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HELLO, WORLD! THE GCI NEWSLETTER Issue #4

Hello, World! The GCI Newsletter

PROGRAM PLANNING IDEAS FROM THE GLOBAL CULINARY INITIATIVE COMMITTEE OCTOBER 2015

Africa in the World The GCI Issue By The Global Culinary Initiative Committee  Los Angeles: The North African taco looks like this: Algerian flavors As we head to Charleston for Les Dames star in her own right with her first wrapped in the embrace of d’Escoffier’ s Annual Conference, the Global , “A Real Southern Cook: In Mexico’s national . Culinary Initiative is shining a spotlight on her Savannah ,” a book about  London: The city’s scene contributions from the continent of Africa to her culinary roots and the culture that includes a new wave of African today’s global culinary scene. shaped her . , with Ghanaian food about  Reminiscences from Valerie Erwin, the to make its mark. Our issue ties into the October 30 Session #3, -owner of Geechee Girl Cafe in  Paris: The best in Paris might African Influence in . Philadelphia (now closed) describes her not be French! With more African Dames will learn about the unique culture of affinity for food from the Lowcountry. immigrants and entrepreneurs, the /Geechee people. Descendants of  Consider healthier and take a restaurants and food trucks that slaves from West and , they peek at the food exhibition planned for specialize in regional African maintained many of their African food the new African American Museum cuisine are popping up. traditions and their history, providing a opening in 2016 in Washington, D.C.  California: Top California chefs are foundation for understanding the food working with African . traditions of Charleston and the Lowcountry. African Nutrition  EU: The EU collaborated with  Africa’s super go well partners in Benin, Cameroon, Our compilation of links in this issue is not beyond greens and yams. Many Egypt, Madagascar, Senegal, meant to be exhaustive, but represents some are richer in , and other Ghana and South Africa to fund the interesting related stories and insights. nutrients than Africa’s non-native crops. AFTER Project, a program to enhance the processing of 10 The American South  What we can learn from ’s traditional and drinks from  An Illustrated History of Soul Food, eating habits is featured in this story. Africa for EU countries. written by James Beard Award-winning  There are ten African super foods that  New York: Chef Pierre Thiam talks author and noted soul-food scholar you should be eating right now. to NPR about his cookbook, Adrian Miller, provides an excellent  Gluten-free teff from Ethiopia and Senegal: Modern Senegalese overview from slavery to today’s new Eritrea has been named a Grain of the Recipes from the Source to the Bowl. culinary directions. Month for November by Oldways Whole  Italy: Kenya is one of about 25 Grains Council.  Dora Charles, 61, a descendant of African countries participating in sharecroppers and slaves, cooked for  Download the West African food Expo Milano 2015. Paula Deen for 22 years. She is now a composition table.

HELLO, WORLD! THE GCI NEWSLETTER | Issue #4 2

GCI Hosts a Conference Session Program Ideas African Trends  Take note of 5 African food bloggers you To learn more about African contributions to Here are some ways to use the content of need to follow now to keep up with the American Lowcountry cuisine, be sure to this issue to develop GCI programs. latest trends in . From the attend the GCI breakout session, Session #3, historical to the trendy, they’re at the LDEI Conference in Charleston on  Work with Dames in your chapter who documenting the continent’s . Friday, October 30. are steeped in African culinary heritage  10 African trends for 2015 examine the to prepare an African-inspired program. consumer landscape. Among the trends: To learn more about our speakers, visit: It could be historical, tracing the roots of Africans promote their cultural identity, the continent’s influence in cuisine; or  intra-continental tourism explodes, and Jonathan Green Studios, home page of inspirational, looking at how African there’s an attitude of eco-reverence. the artist Jonathan Green and his work cooking can stimulate innovation.    15 of Africa’s favorite dishes: specialties ChefFarmer Matthew Raiford, website Invite a food historian to talk about how for his remarkable Gilliard Farms African crops like groundnuts (peanuts), are from Mozambique, Nigeria, , Malawi, Namibia, Angola,  Chef Kevin Mitchell’s Facebook page fed to slaves on ships during the Middle Zanzibar, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco. Passage to the Americas, became a part of the foodways of the countries where  Do you know these South African the slaves landed. foods? They’re trending in the UK:  bobotie (a dish of spiced ground meat) As the rest of the world has been and melktert (a custard tart). influenced by the food and cooking of Africa, Africa has been influenced by the  No need for Ghanaians to be homesick food and cooking of other cultures. for their native cuisine; the availability Invite an expert to speak about how of ingredients from Ghana has become various cultures have influenced cuisine widespread around the globe. in African countries.  South African wine is known worldwide,  Follow the blog of one or all of the but other African nations are producing African bloggers featured in this issue fine wines, too. (African Trends) and discuss, as you  African heritage cuisine is predicted to might in a book club. Communicate go mainstream with chefs like Marcus with the bloggers through their blog Samuelsson, who leads an African sites or use technology to arrange an fusion trend, and food historian Jessica interview. B. Harris shining the spotlight.  Experiment with African spices, ordered

online or locally. Create a chefs’ For Further Study challenge for best use of the spices.  Start an international culinary book Books recommended to Dames by soul food club. Read a cookbook by an African scholar Adrian Miller: cookbook author or an author writing  Carney, Judith A. and Richard Nicholas about African culinary influences in your Rosomoff, In the Shadow of Slavery: Geechee sweetgrass basket maker, own country. Cook some of the recipes Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic Charleston City Market and discuss the book. World, University of California Press,  Visit a restaurant specializing in soul 2009. Newsletter Credits food or other styles of cooking that have  Harris, Jessica B., Beyond : Creole been influenced by Africa. Ask the Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim, The GCI Committee members are Sandy Hu proprietor or chef to talk to the group. Simon and Schuster, 2003. (San Francisco, Chair), Roberta Duyff (St.  Research African vegetables and invite Louis), Rachel Gaffney (Dallas) and Susan  Harris, Jessica B., Same Boat, Different an expert to discuss selection, storage Fuller Slack (Charleston). Stops: An African Atlantic Culinary and preparation. Journey, 2001.  Visit the African art section of your local Cover art for this issue: Lowcountry Blue museum and arrange a private tour with  Walker, Sheila S. (editor), African Roots / House, from the collection, UNENSLAVED: a docent to educate your group. Get American Cultures: Africa in the Rice Culture Paintings by Jonathan Green. steeped in African art and culture. Creation of the Americas, Rowman & Used with permission. Page 2 photo:  Hold a wine tasting of African wines Littlefield Publishers, 2001, pp. 169-182. Geechee sweetgrass basket maker by Susan with a wine expert who can discuss the

Fuller Slack. terroir of each country and each region, Books recommended by GCI: as well as any specific characteristics of  Cross, Wilbur, Gullah Culture in America, the particular wines. John F. Blair Publishers, 2012, pp. 197-  Plan a nutrition session on African foods 211. and cooking with a dietitian Dame.  Snyman, Lannice and Sawa, Andrzej, Discuss the specific foods, the styles of Rainbow Cuisine: A Culinary Journey cooking and the ways of eating that through South Africa, Konemann, 2000. make healthy.