curry powder, ½ tbsp. turmeric, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Caribbean green seasoning, half onion, half scallion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, ginger, 2 tsp. thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper slices (if using), pimento seeds, black pepper, salt and 1 tbsp. of oil in the bowl with the meat. Massage seasonings and spices into the meat until well combined. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight for best results.

4. Remove the bowl with marinated meat from refrigerator and place on counter for 20–30 minutes to allow meat to come to room temperature.

5. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp. of oil over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the remaining curry powder and turmeric. Stir and let toast for about a minute until fragrant.

Be mindful not to burn the spices.

6. Add the remaining garlic, ¼ onion and the whole Scotch bonnet pepper (if not using slices). Sauté for about 2 minutes until onions become translucent.

7. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the marinated meat into the pot. Stir continuously for 2–3 minutes and add 2 cups of hot water or broth, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low.

8. Regularly, check and stir every 20–30 minutes, adding hot water or broth as needed.

The goal is to keep the meat

submerged but visible. Simmer for 1.5–2 hours until the meat becomes fork tender.

9. Add the butter and the remaining onion, scallion and thyme. Mix well, then simmer for another 5-10 minutes, letting flavors meld together.

10. Remove the whole Scotch bonnet pepper (if used) and any woody thyme stems. Let the meat cool slightly, then shred using two forks. Drizzle with some remaining gravy to keep it moist.

For the Empanadas: 1. If using store-bought dough, follow the package instructions to prepare it. If making homemade dough, follow your preferred recipe.

2. Spoon approximately 1–2 tbsp. of goat mixture onto the center of each disc. Fold the disc in half over the filling, aligning edges to form a semicircle. Press edges together and crimp with a fork to create a seal. Ensure they're not overfilled.

3. In a medium-sized heavy-bottom frying pan, heat 2 cups of oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, carefully add the empanadas. Cook 3–4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding.

4. Drain the fried empanadas on paper towels to remove excess oil, then let them cool slightly on a wire rack.

Serve them warm with a tamarind sauce or a dipping sauce of choice.

Recipe and photography

by Kerri-Ann Bryan, Kerri-Ann's Kravings (@kerriannskravings)

Ethiopian Tibs Tibs is a delicious Ethiopian dish that combines tender beef or lamb with a spicy and fragrant sauce made with berbere, ginger, garlic and butter. It’s easy to make and perfect for serving with injera bread or rice.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes Serving size: 4-5, 4 oz each INGREDIENTS 1 ½ pounds beef, chopped into cubes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon grated ginger 3 garlic cloves crushed or grated 1 red onion, sliced 3 tablespoons berbere seasoning, divided 3 tomatoes, chopped 3 jalapenos, chopped 1 ∕3 cup niter kibbeh (clarified butter) or ghee 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or a sprig of fresh rosemary PREPARATION 1. Trim off any excess fat from the beef to ensure the meat is not greasy.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Season the beef with salt and pepper and add it to the hot oil. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.

This will give the stew a rich flavor and color.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger and garlic to the same skillet. Stir them with the beef for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Recipe Notes

1 2 3

Use a tender cut of beef, such as flank steak, sirloin or ribeye and cut it into bite-sized pieces. You can also use lamb if you prefer.

Heat the oil well before putting in the beef. This will give it a nice color and taste.

To make your own kibbeh, heat unsalted butter on low and remove the foam. Add spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, garlic and onion. If available, include koseret and besobela, which are Ethiopian herbs. Cook for an hour until the butter is clear and golden.

Filter it with a cheesecloth and keep it in a jar in the fridge or freezer. If you don’t have kibbeh, you can use ghee.

4

Berbere is an authentic Ethiopian seasoning that includes ground chili (paprika in this case), mixed with several other ground spices: fenugreek, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. If you don’t have this on hand, feel free to use Ras el Hanout or Morrocan seasoning instead.

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4. Add the red onion and 2 tablespoons berbere seasonings, which is a spicy blend of herbs and spices that gives Ethiopian food its distinctive taste. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring well to coat the beef and onion with the seasoning.

5. Add the tomatoes and mix everything together. Let it cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. This will create a thick sauce for the stew.

6. Add the jalapenos for some extra heat and flavor. Stir them in and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

7. Add the kibbeh with remaining berbere seasoning. It will add richness and depth to the stew. You can also add some dried rosemary or fresh rosemary sprigs for a touch of freshness. Stir everything well and let it simmer for a few more minutes until the beef is cooked through and tender.

8. Serve your stew hot with injera, which is a soft and spongy flatbread that you can use to scoop up the stew.

Recipe and photography by Jen Sim, Sims Home Kitchen (@simshomekitchen)

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Recipes: ENTREES Stewed Oxtails with Fonio Oxtails are a staple in the diet of many African Americans. Literally a cow’s tail, this tougher cut of beef was given to enslaved people and continues to grace our tables as sought-after comfort food.

Co-founder of Yolélé and Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam exposed the Western world to fonio, one of West Africa’s oldest grains.

In this recipe, tender oxtails are paired with fonio to capture all the juices and soak up the flavor from this slow-cooked meat.

Prep time: 35 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours, 35 minutes | Serving size: 6, 2∕3 cups fonio and 2-3 oxtails INGREDIENTS Oxtails 4 pounds oxtails 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons fine sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 4 teaspoons Aleppo pepper ½ teaspoon ground allspice 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 2 small onions, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 beef bouillon cubes 4 garlic cloves 2 small tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 fresh thyme sprig 5 cups water salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons cornstarch 6 tablespoons cold water Fonio 1 package Yolélé fonio 1 cup heavy cream (replaces ½ the water in the package cooking instructions) PREPARATION 1. Rinse the oxtails under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Use a paring or small knife to make small slices in the meat for the marinade to penetrate.

2. Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Aleppo pepper and 26 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Recipe Notes allspice in a large bowl with the meat.

Rub the seasonings into the meat and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, but overnight is preferred. Take out of refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.

3. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

4. Add the oxtails to the pot. Allow the meat to brown for 10 minutes, browning each side making sure they do not burn.

Remove the oxtails and set them aside.

Turn the heat down to medium.

5. Add 1 tablespoon oil and then the onions and green pepper, stirring every few minutes until slightly browned.

6. Crumble beef bouillon cubes and add to the pot with garlic cloves (be careful not to burn). Stir for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and thyme.

7. Pour in 1 cup of water and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Add the oxtails back to the pot. Pour in remaining 4 cups of water to cover the oxtails.

8. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 hours, checking every hour. Add water if the oxtails are no longer covered and add seasoning to taste each hour. After 4 hours, turn the heat to high to bring the pot to a boil.

1

To clean my meat, I rinse with cold water, then add 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a large bowl with the meat. This step is optional but is common in some households.

2

If you can’t find Aleppo pepper, combine 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add more cayenne if you want more kick.

3

Yolélé fonio is available at select Target stores, Amazon and yolele.com.

9. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water and blend well. Once the pot is boiling, pour in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the gravy.

10. For fonio, follow the package directions but replace half the water with heavy cream.

11. Serve oxtails with gravy over fonio.

Recipe and photography by Takera Gholson, Flights and Foods (@flightsandfoods)

Sharing Zambian Cuisine With the World Food stylist Clara Kapelembe Bwali uses simple ingredients to create delicious recipes from her native country.

