Kwanzaa Culinarians
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Faith in Transition and a Dominican Mangú Recipe
January 1. We made it to see this day. It’s that pivotal date when all things new are embraced and our efforts at finding that balance which optimizes our lives are keen. There’s so much to be said for the moments that shaped the previous year. We all experienced happy moments, sad times, anxious thoughts, … Continue reading
Featured Stories
By Toni Tipton Martin: On Christmas Eve 2011, NPR’s Morning Edition shared a sample of the 2,368 minutes of messages received on the Hidden Kitchens’ listener phone line over the preceding six months — stories that spoke not only of the phenomenal ability of food to bring people together for fellowship, but as a mysterious, … Continue reading
By Shannon Mustipher Kuumba is one of my favorite Kwanzaa principles, because all of us have creative potential at our disposal to positively affect our situation and that of those we encounter, regardless of our age, financial situation or educational status. Creativity is our birthright, and anyone can choose to tap into it: be it … Continue reading
As we prepare to enter 2013, Kwanzaa principles ask us to reflect on the past, honoring our ancestors and thanking them for their wisdom, strength, and courage. 2012 — the so-called apocalyptic year, according to the now infamous Mayan calendar — has come and went with any incandescent, supernatural event, but, in my heart, I … Continue reading
By Halona Black In 2012, I realized a long-held dream of facilitating series of cooking classes for Gyouth and adults. I must say that I love it! As a Culinary Nutritionist and health blogger, it is gratifying to move from behind my computer and into a real life kitchen where good health truly begins. There … Continue reading
By Steven “Konata” Allwood There was a moment in episode 12 of Top Chef Season 8 (Top Chef: All Stars) that I’m sure went unnoticed by the vast majority of viewers. In this episode, the chefs travelled to Ellis Island where they were provided with genealogical research on their respective families, and tasked to create … Continue reading
I grew up eating good old Southern food. Fried foods, decadent desserts, fattening casseroles–you know the foods that just make you lose control. When I revamped my diet many years ago, I decided to give up most of those family favorites except on holidays and special occasions. So when I visit my grandma, Pearl, I … Continue reading
Selena Cuffe, President and CEO of Heritage Link Brands, is a woman of purpose. Passionate about advancing positive images of Africa and determined to provide a legacy for her family, she has built a wine importing and brand management company that does what its name suggests: link U.S. wine consumers to the heritage of Africa … Continue reading
Twas the eve of Kwanzaa, and all through our house, we will rest in peace after unwrapping Christmas gifts with glee. This year, my household of two starts a new tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa. Our Christmas tree is brought mere days from the 25th. I want it to stay fresh into the New Year when … Continue reading
Coming from someone who co-owns a catering business, Meat-me-at-the-Grill with her husband, the term “Meatless Monday” in the food blog world sounds sacrilegious. I love meat. All kinds of Meat, but I do agree, we all need to give our body a rest from Meat at least once a week. As a matter of fact, … Continue reading
Modern grandmas are kinda funny to me. Many of them spend endless hours trying to come up with a clever name for the new grandchild to call them. They ask their spouses, friends, coworkers–and even the new parents themselves for their opinion on what “grandma” should be called. What about Nana, Me-ma, or Granny? Uh, how about… … Continue reading
As I begin to explore the principles of Kwanzaa as an inspiration for a recipe, I was most inspired by the principle of Kuumba. There are a few different translations, but the one that struck me the most was “make use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.” My … Continue reading
Not a holiday goes by in my family without macaroni and cheese gracing the table. I literally do not remember life with no macaroni and cheese in it! I bet some relative has a black and white picture of me in a high chair eating macaroni and cheese with my fingers. It does not matter … Continue reading
The Kwanzaa Principle Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) means Creativity. Celebration on December 31st seems quite fitting, because New Year’s Eve is when we think about what we did the past 365 days. Or 366 days, with 2012 being a Leap Year. On that day, which teeters between the old and new, we can dream about what we … Continue reading
My maternal grandmother, Mrs. Earcie Bodiford Ginwright, a life-long Alabamian, taught me more about African values than my African study and Swahili language classes taught me. I moved from Alabama to Washington D.C. nearly 30 years ago to work and to learn more about African and Pan-African culture, only to realize that much of my … Continue reading
As a caterer, I never set out to be known, defined, or limited as a female black owned business. The other day the wife of a European dignitary who hired me for a sit down dinner party, explained that was part of the appeal in hiring me, besides my food. She liked what she saw, … Continue reading
