Cookbook Club: AfriCali

Love to eat? Love to cook? Join us for a monthly cookbook feast! Each month, the group picks recipes from a single book. Each participant chooses a recipe from the book and prepares it for the group's meeting. At our meeting, we eat the dishes we've all prepared and talk about what inspired us to make them.

In December, we're cooking from AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni (A Cookbook) by Kiano Moju.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Saveur, Food & Wine, Los Angeles Times, and Food Network

Turn readily available ingredients and pantry staples into easy yet flavorful weeknight meals and dinner party dishes that celebrate a unique fusion of Nigerian, Kenyan, and Californian cuisines. From jollof rice and Swahili chicken biriyani to spice blends and peri-peri recipes, discover the best of African flavors and Cali flair—without ever leaving your kitchen.

Kiano Moju was born to a Kenyan mother and a Nigerian father and raised in California. While she spent her summer breaks in Kenya, her home in the states during the school year held African house parties where Nigerian jollof rice, moin moin (steamed bean cakes), roasted chicken legs, and plantains were a common part of life. On weekends and special occasions, they would make Kenyan dishes like samosas, sauteed collard greens, barbecued meat, and other favorites from her childhood including Ethiopian and Eritrean recipes. As Kiano says, “Californian cuisine embraces the flavors of its immigrant communities while celebrating the state’s agriculture and the flavors of fresh produce,” and that’s the concept behind her cooking.

AfriCali is not a traditional cookbook, but rather one inspired by the delicious meals Kiano has experienced in life. The recipes are unfussy but dedicated to flavor. (via Simon & Schuster)

The Cookbook Club meets in the Community Room at the South Burlington Public Library on the first Tuesday of the month. Copies of the book will be available for browsing recipes at South Burlington Public Library for a month leading up to the meeting. To attend, let us know what you plan to cook by signing up at the Circulation Desk or by emailing sbplprograms@SouthBurlingtonVT.gov.

Limited dishware will be available. Please attempt to bring your own plates, silverware, and serving utensils. A space to wash them will be provided.