By Mira Cassidy (@miracassidy)

SWEET POTATOES, CHICKEN AND VEGGIES INGREDIENTS 6 chicken leg quarters ¼ cup store-bought peri-peri sauce 2 tablespoons ginger paste 2 tablespoons garlic paste ½ cup lemon juice ¼ cup vegetable oil 4 sweet potatoes, cut into small cubes ¼ cup butter 4 garlic cloves, crushed

Photography: Clara Kapelembe Bwaili and Tony Media

2 cups green beans 2 cups carrots, sliced 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon mixed herb seasoning

C

lara Kapelembe Bwali wants the world to know about Zambian cuisine.

The food stylist and photographer, who was born and raised in the city of Kitwe, sees her work as a way to bring ingredients to life.

“I believe a food stylist is somebody that makes food pretty. Just like you have a fashion stylist, you get a person and understand what type of body they have, and you dress them accordingly so they look presentable and elegant. This is the same thing a food stylist does.”

Working with a variety of clients through her company Black Garlic (@blackgarliczambia), Bwali focuses on incorporating ingredients that are the foundation of many African cuisines, one being sweet potatoes, locally known as ifyumbu or kandolo.

“Sweet potato season is a special time in Zambia. We usually enjoy them boiled or cooked in peanut butter. Zambia is blessed with different types of sweet potatoes: yellow, orange, purple, white and red. My favorite is the yellow one; its sweetness is unmatched.”

This simple and delicious recipe for Sweet Potatoes, Chicken and Veggies brings a taste of Zambia into your home.

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PREPARATION 1. In a mixing bowl, add chicken, peri-peri sauce, ginger and garlic pastes, lemon juice and oil.

Marinade overnight.

2. The next day, grill chicken, brushing pieces with leftover marinade until it is cooked and golden brown.

3. Peel and boil sweet potatoes until fork tender. Once cooked, allow to cool completely. Melt butter in a pan and add potatoes and garlic, turning until potatoes have a beautiful brown coating.

4. Add carrots and green beans to a saucepan with salted water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and put veggies into another saucepan with ice water to stop the cooking process. In a clean pan, add butter.

Once melted, add carrots and green beans and toss with seasoning until coated.

5. Plate chicken with sweet potatoes and vegetables and enjoy.

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SHOP BLACK GLOBALLY Creativity and a passion to tell a story through a product continues to be the heartbeat of Black entrepreneurs.

It’s Nola - Luscious Cranberry Coconut | $5.99 Handcrafted bites of goodness made with coconut, cranberries, seeds, nuts and special spices. Great added to a breakfast yogurt bowl, eaten after a workout or midday snack attack. itsnola.com

Buttery Spell – Black Garlic Butter | $10 There’s something about butter and garlic together that just makes us go, mmm. Level up your bread game or melt to drizzle over seafood for an unforgettable flavor boost. butteryspell.com

Tubby’s Taste – Caribbean Punch Cookies, Grapefruit Pineapple Hibiscus | $11.99 Enjoy a tropical twist with these Jamaican-inspired vegan cookies that meld the flavors of grapefruit and pineapple together with hibiscus for a tasty treat. tubbystaste.com

POKS Spices – Green West African Chili Sauce | $10 It is all about versatility with this chili sauce that can be enjoyed as a hot sauce, marinade, dipping sauce and seasoning. Crafted with ginger, chili and garlic, create dishes with bold West African flavors in no time. poksspices.com

Emmaline’s – All Natural Chili Lime Hot Sauce | $10.95 This third-generation hot sauce recipe is plant-based and gluten-free with the right balance of heat and citrus to ignite your taste buds with an explosion of flavor. emmalineshotsauce.com

Black•ology Coffee Company – Ayla Bombe | $28 Coffee connoisseurs will rejoice with this medium roast coffee with notes of hazelnut, cherry, jasmine and clementine with a sweet cocoa finish. With each cup, embark on a journey that heightens your senses. blackology.coffee

Tunde Wey – Since the Time of John the Baptist Spirit | $123.12 A revolutionary spirit celebrating West African drinking traditions while challenging global economic systems. Starting with rum as the base spirit, each bottle is a masterful blend of old-world flavor and modern technique. sincespirits.com

Pricing at the time of publishing. Product availability by state and country varies. Be sure to check with each brand’s website for location and shipping availability.

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DEEP BLACK - Ramekins | $24 These beautifully handmade ceramic ramekins are created to make your day-to-day a little more convenient. Fill them with spices, dips and sauces or use them as a jewelry holder for rings and earrings, making them your new go-to dish. deepblack.shop

Charlette Lopez – Jams | $20 Out of a jar comes these amazing small-batch jams that are part of a product line the producer dubs “Infused Kenyan & Mexican Food.” Spread on toasted bread and crackers or just dip a spoon in and indulge. charlettelopez.com

BlueHenry - Dehydrated Oranges Fruit Garnish | $14.50 The taste of a great cocktail is always amplified with a garnish and this line of all natural dehydrated fruit garnishes is known to do just that. Oranges are a favorite, with other offerings to include lemons, limes, grapefruits and pineapples. bluehenryspirits.com

Reggaetawa – Pickled Saltfish Roast | $14.97 Get a taste of Jamaica with this saltfish roast that is coal roasted, deboned, pickled and seasoned to perfection with Jamaican spices. Enjoy on crackers or mix with a creamy cheese for a dip. caribshopper.com

Cotton Creations – Pancake & Waffle Mix | $8.99 Plant-based, fluffy and delicious. Just add vegan buttermilk and a little apple cider vinegar and you have the foundation of a great breakfast or brunch. cottoncreationsllc.com

Ashford Tea Company – Savannah Palmer Blend | $27 A blend of full-leaf black tea and herbs, this exclusive creation is a lemonade mix and fanning/dust black tea served iced. An Arnold Palmer spinoff that delivers on taste and health benefits. ashfordtea.co

Wanda’s Cooking – Pepper Chow Chow | $11 A chow chow that will take you back to grandma’s house for Sunday dinners. This classic condiment is amazing on burgers, with sautéed cabbage or anything you want to give that extra kick of flavor to. wandascooking.com

Yvaya Farm – Dried Mangos | $4.50 Fresh fruit in Ghana is transformed into world-class tropical dried fruit thanks to this women-led and youthpowered company. The dried mangos, bananas, pineapples and pawpaw are tasty on their own or as toppings. yvayafarm.com

Ayaba Wines - Queen Nefertiti White Peach Sangria | $27 A sangria that you can vibe with at home, a weekend brunch or outdoor concert.

Chill just right to emphasize the blend of tropical fruit and floral aromatics. ayabawines.com

One More Cocoa – Coconut Cream Truffles | $12.95 These truffles filled with rich coconut cream and rolled in a chocolate coating will melt in your mouth as the sweetened coconut finish gets you ready to repeat the experience all over again. onemorecocoa.com

Southern Girl Pralines – Original Pralines | $15 Treat yourself and others to these creamy pralines that come from a family recipe.

Once you take a bit of the pecan candy, as some call it, you might not stop with other flavors to include chocolate, rum, coconut and pound cake. southerngirlpralines.com

kubé nice cream – Goddess Empowerment Mint | $50 (5-pack bundle) Ice cream enthusiasts who are lactose intolerant and want to enjoy luxurious and creamy ice cream will once again rejoice. The mint flavor empowers your taste buds, with five additional flavors to revive your soul. kubenicecream.com

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Recipes: DRINKS These mocktails and cocktails use simple ingredients to create refreshing and flavorful sips that can be enjoyed with food or alone.

