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Title details for My Everyday Lagos by Yewande Komolafe - Available

My Everyday Lagos

Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora [A Cookbook]

by Yewande Komolafe
ebook
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JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE • An acclaimed food writer and cook celebrates the many cuisines found in Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city, with 75 recipes that mirror her own powerful journey of self-discovery.
A BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Food Network, The Boston Globe, Good Housekeeping, Epicurious, Delish
The city of Lagos, Nigeria, is a key part of a larger conversation about West African cuisine and its influences throughout the world. My Everyday Lagos consists of 75 dishes that are all served in recipe developer and food stylist Yewande Komolafe's fast-paced, ever-changing home city of Lagos. These recipes reflect the regional cooking of the country and reveal two complementary qualities of Nigerian cuisine—its singularity and accessibility. Along the way, through informative essays that place ingredients in historical context, Yewande explains how in a country where dozens of ethnic groups interact, a cuisine has developed that transcends tribal boundaries.
Yewande's personal narrative is woven throughout the book and cautions against being burdened by notions of authenticity. To those in the African diaspora, this book highlights food that may have been adapted and integrated into the cuisines of the places they live. The bukas of London, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, and Newark all have their unique vision of Nigeria and are reflected in their food. The recipes, including classics like Jollof Rice, Puff Puff, and Groundnut Stew, are a starting point for the home cook, allowing them to trust the ingredients and achieve the variety of textures and flavors Nigerian food is known for. Beautiful photographs of the city and its people invite readers into the energy and pulse of Lagos, while the food photography entices them to make each and every dish in the book.
This stunning cookbook is Yewande Komolafe's in-depth exploration of a cuisine as well as the definitive book on Lagos cuisine that reveals the nuances of regions and peoples, diaspora and return—but also tells her own story of gathering the scattered pieces of herself through understanding her home country and food.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 24, 2023

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781984858948

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781984858948
      • File size: 127193 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      October 1, 2023

      In her first cookbook, New York Times Cooking contributor, chef, and recipe creator Komolafe shares her food memories and the culinary traditions of her childhood home of Lagos, Nigeria. She begins by walking readers through the core ingredients of Nigerian cooking and why they are essential for success. Next, she highlights basic techniques like fermentation and dry-roasting that transform core ingredients into the flavormakers that cooks will revisit in recipes throughout the book. Recipes cover street food as well as large meals and are a good introduction to Lagos's cuisine and distinctive philosophy around cooking and eating. Readers will enjoy reading about customs like buka, local ingredients, and the tips and tricks Komolafe uses to re-create recipes and memories when she is far from home. The page design is playful and features illustrations by Diana Ejaita, who is also from the Nigerian diaspora. For some readers, this will be a nostalgic journey through food, while for others this will be an exploration of culture; it will be tasty and satisfying for everyone. VERDICT This cookbook is a must for libraries that support a Nigerian community and for those with cooks and readers who enjoy exploring global cuisine and a chef's personal journey.--Sarah Tansley

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 16, 2023
      Komolafe, founder of the Four Salt Spoons recipe development lab, who moved to the United States as a student in the 1990s, brings her home city of Lagos vividly to life in this gorgeous debut blend of recipes and recollections. A moving introduction about the importance of food to the author touches on her brother’s death from sickle cell anemia and her time as an undocumented immigrant in America. A no-nonsense overview introduces key ingredients that may be unfamiliar to Western readers, such as dried crayfish and manshanu (clarified milk fat), then segues into an exploration of the funky, bold cuisine of Nigeria. Recipes include street food staples such as yam fritters and favorites from bukas (small casual restaurants) like one-pot chicken and rice and the “viscous” ogbono soup, which has an unusually elastic texture. A bone-in goat leg braised in a spicy sauce is among the more time-consuming dishes for weekends and holidays. While desserts are not heavily featured on the Nigerian table, Komolafe offers pithy recipes for sweets such as chuk chuk coconut candies and kanjika, a pudding made with fermented cornstarch. A chapter on refreshing drinks rounds things out. This heartfelt and fascinating collection is an outstanding example of a cookbook that is so much more than mere recipes.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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