"The filling of this main dish is delicious with bell peppers but will work with zucchini, cabbage leaves, grape leaves, or small eggplant as well. To make a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add an additional ½ cup rice."—

Fil Fil Mahshi by Hawa Hassan

Simple ingredients soar in this quick, anytime meal. Pairing crunchy, juicy, raw snap peas with the deeper flavor of cooked ones is easy enough, and a perfect foil to the powerful, salty funk of miso mustard. Cook the snap peas until they soften and brown in places, then just kiss them to the pan on the second side, so that they remain bright green and don’t overcook. Add the briny sweetness of scallops, and you have a surprisingly dynamic dish.  While diver scallops are the freshest and most responsibly sourced, they also come at a premium. Feel free to scale down the quantity and serve the dish alongside rice, or slather some miso mustard onto toast and pile everything else on top. 

Scallops & Sugar Snap Peas With Miso Mustard 

When spring produce starts to appear in beckoning piles at the market, I seize the chance to feature their bright flavors in simple, delectable dishes. Like this one with spring onions and meaty mushrooms. Cooking the mushrooms first ensures burnished, caramelized surfaces—perfect for catching the cream sauce. With the pan already hot, rendering spring onions soft and collapsed is a cinch, and they become irresistibly sweet through the process. With spring onions’ larger bulb end, it is helpful to halve the bulbs lengthwise for even cooking. If you can’t find spring onions, scallions substitute nicely, and cook even faster. Whichever ingredient you use, this creamy dish is perfect eaten as is, piled onto toast, or tossed with pasta.

Creamed King Trumpet Mushrooms & Spring Onions

I have a deep love of condiments. Mustard obviously. Mayo controversially. Ketchup has its place. While the word "condiment" evokes the line of bottles on the counter of a hot dog cart, the world of condiments is broad. I find condiments moving in and out of my life depending on the season—winter relishes of parsley, lemon, and pine nuts replaces summer basil pesto, for example. Then there are those who stick around all year. My current favorite is harissa, the deeply flavorful, often spicy, pepper relish originating in North Africa. It adds a spicy-sweet richness to just about anything from boiled rice, grilled fish, and roasted vegetables. It loves to be paired with a cooling slick of yogurt or tahini.
 
The recipe below will make more harissa than any one sandwich can absorb, but that’s on purpose. There’s no real point in making a single serving of harissa. It takes a bit of time, and it stores beautifully, so make a big batch and store in your fridge indefinitely. I tend to leave mine out on the counter and haven’t died yet, but per health regulations, one should store it in the fridge. Like everything in this world, you’ll have to assess the amount of risk you’re willing to take on and balance it against the ease of not having to walk to the refrigerator.
 
These sandwiches are good hot, the eggplant having just jumped from the pan to the bread, or room temperature, made and wrapped up to bring to the beach or on a picnic. They even last until the next day, though I would refrigerate them in that case. Remember that refrigerated bread always tastes mediocre at best, so allow to come back to room temperature before eating.
 
I’ve left cheese off this sandwich because I like it without it, but I also like it with a thick slab of fresh mozzarella or a schmear of goat cheese. If you have some on hand, add it if it sounds good. Don’t make a special trip to the store.

Eggplant-Harissa Sandwiches With Tahini

Callaloo, a native West African dish, came to the Caribbean during the triangular slave trade along the Middle Passage. Its key ingredient—the heart-shaped leaves of the taro plant, from the 

 genus—continues to exert unparalleled influence on the Caribbean diet. It forever connects the region to the reach and realities of slavery, centuries later. Sometimes a stew, sometimes a soup, callaloo is an ode to the masterful and resourceful way that enslaved Africans repurposed indigenous plant life and accessible aromatics into a deeply nourishing staple. The process of making it exudes a simplicity that defined slave cooking: quick and straightforward, with little margin for indulgence. Even today, in callaloo’s postcolonial adaptation—where ingredients like fresh crab and chopped pumpkin sometimes bulk up the dish’s vegetal base—its minimalist preparation persists.

Callaloo

Naomi Duguid's Burma has an intriguing and delicious recipe for Aromatic Chicken from the Shan Hills. She chops a whole chicken into “small pieces,” quickly stir fries the pieces, adds aromatics, and stir fries a bit more before simmering to finish. It is a great weeknight meal -- one pot and quick-cooking. 

While I love southeast Asian flavors, I also love to experiment. I figured as long as the skeleton of the recipe (chicken, tomatoes, onion, and garlic) remained intact, it would be perfect for taking to another part of the world.  My mind headed to northern Africa, so I swapped the ginger, lemongrass, and turmeric for cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves.  With harissa for heat and pomegranate molasses for tang, the dish came together nicely.  Remaining true to its inspiration, it is quick and flavorful. Served over couscous, it makes a very satisfying weeknight main dish that is tasty enough to serve to guests.