Watermelon Hibiscus Mocktail INGREDIENTS 2 cups water 2 hibiscus tea bags ¼ -½ cup sugar large piece ginger, grated 4 cups watermelon juice 1 cup lemon juice PREPARATION In a medium saucepan, boil water and add tea bags. Remove saucepan from heat and steep tea for at least ten minutes (longer for intense color). Add grated ginger and sugar to the saucepan. After tea mixture has cooled, pour into a pitcher and add watermelon and lemon juices.

Stir to mix and pour over ice.

Adding rum makes a delicious cocktail.

Lemon Blueberry and Basil Mocktail INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 4 cups water 1 cup blueberries large piece ginger, grated juice of 6 lemons ½ -1 cup basil 1 bottle club soda or sparkling water PREPARATION In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, blueberries and water until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add grated ginger and allow mixture to cool. Add lemon juice to the saucepan and stir. Muddle basil in individual glasses (about 8), add ice and fill each glass about ¾ full. Top with club soda or sparkling water.

Add more sugar for sweetness. Sparkling wine can replace club soda and sparkling water for the perfect cocktail.

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Cucumber Orange Sparkler INGREDIENTS 3 orange slices 3 large cucumber slices dash sea salt 2 ounces Siwani ½ -1 ounce simple syrup sparkling wine to top

Peach Paloma INGREDIENTS 2 ounces TCapri® Tequila Blanco 2 ounces grapefruit soda ½ ounce lime juice ¾ ounce peach schnapps pinch sea salt fresh peach slice PREPARATION Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and thoroughly shake. Strain over fresh ice.

Garnish with a peach slice.

PREPARATION Muddle orange and cucumber slices and salt in cocktail shaker. Add ice, Siwani and simple syrup. Thoroughly shake and strain over ice (large piece if available). Top with sparkling wine. Twist an orange peel over drink for an expressed orange garnish.

Recipe is sponsored by Siwani Spirits, a spirit made with Lowcountry heirloom rice honoring Gullah Geechee heritage and culture. To learn more and purchase, visit siwanispirits. com and follow @siwanispirits.

Recipes are sponsored by TCapri® Tequila, which is made from 100% Blue Weber agave, natural yeast and volcanic filtered well water and handcrafted in small batches in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.

To learn more and purchase, visit tcapritequila.com and follow @tcapritequila.

Rosemary Margarita INGREDIENTS 2 ounces TCapri® Tequila Reposado ½ ounce triple sec or your favorite orange liqueur 1 ounce rosemary simple syrup 1 ounce lime juice rosemary sprig for garnish PREPARATION Add ingredients to cocktail shaker and thoroughly shake. Strain over glass with salted rim. Garnish with sprig of rosemary.

Recipes by Adrian Lindsay (@adrianlindsay67) and photography by Stacey Sprenz (@ssprenzphoto)

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Dining in Nova Scotia Restaurants give diners a taste of Africa and the Caribbean.

By Jocelyn Amador

Mary’s African Cuisine The goal for Mary Nkrumah, founder/owner of Mary’s African Cuisine (marysafricancuisine.com), is to serve authentic African fare. The Accra, Ghana, native has been doing just that for the past five years with her full-service restaurant. Dishes from all over Africa—like Senegalese chicken yassa, Nigerian egusi soup and Ethiopian injera bread—have a spot on her menu.

What’s most requested by diners? “Stewed oxtail with its deep and rich flavor. People say it is West Indian, but we have been eating it in Ghana forever, much the same way with all of the deep umami tones,” she shares. “And egusi with pounded yam.

This is a dish that fills your mouth with flavor and texture.”

As for upcoming plans for the eatery, Nkrumah reveals, 32 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

“We are working on a cookbook and want to take people for culinary tours of Ghana over the Christmas break. We also want to expand … at the right time.”

Efty Dishes Restaurant “The vibes I want my customers to feel is having a delicious and beautiful meal … a home away from home,” explains Efty Dishes Restaurant (eftydishes.com) owner/manager Fatimah Ogunsanya.

“There was already a Nigerian community established in Nova Scotia, but I also wanted to introduce our food to local Nova Scotians. I saw a need for authentic, homemade tasty Nigerian meals,” she shares.

The Nigerian restaurateur says jollof rice, egusi soup and ayamase are repeat-order dishes by customers. If trying Nigerian cuisine for the first time, Ogunsanya offers, “I would recommend our popular jollof rice and barbecue chicken.” What’s next for

Photography: Brian McIntosh and Franz Kitchen; Pictured: Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint

T

he flavors and variety of African and Caribbean cuisines have found a home on Canada’s east coast.

In the city of Halifax, the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, thrives a culinary scene worth exploring.

“Nova Scotia is at the heart of Black culture and heritage in Canada, and the largest Indigenous Black community in the country is here. There were about 30,000 Black Nova Scotians across the province in 2021, three-quarters of whom were in Halifax,” notes Clare Tidby, Vice President of Marketing and Visitor Experience for Discover Halifax. “As Halifax’s population grows and diversifies, our collective palate has broadened and improved.”

Tidby pinpoints downtown Halifax as the place to find the largest concentration of restaurants. “In this area, several restaurants with African or Caribbean cuisine thrive,” she shares. Here’s a spotlight on four foodie destinations worth exploring in Halifax, each one a recent participant in the ByBlacks Restaurant Week 2023 Spring Edition.

with green and red peppers, onions”).

“I love cooking and showcasing my culture and tradition in my meals,” reveals the Nigerian-born chef/entrepreneur who hopes to eventually shift from catering to restaurant mode.

Pictured: Puff puff dessert at Efty Dishes Restaurant, Mary’s African Cuisine and a dish at Franyz Kitchen Nigerian Cuisine

Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint When asked to describe the dining experience at her restaurant, Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint (brawtajamaicanjerkjoint.ca) owner Christine Allen draws inspiration from her background. “Casual captures the relaxed atmosphere of the Jamaican culture. Formal brings airs that doesn’t allow you to fully relax and enjoy the moment.”

Jerk chicken, Jamaican patties and oxtails are just some of the dishes most often enjoyed by customers, says Allen, who utilizes locally-sourced meats and produce for her menu offerings. “The Jamaican patty is a delicious comfort food, but the jerk is synonymous with Jamaica and a must try,” offers the Kingston, Jamaica native.

“We make our own spice blend and we put our heart in our food.” Adding more items to the menu and shifting back to pre-pandemic hours are just some of the things Allen hopes to accomplish soon.

“As hard as the pandemic has made the running of a food business, it’s still great that I am living a dream of cooking and seeing people enjoy our food.”

Efty Dishes Restaurant? “Expansion,” declares Ogunsanya.

“We aim to be able to get our delicious food to our customers here and outside of Nova Scotia by offering our food by frozen takeout, which can [then] be microwaved.”

Franyz Kitchen Nigerian Cuisine Originally a take-out and catering establishment, Franyz Kitchen Nigerian Cuisine (franyzkitchen.ca) has focused solely on catering flavorful Nigerian dishes, accommodating all spice levels, and offering vegan and vegetarian options.