African Americans have poor health outcomes on nearly every disease index; we’re either at higher risk for developing an illness or we die from it in greater numbers. While access to health insurance and socioeconomic status play a significant part in these health disparities, we often lack awareness about a lot of preventive steps we … Continue reading
Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. Nia. Purpose. I have, for a very long time, struggled to find meaning in that word. Purpose. Even as I write it, I find it funny that I decided to choose … Continue reading
To create for ourselves is one of the most important concepts that I take away from Kwanzaa. I strongly believe that we as a people should be growing, producing and cooking our own food. It is better for our health, better for our pocketbooks, and cooking is a skill that we can use to create … Continue reading
From an early age, I was deeply immersed in the culture and celebration of Kwanzaa. I used to perform in a children’s dance company called New Life, which was rooted in the ministry of spiritual liturgical dance. Every year, the company would perform at a renowned church in Chicago’s Kwanzaa event. I adored dancing at … Continue reading
It was the Senegambians who were brought in to grow cotton, tobacco, rice and other grains and corn. They were also expert fishermen, blacksmiths, woodworkers and hunters. Having a legendary reputation for cooking, it was Senegambian women who were often picked to be the Big House cooks. The legacy of these women was not only … Continue reading
Thank the Native American tribes located in Southern United States for introducing early American settlers to grits, a common breakfast made from corn. Eventually, descendants of African slaves would turn grits into one of the great Southern dishes. Today, instant grits are easier to find then the better tasting stone-ground version. In recent years, there’s … Continue reading
As a kid, I remember having to learn the meaning of things through association with other similar things. It was a fun way to learn and is actually quite an effective way to retain knowledge! This has brought about my writing this article to help readers gain a good understanding of what foufou is, how … Continue reading
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I am—well, I guess—I was the grinch. But, not in the obvious ways, and quite honestly this realization came to me as I was walking around my neighborhood looking for a Christmas Tree. I just do not get why I have to express my love to my … Continue reading
Those of us who celebrate Kwanzaa face a lot of ribbing, good natured and otherwise, often questioning the authenticity and meaning of the holiday. As they say in Nigeria, “Let dem say!” We know that Kwanzaa is an amazing opportunity to get our community engaged and informed about our connections as people of African descent … Continue reading
As I sit to write this, my mind is buzzing with thoughts from the excitement of the day. I am dying to share them with you. But I pause. Something is missing. I get up and head to the kitchen. Why are you not surprised? After all, Kwanzaa Culinarians is all about food! I turn … Continue reading
Baking is a precise art. It’s about measurements, precise temperatures and timing. If any of these are the slightest bit off, your prize winning recipe can become a disaster. No one enjoys the dreaded sunken middle or the “burnt edges-raw insides” catastrophe and let us not forget the egg shell that found its way into … Continue reading
Having been born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Kwanzaa is not a celebration I know much about. As I learn about the related principles and practices, I reflect on how they relate to my experience—in Kenya, Tanzania and more recently in the US and UK, and how food is entwined with creativity and identity, and … Continue reading
The principle of Ujamaa-Cooperative economics, to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and profit from them together, is one that has been ever present in my thoughts and in my search to convert thoughts to actions I have begun the journey in earnest. A while back, a few years, there were … Continue reading
Life is all about community. If you were touched by something someone said or did for you and you haven’t done it yet… stop. Stop right now and let them know. I first met Sanura (one of the cofounders of KwanzaaCulinarians.com) when we were two of the few black students in our Communications Design Master’s … Continue reading
We face neither East nor West; we face Forward. by Kwame Nkrumah Kujichagulia (pron: koo-jee-chah-GOO-lee-ah) is the guiding principle of the second day of Kwanzaa. Defined as self-determination, it affirms the need and right of each individual to speak, name, and define their unique dreams, goals and personhood. According to the Nguzo Saba (the official … Continue reading
This article is republished with the author’s, Albert Phillips, permission. It was originally posted here. As we slowly ease off the uneasy stomachs caused by Thanksgiving and the overdrawn bank accounts caused by Black Friday, there’s another significant celebration of culture and history all black Americans should be looking forward to. Started by author, activist, and … Continue reading
Have you read...
