In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers From the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean

This is an important remedy for the scant coverage of East African cooking in English-language books. With separate chapters on Eritriea, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, and Comoros, it reveals rich traditions and cultural legacies shaped by trade around and across the Indian Ocean.

The bibis, or grandmothers, whose stories and recipes make up this book, have chosen to share the dishes that they feel reflect their culture as well as their own personal cooking. Some of the women are expatriates and others live in the towns where they were born. Their recipes are as varied as the thousands of miles of coastline in the region, but they share some common themes through history and geography.

You'll see influences from the Arab world, Persia, India, and European colonial powers, all of them interpreted through local ingredients and traditions. Fit fit, made through much of the region, mixes torn, dried flatbread with spiced butter and yogurt. Mukimo from Kenya, mashes split peas, potatoes, and corn or hominy. For mbowa from Mozambique, cooks stew dark leafy greens in coconut milk. And from Comoros come sweet vermicelli noodles with cardamom and butter. This is an entrancing and enlightening book which we are delighted to offer.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.