Owner Frances Dadin-Alli says customer favorites include jollof rice (“It takes me roughly three hours to cook”), egusi soup (“I don’t use spinach but a different vegetable to give it that unique, earthy taste from the south of Nigeria”) and peppered chicken (“It’s sautéed in a scratch peppered sauce and garnished 33 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

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“Whether written or oral, it was disconnected from reality. I realized I’d have to set aside the intention of writing a book and instead create a project to address this documentation process scientifically.”

Angolan Gastronomy Explained

Chef Helt Araújo reclaims history and ingredients of Angolan cuisine with OVINA YETU.

By Stephanie Teasley

T

he Republic of Angola is a country located in southwestern Africa. Although its official language is Portuguese, a significant portion of the population is from the Bantu people, an ethnolinguistic grouping of 400+ distinct native African ethnic groups. Due to the eclectic demographic, the modern appearance of Angolan cuisine consists of a combination of indigenous African ingredients and cooking techniques, Portuguese influences and ingredients from other colonies. However, the same demographic mix has led to a loss of Angolan culinary practices.

To combat this, Chef Helt Araújo created OVINA YETU, a project intended to reveal and promote Angolan gastronomy as a fundamental element of Angolan cultural and environmental heritage.

At age ten, Chef Araújo wanted to write a book about Angolan gastronomy. He describes himself as an “Angolan at heart and soul,” who is originally from Benguela. His curiosity about food led to experimentation at a young age, eventually finding a permanent passion in the kitchen. “There was an awakening of the senses consolidated over the years,” he says. “One of my great memories is being fed by my mother at the kitchen counter. Another is living with my father and celebrating when it was my day to cook.”

While researching for the book, Araújo ran into some challenges.

“I encountered many difficulties in obtaining information,” he says.

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Reshaping Angolan Gastronomy Outside influences reshaped Angolan gastronomy. Chef Araújo says modern Angolan cuisine is Portuguese-based due to colonization and various adaptations of dishes from Portuguese-speaking countries and Europe. “The result is that the cultural mixture, national cuisine has become diverse, offering flavors and textures that appeal to almost every palate.”

That’s why OVINA YETU wants to educate native Angolans on their roots and aims to distribute knowledge about unknown native products. “This topic inspires us because we see it as an identity and cultural response, a rescue of the basic Angolan culture, agriculture and its communities. By demonstrating the potential to contribute to the scarce literature on the rich Angolan gastronomy, we want to influence food education from a place of deeper cultural knowledge of our history.”

Connect with Chef Helt Araújo on Instagram (@chefheltaraújo) to follow his food journey, catering projects and restaurants.

Learn more about OVINA YETU at ovinayetu.com.

Photography: Facestudio

Reclaiming Angolan Gastronomy

After attending the School of Hospitality and Tourism in Lisbon, Portugal, Araújo rectified the lack of Angolan gastronomy by establishing the CHA group, which offers private aviation catering and operates two restaurants. Later this year, he is launching OVINA YETU, a groundbreaking project that aims to fill the gaps in information and knowledge about Angolan gastronomy and products.

The name means “Our Product, Our Thing” in Umbundu—one of many Bantu languages—and reflects a philosophy of life toward a path of research, documentation, systematization and writing. “It’s the dissemination of Angolan gastronomy history and products that contribute to a more sustainable production process,” shares the Luanda resident.

In traditional Angolan cuisine, cereals such as massambala and maize, legumes such as beans, tubers such as yam, and vegetables such as okra and bitter leaf dominate. “The basis of Angolan cuisine consists of yam, cassava, maize, or rice, boiled or used in flour, pasta, or bread, combined with vegetable stews or sauces,” Chef Araújo says. “With sesame or palm oil or complex and subtle spice blends, okra is highly appreciated for its viscous and thick texture. Game meat, dried meat and fish are also prominent, especially in coastal regions and along major rivers and lakes.

Inland, it’s smoked and dried fish.”

Simplicity is the main characteristic of Angolan cuisine, with fresh ingredients and contrasting flavors. Angolan cuisine does not feature refined or complicated sauces; less creates more, which characterizes the visual image of the dish itself.

Recipes: DESSERTS

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Peri-Peri Caramel Sauce This take on the traditional pineapple upside down cake features a unique twist —peri-peri caramel sauce! In most African cultures, cooking is deeply intertwined with heritage and storytelling. It is through food that ancestral traditions are preserved and shared across generations.

By incorporating bird’s eye chili, an ingredient cherished in many African dishes, we add a layer of spice to the caramel sauce that complements the sweetness of the pineapple.

Infused with the essence of peri-peri, this delicious cake exudes an irresistible fiery punch.

Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 65 minutes Serving size: 8 slices

INGREDIENTS Sugar Topping ¾ cup brown sugar ¼ cup unsalted butter pinch salt 8 pineapple slices, canned in pineapple juice 8 fresh cherries, halved and pitted Cake Batter 1 ½ cups cake flour, spooned and leveled 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened ¼ cup canola oil ¾ cup granulated sugar 35 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup pineapple juice, leftover from can Peri-Peri Caramel Sauce ½ cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon bird’s eye chili powder (or cayenne pepper) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. For the topping, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour the brown sugar mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan.

3. Slice 7 of the pineapple rings in half and then arrange them around the pan. Place a whole pineapple ring in the middle. Add the halved and pitted cherries in the center of each pineapple slice. Set aside.

4. For the cake batter, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Set aside.

5. In a separate large bowl, cream together the softened butter, canola oil and sugar until light and

fluffy using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment.

Add the eggs one at a time to the sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition and stir in the vanilla extract.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the heavy cream and pineapple juice. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be sure not to overmix.

7. Pour the cake batter over the pineapple and brown sugar topping, spreading it evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or until the internal temperature reads 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.

8. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting.

9. In a small bowl, mix the heavy cream, salt, chili powder and vanilla extract for the sauce. Stir well.

10. Pour the water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar and stir gently just to combine. Heat over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes. Resist the urge to stir.

11. When you start to see a light amber color (about 310°F), reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the color darkens to a deep amber (about 350°F), another 4-6 minutes.

Again, do not stir just yet as this can cause the sugar to crystallize. You can, however, swirl the pan to be sure the sugars are melting evenly.

12. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the sauce mixture. The sauce will bubble up, so be very careful during this step. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth. Add lemon juice and continue to stir until combined and silky.

13. Place a serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan. Carefully flip the cake pan and the plate together to release the cake onto the plate.

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pineapple upside-down cake. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe and photography by Dee Broughton, Gimme From Scratch (@gimmefromscratch)

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Recipes: DESSERTS Makroud el Louse Cookies These gluten-free Algerian cookies are made with almond flour, eggs, sugar and spices.

After baking, they are tossed in orange blossom syrup and then dredged in powdered sugar for a crunchy texture with warm spices and a slightly floral undertone. These cookies are delicious on any occasion, but are an especially lovely complement to afternoon tea or coffee.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Serving size: 18 - 24 cookies INGREDIENTS Cookies 3 cups almond flour 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cardamom pinch kosher salt 3 tablespoons brown butter, melted 1 lemon or orange, zested (about 1 tablespoon) 2 large eggs, beaten shifted powered sugar

Orange Blossom Syrup 2 cups water 1 ¼ cups sugar 2 tablespoons orange blossom water PREPARATION 1. For the syrup, combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Set aside to cool before using.

2. Mix the almond flour, spices, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and add the brown butter and orange zest. Mix until the dough is moistened.

3. Add the beaten eggs and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch.

If the dough is too wet, add about 2-4 tablespoons of almond flour and mix.