- The celebration of Kwanzaa has been an important tradition in my family for several years. In this article, I will discuss its historical development in my own family and why I believe it to be a significant milestone in the reclamation and restoration of African and African American history and culture. My wife and I moved to Freeport, New York soon after we were married. It was in this integrated community where our two sons, Steven and Mark, spent their early years. Although they got along well with their white friends, we knew the day was soon coming when we had to prepare them for entrance into a society that does not always treat black boys with kindness and fairness. It was during this period that I began to look for a vehicle for exposing them to the richness of African and African American history and culture. (more…)
- Many people look at the New Year as a time for reflection; I choose to do this in celebration of Kwanzaa. Time for me to take a look at Spiritual Principles and examine my achievements and that, which requires improvement. Taking some quiet time with a pot of tea and some inspirational reading this, most importantly, sets the stage for reflection. I sit quietly pondering the words between sips of tea contemplating the principles: (more…)
- Kujichagulia: Self-Determination, Speaking for yourself and making choices that benefit the community At the farmers market, it’s not unusual for a customer to pick up a vegetable and ask, “What do you do with this?” For the times that I’ve been in earshot, the item in question is a leafy green like kale or a root vegetable like celeriac. Most times, it’s another customer, or me, who will chime in and run off a laundry list of ways to cook that one thing, both inspiring and overwhelming the newbie. My favorite question to answer, and also the one I’m most bothered by, is what to do with collard greens. Living in NYC, I expect most Northern U.S. or foreign-born residents to be clueless when it comes to this broad-leafed, Vitamin K-rich Brassica, but I am always dismayed when I hear a U.S. American of African descent express unfamiliarity or a negative association with its traditional Southern U.S.-style of preparation, especially those of Southern heritage. (more…)
- In the creative spirit of Kuumba, here’s a recipe demonstrating good comfort food doesn’t always take hours of preparation and cooking. This Smoked Paprika Pasta with Stir-Fry Harissa Collard Greens is a fresh food fast dish. It’s a blend of North African spices, savory thick pasta and collard greens simply stir-fried until bright green. Often, collard greens are pre-cut into slender lengths and sealed in a plastic bag to use as needed throughout a busy week. In this recipe, the pasta is homemade and frozen ahead of time. However, dried fettuccine or pappardelle pasta is a timesaving substitute. The process from prepping to serving this creative and fast dish is less than 15 minutes. Instead of giving in to the temptation of fast food restaurants that don’t benefit the health of our community, try this fresh food fast recipe for a savory satisfaction. (more…)
- Written by Walker Tisdale III of HealthyBlackMen.org, the Number One Source for Healthy Black Men I recall my very first Kwanzaa celebration and ironically it was as an undergraduate student at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. Several other African American students and I were staying on campus for the holidays and decided to get together for a pot luck dinner. The truth is money was so tight for me back then, I couldn’t afford to make the trip home and back, let alone to buy presents for family and friends. It was a hard time financially and emotionally. (more…)
- When I first started blogging about food, I immediately discovered an informative culinary website focusing on African-Americans with a passion for food. CuisineNoirMag.com is one of my favorite food sites for learning about up and coming chefs, food trends, wine and recipes. Recently, CuisineNoirMag.com published their premier print issue, which is still on sale. Sheree Williams, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chef graciously answered a few questions and discuss how her publication will honor Kwanzaa. (more…)
- This is the first year I’m personally honoring Kwanzaa in my household. In years past, I was invited to a friend or neighbor’s celebration. Our household’s first year of recognizing Kwanzaa will be a simple act. Seven candles, representing Nguzo Saba, or principles--Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani--will line our table. If time permits, I will make a special meal to further discuss and think about the daily principle. A thoughtful holiday requiring no fancy gifts and decorations, Kwanzaa’s timing is quite appropriate after weeks of extravagant giving. It’s a joyful period of reflective thought about our cultural past, present and future in the coming new year. Within the occasion, we think about our community, friends, family, and ourselves. Basically, it’s a time to think about what is truly important in life. (more…)
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