4. Using a bowl scraper, remove the dough from the bowl. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten the dough and wrap it tightly.

Refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 325°F. 6. On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of the dough into a log.

It should be about ½-inch to 1-inch thick. Flatten the log slightly. Using a knife, cut the log on an angle into ¾-inch-long pieces. The cuts should resemble diamond shapes. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let cookies cool.

8. Lightly toss the cookies in the orange blossom syrup. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the cookies and place them on a wire rack to drain for 30 minutes.

9. Toss the cookies in sifted powdered sugar. Arrange the cookies on a serving platter and enjoy.

Recipe by Padua Player, SugaChef Desserts (@sugachef) and photography by Riche Holmes Grant (@allthingsriche)

Recipe Notes

1

Traditionally, the cookies are tossed in the syrup.

However, I enjoy mine baked and then tossed in the powdered sugar. Either way, these are delicious.

2

Feel free to roll out your cookie dough using gluten-free flour to keep your cookies 100% gluten free.

3

Add a touch of your favorite spices in the powdered sugar and toss them as usual.

4

Presentation is everything. You can put your cookies in liners for a neater look. However, arranging them on a plate is also beautiful.

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Clementine Meringue Tart

thick and starts to bubble. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Add one drop of orange food gel (optional) and whisk until the color is fully incorporated.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour filling through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Using a spatula, push the filling through the strainer to remove any bits of egg. Whisk in the butter and zest until fully combined.

3. Pour the filling into the prepared tart crust and smooth over the top.

Cover the tart with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Clementines are a native citrus fruit of North Africa, specifically Algeria. They are eaten fresh and also used in numerous sweet and savory recipes in Africa. This Clementine Meringue Tart is a nod to the native African fruit with the southern method of making a meringue tart.

Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 4 hours 45 minutes | Serving size: 8 INGREDIENTS Shortbread Crust 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 ∕3 cup powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Clementine Filling ∕3 cup granulated sugar ¼ cup cornstarch 4 large egg yolks 1 ½ cups fresh squeezed clementine juice (about 14-15 clementines) 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon clementine zest 1 drop orange food gel (optional) 2

Meringue 4 large egg whites 2 ∕3 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon cream tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract PREPARATION For Shortbread Crust 1. Place flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the butter and pulse until it’s incorporated. There should not be any large pieces of butter remaining.

2. Add the egg yolk, heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the food processor on and process the dough until it comes together and forms a ball, about 20-25 seconds.

3. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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4. When ready to use, unwrap the dough.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and roll the dough out on top of it. Flip the rolled dough, using the parchment paper underneath, into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel the parchment paper off of the dough and press and fit the dough into the pan.

5. Remove any excess dough off of the edges with a knife. Prick the inside of the tart with a fork. Place the tart into the freezer and freeze for about 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.

7. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and add pie weights or dry beans into the tart pan to weigh the dough down. Place the tart pan onto a larger baking pan. Blind bake the crust for 25 minutes then remove the pie weights by grabbing the edges of parchment paper and lifting it out.

8. Continue to bake the crust for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden. Allow the crust to cool completely.

For Clementine Filling 1. Add sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Add the egg yolks, clementine juice and lemon juice and whisk together. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the mixture, stirring often, until it’s

For Meringue 1. Add egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar to the bowl of the stand mixer.

Whisk together until fully combined.

2. Fill a small pot with about 2 inches of water over medium-high heat. Set the bowl of the stand mixer over the pot of simmering water. Constantly whisk the mixture until egg whites reach a temperature of 160°F, about 3 to 5 minutes and all the sugar has dissolved.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on and gradually increase the speed until it reaches medium-high or do this step with a hand mixer.

4. Add in the vanilla and whip the meringue until it is glossy and begins to thicken and form stiff peaks, about 8-10 minutes.

5. Spoon the meringue on top of the fully chilled clementine tart filling.

Use an offset spatula to spread the meringue around and give it a dome shape while also giving it a wave-like decorative pattern.

6. With a hand torch, lightly torch the meringue. Or toast the meringue by setting your oven to broil and when hot, toast the meringue for 3-5 minutes or until the meringue is browned to your liking.

Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe and photography by Monique Polanco, Peaches 2 Peaches (@moniquepolanco_)

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Building a Movement on the History of Coffee Memphis entrepreneurs Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson honor the African origins of coffee.

By Mira Cassidy (@miracassidy)

“I

tell people I’m the coffee and she’s the black,” proclaims Bartholomew Jones, co-owner of Cxffeeblack in Memphis, Tennessee, about his wife and business partner Renata Henderson. Henderson, a blessing and complement to Jones, is the head coffee roaster, graphic designer and HR manager for the business. They are a team, and from sunup to sundown, they work to bring premium-grade cups of specialty coffee to the area while teaching about its history and origins in Africa.

“Cxffeeblack is a Black-owned educational enterprise that wants to connect African people back to each other through coffee,” explains Jones. “We’re not a coffee company, we are an educational company with a consumable curriculum. We want to make coffee Black again. We do that through various things. We create films.

We roast coffee. We have café concepts, pop-ups, music, photography, curriculum development; all of this to create a touch point for people to find a connection back to Africa through coffee.”

Raised in Whitehaven, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Memphis, Jones grew up with a strong sense of African identity and was immersed in the church.

As a matter of fact, it is there at church where he tried his first cup of coffee doused in powdery sugar and cream.

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As a kid, he loved to read books and hang out at the library, often checking out ten books at a time. As he grew older, his love for books was replaced with a passion for music and hip-hop.

This is when he began to put his knowledge, experiences and culture to sound. It was rapping and performing that drew him to his wife—Henderson was a background vocalist for one of his songs over a decade ago—and from there, they connected, married and started a family.

Photography: V. Sheree Williams and Mirza Babic

Love Black People Like You Love Black Coffee

“As a coffee nerd, I would use coffee to do a unique marketing spin on my music. I would go to coffee shops and do educational classes, teach people coffee history and teach coffee brewing strategies.

That turned into me doing a podcast to give my perspective and thoughts on coffee and culture in general. Then that turned into releasing some coffee as merchandise at a concert, and it sold out primarily to young Black creatives. That let us know we had more than just a product on our hands; we had a movement.”

He continues, “We then started working on a film and putting together the documentary, ‘Cxffeeblack to Africa,’ and actually going to Africa to build an all-Black supply chain for our signature roast, Guji Mane, sourced from the Oromo Guji people of Ethiopia. The last thing we actually added was the coffee shop.”

The final decision to open a brick-andmortar location in the Heights community was a difficult one. Jones contemplated if the coffee shop would bring people who are not vested in the full mission into the neighborhood. The only desire would be coffee, and as such, this would not benefit the area.

However, when the city began to invest in the neighborhood, Jones was encouraged to partner with the Heights Community Development Corporation to create something for the residents.

This led to creating not just a coffee spot but a coffee club that includes coffee classes, a performing space for artists and actors, jobs for the community, a subscription program and the Barista Exchange Program. Jones and Henderson called it the AntiGentrification Coffee Club (@antigentrificationcoffeeclub).

Pictured: Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson

The Coffee Trail of Tears So, what do you know about the history of coffee? Jones teaches some hidden truths and shares, “Coffee was discovered in Africa.

Specifically, caffea arabica was discovered in 850 BC. For a long time in that community, it was a central point for uplifting the role of women, connecting people together, reconciliation and connecting with the ground and the land. And there are a lot of beautiful blessings that we’ve been able to learn there before colonialism. But colonialism did come. The Dutch stole coffee from the Port of Mokha and used it to colonize other parts of the world and they gave it to other colonizing countries.” However, this is just the beginning. Jones explains more.

“The Oromo Guji people of Ethiopia, which is one of the oldest coffee-drinking communities on the planet and where we source our coffee Guji Mane, taught us that for 2,000 years, their community has had an indigenous blessing. They believe God taught them this blessing to lay the ground on which coffee should be consumed. They pray for it each morning when they prepare coffee for the community and share it when they serve coffee to a guest for the first time.”

39 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Passionate about the work, he says, “It was very frustrating for me as a coffee nerd. I’ve been involved in the coffee industry for ten years, and I had never learned about this indigenous African perspective on coffee. I learned about the Italian perspective.

I learned about the French perspective on coffee and the Asian perspective on coffee. I learned about the Latin perspective on coffee, but the root of all these things, which is the African perspective of the people who developed the culture first, I never learned about until I went and sat at their feet and they taught me.”

Creating a Coffee Movement The Anti-Gentrification Coffee Club aims to share this perspective with as many people who come through the door. In addition, the Cxffeeblack Barista Exchange Program will allow Jones to take four Black baristas to Africa to learn this history and the origins of coffee firsthand through enriching educational experiences and exchange of ideas. The goal next year, through this same program, is to bring four baristas from Africa to America to see the other side of the supply chain.

“We can come into this industry to advocate for our people’s right to reimage the value of this crop and create our own spaces,” says Jones, who believes in collaborating with people here and in Africa to produce coffee that is more similar to its original form.

Also, to teach people of color how to roast coffee and create culturally congruent brands that tap into economic power and creativity for Black people.

Cxffeeblack and The Anti-Gentrification Coffee Club are located at 761 National Street in Memphis. To purchase coffee and merchandise and learn more about the documentary of Jones’ trip to Africa, visit cxffeeblack.com. For more information about the Barista Exchange Program and to support through a donation, contact Jones and Henderson at cxffeeblack@gmail.com or reach out via Instagram (@cxffeeblack).

WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM 39

Sleep in Africa

By Ashia Aubourg (@ashiaaubourg)

C

ountries across Africa are piquing the interest of Black travelers for various reasons: beautiful scenery, amazing food, and more importantly, the opportunity to connect with their ancestors and cultural heritage. But, for many, a strange paradox always arises when planning these trips—so many of the hotels are overwhelmingly foreign-owned.

Fatimatou Diallo, the founder of the digital platform Sleep in Africa, knows this phenomenon too well. It wasn’t until she started researching the ownership of various hotels that she discovered this.

So, when she did, she knew she needed to make it her mission to promote and make Black-owned properties more visible.

A Worldly Foundation Uncovering Diallo’s background is instrumental in understanding her passion for travel and promoting Black-owned businesses. The entrepreneur was born in Paris, France, and has roots in Guinea.

Travel started young for Diallo, who would go every few years to visit her parents’ home in the West African country.

40 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Photography: Amadou Kane, La Réserve and Hotel Particulier Abidjan Pictured: Fatimatou Diallo, (top property) Hotel Particulier Abidjan, Ivory Coast and (bottom property) La Réserve, Senegal

The platform highlighting Black-owned accommodations in Africa.

“For my parents, it was important for them to teach me where they come from, so we would take trips often to their home,” Diallo shares, whose mother tongues include French and Fulani.

When they traveled to Guinea, Diallo recalls vivid memories of soaking up lessons from her family on how to host people and secretly dreaming about what her own hotel could look like if she ever built one, she says.

As she grew older, she decided to study languages to pursue her dreams of connecting with global cultures. She always knew she wanted to have a career involving travel, so she focused on establishing a foundation to do so. She decided to move from Paris to Canada, where she studied English and graduated from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Having this educational foundation offered a pathway to allow Diallo to pursue a career in translation. The future entrepreneur works as a project manager building connections between different languages to bridge an understanding of other cultures.

She knew that she wanted to take this passion for connecting different communities further, and that’s when she decided to ideate ways to do so.

Photography and pictured: Siri Nairobi, Kenya

Inspiring Others to Sleep in Africa “I realized that planning a trip to certain African countries was challenging for some people,” Diallo shares. There was no platform at the time that was dedicated to highlighting accommodations in different countries across the continent. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands and founded Sleep in Africa in 2018.

The platform started on Instagram and, over the years, amassed a reach of over 13,000 followers. Initially, her mission was simple: help people turn their travel dreams into a reality, send a daily dose of inspiration to those with no idea of where to start, and offer a catalog of unique gems. She also focused on all kinds of stays such as lodges, campsites, guest houses and other hotels. At first, this seemed simple enough; she could research hotels across different African countries and develop curated posts around them. However, once she started researching the ownership of properties she promoted, she was deeply disappointed that few were Black-owned.

“Many people automatically think they’re supporting a Black-owned business because they’re staying in predominantly Black countries, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.”

After this discovery, she decided to pivot her platform to focus on Black-owned accommodations, but this wasn’t easy, and luckily, around the same time, she knew where to ask for help.

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Shedding Light on the Lack of Diverse Ownership When Diallo decided to tap into her network to grow her platform and begin spotlighting Black-owned accommodations, she turned to some of her friends on social media. At the time, she had been following Sara Jabril (@sarajabril), a content creator focusing on traveling to African destinations—to date, she’s visited 21 countries.

Diallo knew Jabril would be a great person to connect with. After many conversations, in 2021, the duo decided to collaborate on a project to highlight their collective vision of showcasing Black ownership across Africa.

“Supporting Black-owned businesses is about showing up for the broader economic development in these African countries,” shares Diallo. So far, the two have worked together to spotlight over 50 establishments across 19 countries, including Rwanda, Mali, Togo and Tanzania, just to name a few. For now, that catalog lives on Jabril’s website (sarajabril.com).

The catalog ranges from Dolphin’s Hotel in Somalia, which faces azure shores to the Eco-Lodge Kunda in Congo-Brazzaville (the Republic of the Congo), for those looking to sleep in cabins in the depths of nature. When you click on each place, the site allows you to access the location, what to expect during the visit, and how to contact the property to make a reservation. Travelers will find various types of accommodations that fit all kinds of lifestyles.

The Future of Booking Stays in Africa With a growing following, Diallo has big plans for the Sleep in Africa platform.

First, she says she is working on developing its own website, which they hope to release in the coming months. Additionally, she envisions enabling a component that will allow people to make reservations directly on the site for any of the featured properties, shares the founder.

The platform would be similar to Airbnb, where you can search for properties in different places. For Diallo, discovering ways to shine a light on Black-owned properties across Africa is essential. She knows it’s only the beginning of her journey, but is excited to see how much the platform will grow. “I have many ambitions for Sleep in Africa and for supporting Africa’s growing economy.”

To discover accommodations through Sleep in Africa, follow the platform on Instagram (@sleepinafrica) and visit the website launching soon at sleepnafrica.com for all updates, accommodation options and more.

WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM 41

grandfather making fresh hot chocolate from cacao beans almost every morning.

It’s almost serendipitous that I am a chocolate lover and Tim’s a chocolate lover too.” This inspired their shared journey to turn cocoa into an experience to be shared with others.

Bringing in Business AfrikaBar features four bars, with additional varieties and premium apparel planned.

The current collection includes Dark Chocolate 55% Cocoa; Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt 70% Cocoa; Milk Chocolate 36% Cocoa; and Caramel Pecan Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt 55% Cocoa. There are also hoodies for sale, with hats and T-shirts coming soon. Two chocolate bars featuring CBD (one for or Andre March and Timothy day and one for night) are currently in Roquemore, friends in life and development. With a soft launch earlier fashion, the idea for AfrikaBar, this year, they admit it was a long process their newly launched premium going from concept to a tangible product. handcrafted chocolate business, came “The overall process was interesting about during the pandemic. As they and enlightening. We had different recipes, explored their tastes and preferences in tastings, notes, flavor profiles, and we cocoa, the kindred spirits embarked on a also had to learn how to write the flavor new journey in entrepreneurship, bringing profile so it is not intimidating for the their lifestyle brand and philanthropic end consumer to understand and to want focus to fruition. to try the chocolate,” says Roquemore.

The bars are manufactured in the Starting Out Strong AfrikaBar centers American northwest, and the chocolate With decades of experience in the fashion knowledge and lifestyle is sourced from West Africa, including industry between the two of them, March with premium Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The World and Roquemore had a clear agenda on Cocoa Foundation and the Rainforest the branding, logo, look and feel—all chocolate brand.

Alliance have been helpful to the duo in creative aspects they have worked on their research, ensuring sources have the before as detail-oriented professionals. certifications needed to work with them But transferring that knowledge to and understanding the supply chain, selling chocolate from the continent that

By Ruksana Hussain (@ruksanah) traceability and origins of cocoa. The produces over 70% of the world’s cocoa— chocolate is sold direct-to-consumer through a fact not known by many consumers—and their website, with plans for wholesale distribution. learning about the industry has been a journey all its own.

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, March nurtured an interest in luxury watches from a young age, eventually working Focus on Philanthropy for the celebrated brand Vacheron Constantin, one of the most The philanthropic aspect became apparent during their research prestigious watch brands in the world, and then Burberry. Roquemore, when March and Roquemore began to understand how the cocoa born and raised in Houston, Texas, began his journey in the world industry is set up and how they could make a difference in helping of fashion, designing women’s prom dresses in high school before the state of cocoa farmers in Africa. attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he earned “We’re supporting cocoa farmers in West Africa and community degrees in patternmaking technology and advertising and marketing outreach programs in America. We want to be in a position for our communications. The duo met in 2001 while working at Ralph revenues to be able to give back to local organizations, our suppliers, Lauren in New York City. Together, they bring a sophisticated farmers, the Rainforest Alliance and World Cocoa Organization,” sense of style and elevated aesthetic to the venture. shares Roquemore. “When you create something, it is important March says, “Being a lifelong lover of chocolate, almost to the to be able to give back.” point of addiction, but in a good way, I would buy a box of whatever To purchase and connect, visit afrikabar.com and follow along chocolate was around. I grew up watching my grandmother and on Instagram, @_afrikabar.

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Photography: Anon Focus; Pictured (L-R) Timothy Roquemore and Andre March

F

Creating an Intentional Chocolate Experience

Photography: Millicent Agidipo/Achiever Foods Limited, Charmaine Ramalope/Black Mamba Chilli and Rubia Jablon/Blooms and Vegetables

Turning the Tide for Entrepreneurs on the Continent African Food Changemakers builds community for collaboration and entrepreneurial success.

By Ruksana Hussain (@ruksanah)

W

hen African Food Changemakers (AFC) was established as a nonprofit in Nigeria with the goal of nourishing Africa and changing global narratives about African food, founder and executive chair Ndidi Nwuneli had a clear purpose—to build a community of collaboration for entrepreneurial success.

This also included ensuring this purpose didn’t just echo across the continent but resounded globally, announcing that Africa is ready for business and African food can nourish the world.

Uplifting African Brands and Businesses With more than 15 years of experience working in food and agriculture, Nwuneli experienced the struggle to scale through her own businesses. When identifying the problems, which she captured in her book, “Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses,” she found the same issue everywhere; entrepreneurs felt isolated and didn’t have collaborators for support.

They needed assistance with funding, knowledge, training and navigating the entrepreneurship journey. AFC was created in 2022 to do just that, combining two organizations—Nourishing Africa and Changing Narratives Africa—with similar goals Nwuneli had previously established.

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“Our vision from the onset was a million entrepreneurs from Africa that are successful locally and globally. We are creating a community of dynamic and successful agri/food entrepreneurs and amplifying their voices,” says Nwuneli.

AFC assists food and agriculture entrepreneurs across Africa in building resilient and sustainable businesses by providing training, support, access to funding and markets and increasing their visibility and impact. Members are from 37 African countries, including 2,500 active businesses on the portal, 15,000+ entrepreneurs receiving training and more than 150,000 others receiving resources weekly.

Sustainability training programs include Building Resilience Against Climate and Environmental Shocks (BRACE), Scaling Export Program (SEP), Youth in Agrifood Export Development Program (YAEDP) and the Leading African Women in Food Fellowship (LAWFF). AFC also produces Narrative Changers food spotlights and podcast episodes on ingredients such as rooibos, okra, teff, coffee and cacao, curates events such as the Harvard Food Festival and released a short documentary on jollof rice to build awareness about Africa’s contributions to the global food ecosystem.

“Our impact will be limited if we only focus on building the capacity of the entrepreneurs and enhancing their business WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM 43

operations without driving the demand for their products and services, hence our focus on changing narratives. We are committed to changing the face of Africa from a hungry child to a successful female entrepreneur and ensuring global appreciation and recognition for high quality and nutritious products sourced from diverse countries— Ghanian chocolates, Ethiopian teff, South African rooibos and Nigerian cashews,” says Nwuneli.

That need to change perceptions about African brands and food is confirmed by Claudia Castellanos, CEO of Eswatini-based Black Mamba Chilli, who launched her specialty foods business—a sustainable African brand making award-winning hot sauces with quality products and strong social and environmental ethos—in 2010.

“People think they must help poor Africa with a pity purchase which I’ve always found horrible. We are a very proud country and continent that has much to offer,” says Castellanos, one of AFC’s first cheerleaders.

Originally from Colombia, she left a corporate job in Italy to volunteer in Eswatini and worked with social and handicraft businesses. She loved the business model, which was inclusive of rural communities and women. She also met her now husband during that time.

“We talked about replicating the business model of the handicraft world I knew, and he wanted to do something with chilies because he is a hot sauce fanatic,” she shares.

Castellanos works with 100 small ingredient growers in partnership with local NGO Guba, which teaches rural communities to grow produce organically through permaculture, a core Black Mamba principle.

“We are teachers and trainers for farmers and their market access.

They grow organically, we get organic ingredients, they get an income, and they get to teach other community members how to grow organically through regenerative agriculture methods, so it becomes a win-win situation for them, the planet and for us,” she says.

Her association with AFC took off around the start of COVID. Castellanos found access to resources, grants, and programs related to food and women in agribusiness. Her participation on the platform earned her an ambassadorship which translated to more involvement.

Securing a Nutritionally Strong Future Similar sentiments are expressed by Adanne Uche, the owner of Ady’s Agro Processing Limited, a food processing and packaging company in Lagos, Nigeria, that provides healthier cooking 44 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

ingredients, seasonal blends, spices, palm oil and honey.

“I educate people about food deficiencies and to read the food labels for the ingredients that they cook with, so we are a business that focuses on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To impact people to make good food decisions is something I am proud of. With the local farmers I partner with, I give them information on how they should improve seedlings, the right agriculture practices,” says Uche, who happened to chance upon AFC’s work via social media and realized this is the community she needed.

Her business started as Ady’s Food Mart in 2016 to help families shop for groceries.

Uche observed that Nigerian open markets were plagued by unhealthy food practices and food adulteration, so she offers products that are processed hygienically, with no monosodium glutamate (MSG), preservatives, additives or coloring and uses only spices and vegetables for the seasoning blends.

Uche admits the entrepreneurial world can get lonely, so a community of like-minded entrepreneurs via AFC has not only presented her with others to partner with for business but also opportunities to speak about her journey and mentor women and youth, inspiring them even as she pursues success with her venture.

“Let’s amplify these voices so that the rest of the world knows we are ready for business. Let’s ensure that the food ecosystem is transformed and that Africa feeds itself and the world,” says Nwuneli. “Communications, partnerships and amplifying voices are critical for the transformation required. I am focused on grooming the next set of leaders who scale the work that we have started and continue to change narratives.”

Learn more about African Food Changemakers’ work and how to join at afchub.org and connect at @africanfoodchangemakers.

Photography and pictured: (Top) Seun Sangoleye/Baby Grubz and (Bottom) Adanne Uche/Ady’s Food Mart

Changing Food Narratives Through Entrepreneurship

I

f you ever find yourself exploring the northern Honduran cities of La Ceiba, Tela and Trujillo, you will undoubtedly notice African influences. From the use of cassava, yams and plantains in everyday cooking to the sprightful music and dancing powered by the echoes of drums, elements of African traditions are upheld throughout the Garifuna community.

Honduras is home to the largest Garifuna population, an Afro-Indigenous ethnic group who trace their ancestry back to West and Central Africa. Due to factors such as forced migration, language barriers and systemic marginalization, the preservation of Garifuna culture has been imperiled for decades. Among the individuals dedicated to preserving and sharing its rich history is Isha Gutierrez Sumner.

Photography: Alexander Sumner and Isha Gutierrez Sumner

Tying the Threads of Identity

Preserving Afro-Indigenous Culture Isha Gutierrez Sumner fulfills goal to bring Garifuna cuisine to mainstream audiences.

By Marcus Avery Christon (@chowandcompany) 45 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

Born and raised in San Juan Tela, Honduras, Sumner grew up immersed in her Garifuna community’s sights, sounds and flavors.

Her long-awaited cookbook, “Weiga, Let’s Eat!” will be a valuable resource for those seeking to learn more about authentic Garifuna cooking and traditions.

“My cookbook is more of a celebration of who we are as Garifuna people and what we bring to the table as a community within the African diaspora,” she says.

Garifuna people originated from St. Vincent in the late 17th century, emerging from the intermarriage of enslaved Africans and indigenous Arawak people. Conflict with European colonizers, particularly the British, led to their exile from St. Vincent in 1797. Many Garifuna people were deported to Roatán, Honduras, and subsequently migrated along the Central American coast, where continued population growth allowed them to re-establish themselves. Today, the Garifuna population is estimated to be around 600,000 in total, with the majority of people being located in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the United States, particularly in New York.

After immigrating to Houston at the age of 12, Sumner became part of New York’s Garifuna community five years later. As a professional entertainer, she was a member of several dance organizations, including the International Folkloric Garifuna Ballet of Honduras, where she toured throughout Honduras and Europe in the early 1990s. Her extensive dance career later transitioned to acting after landing a cameo role speaking Garifuna in an episode of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Sumner’s Garifuna heritage remained central to her identity as she noticed a lack of access to Garifuna cuisine in New York. She began researching Garifuna cookbooks to make her beloved dishes WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM 45

at home. Although she came across several, she noticed many did not properly note cooking methods or provide photographs.

“My first job in Houston was translating cookbooks from Spanish to English, so I am a huge advocate of them,” says Sumner.

“I wanted to create a cookbook that appeals to Garifuna descendants and people who are unfamiliar with Garifuna cuisine.”

From Dream to Reality

A Journey Back Home Recognizing the need to preserve and promote Garifuna cuisine, Sumner used her own money to allocate a budget for traveling back to Honduras to learn recipes from skilled cooks by supplying them with all the necessary ingredients.

In 2013, she journeyed back to her home village, along with her mother, to conduct research for her cookbook. After numerous interviews with Honduran elders and spending countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with flavors and techniques, the author in the making meticulously documented the recipes. Three years later, she returned to Honduras again and was overwhelmed by the number of people across various villages offering recipe contributions. “They were so enthusiastic about it and believed so much in my project,” says Sumner. “Each trip to Honduras allowed me to rediscover my own culture.”

While in Honduras, Sumner was able to once again enjoy Garifuna native music and dance, both called punta. The punta dance is characterized by energetic movements, hip gyrations and fast-paced footwork —all accompanied by the beat of drums and other percussion instruments.

“When you’re around Garifuna people, you’re going to dance, laugh and feast,” she jokes.

Sumner’s cookbook will feature notable Garifuna dishes such as hudutu (fish stew with mashed plantains), darasa (grated green banana tamale with coconut milk) and other recipes reflecting African culinary influences. The book will also offer vegetarian and vegan options to accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences.

Mashed Taro with Fish & Coconut Gravy Stew

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Additional sections of the book will delve into the cultural significance of specific dishes, sharing personal anecdotes, illustrations, and tips for creating an authentic Garifuna dining experience. If readers are able to embrace the flavors of Garifuna cuisine, I know they will also embrace the stories and rich history.”

Sumner spent years searching for a book publisher that would appreciate everything Garifuna culture has to offer. While some prospective publishers questioned the success of a Garifuna cookbook, her faith in her hard work never wavered.

After receiving interest from the University of Texas, she signed a publishing deal with the institution and is scheduled to release her cookbook in the summer of 2024. In the meantime, Sumner is busy working on other ventures that align with what she refers to as Garifuna’s four big C’s: Coconut, Cassava, Community and Continuity.

One of her latest endeavors is selling savory and sweet spice blends commonly used in Garifuna cuisine.

“My dream has always been to publish my cookbook, open a Garifuna restaurant and package my native foods and spices,” she says.

Sumner continues to run her catering company, Weiga, which is contracted by the New York City government for Garifuna outreach events.

She also works as a community organizer for Faith in New York, an organization working to influence equitable policies and systems for New York residents.

Sumner feels now is primetime to manifest her goal of promoting Garifuna cuisine to a mainstream audience. Through her upcoming cookbook, public speaking engagements and other food activism initiatives, she is determined to continue emphasizing the correlation between food and cultural identity.

To purchase spices and sign up for Sumner’s cookbook notifications, visit weigaletseat.com and follow @weigaletseat on Instagram. You can also go online to cuisinenoirmag.com to try making Sumner’s recipe for Wahú Lau Udurou Falumon or Mashed Taro with Fish & Coconut Gravy Stew.

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CAN A SANDWICH CRAFTED WITH DELECTABLY ROASTED CUTS MAKE YOUR TASTE BUDS QUAKE WITH YEARNING?

48 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2023/2024

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