Tunisian Chicken by Way of Burma

Growing up in the Republic of Congo, many street vendors would sell these super crunchy sugar coated peanuts. They used to be one of my favorite treats as I child.

When my family moved to Canada, I was always looking for these in grocery stores, but the only sugar coated peanuts I would find were those bright red candied peanuts with the super glossy coating. 

It is almost two decades later, as I became more comfortable in the kitchen, that I figured I could make my childhood peanuts myself. 

The recipe is quite straightforward, but it also requires your attention and sense of observation! The key to achieving the ultimate sugar coated peanuts is in how long you cook the sugar mixture. You don’t want to stop too early or your sugar coating will not set and you don’t want to cook it too long or you will end up with a shiny smooth coating (which is not bad, but trust me you will love the crunchy coating better!). 

This recipe calls for raw unsalted peanuts because I personally prefer seasoning and roasting my peanuts myself, but if you cannot find raw peanuts or if you would rather skip the step of roasting the peanuts, you can use store bought roasted peanuts, as long as they are not flavored.

What I also love about this recipe is how versatile and customizable it is. You can truly make it your own with different flavor boosters. In this recipe, I stuck with the very conventional vanilla extract and salt, but you can easily add a punch to these sugar coated peanuts by adding cayenne pepper for a bit of heat, chili powder for some smokiness or even pumpkin pie spice if you want these peanuts to taste a little bit like the fall. The possibilities are truly endless! 


Vanilla Sugar-Coated Peanuts

The first time I had North African merguez sausage was in the south of France when I was 18. (The Maghreb region where the sausage originated isn’t so far from France’s southernmost coast, after all.) Every snack stand I passed had Merguez Frites (sausage and fries) on the menu, and after much cajoling—okay, not that much—my mom bought me one. I still remember that first bite: rich, succulent lamb laced with smoky, fiery harissa and warming spices like cumin, coriander, and fennel.

Years later, I still dream about that bite. These sandwiches are my vegetarian ode to those merguez sausages. Here, plant-based meat stands in for the lamb, while the seasonings remain pretty traditional: harissa, cumin, coriander, fennel, smoked paprika, and the tiniest whisper of cinnamon. Paired with crunchy, vibrant carrot-herb slaw and a garlicky yogurt sauce on a toasted Arnold®, Brownberry®, or Oroweat® Hot Dog Bun, this might become a sandwich you dream about for years, too.

Meatless Merguez Sandwiches With Carrot & Herb Slaw

This Tunisian hearty lamb stew is made with potatoes in a gargoulette-type vessel, referred to as golla or kolla, that resembles a jug lying on its side. You can prepare it in a tightly-sealed cast-iron or heavy-based pot in the oven, or to save time, in a pressure cooker. Feel free to add a cup of drained, canned chickpeas, if you'd like. If you'd rather use beef than lamb, go for it. Ras-el-hanout is an essential North African spice mix available at spice stores and some delis. If you can’t find any, make a simple substitute with 1/3 teaspoon of each of these ground spices: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, fine black pepper, turmeric, plus one finely crushed cardamom pod. Featured In: 

The Tunisian Lamb Stew I First Tasted in the Desert, Recreated at Home

Tunisian Lamb Stew (Koucha)

Because Jollof Rice is Bae, and much loved South of the Sahara and along the coast of West Africa. 

, it is everything from "everyday" to celebration. The classic version is cooked with long-grain rice (Uncle Ben's/Carolina's) and seasoned with 

 and coleslaw, it is everything. Note that the world might consider this a side but in Nigeria, it is the main. :) 

Even more special is Party Rice, a smoky version, cooked over an open fire, layered with smoke, spice, and immeasurable goodness. A few years ago, I cracked the code on approximating the smoky flavor on the stovetop. The secret? Read on. Learning to make Jollof was a rite of passage for me and I've gone through so many iterations each time trying to streamline the process while delivering the most flavour. 

This makes a large pot but you can successfully halve this recipe 

If you're using thinner long grain rice like basmati rice or scented rice, use less stock - so 3 - 4 cups not 5 - 6; and less tomato sauce - say 1/2 - 2/3rds. Leave the tomato paste as is and slightly adjust the spices 

When you add the rice in Step 4, trust the process - leave it to steam without fretting. Trust me, it'll be fine 

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Sauteuse

Five Two Double-Sided Bamboo Cutting Board

Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice

"This rice dish is emblematic of all the recipes in this book—the story of the spice trade along the Indian Ocean, the story of Arab settlers in East Africa, and the story of inexpensive ingredients turned into something with so much flavor. Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of mainland Tanzania, is home to about a million people. It sits at the heart of the trade routes between East Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and the cooking in Zanzibar reflects this incredible mix of cultures. The name pilau, just like the term pilaf, derives from the Persian term polow, which is rice mixed with things like spices, nuts, and meat. This dish is also very similar to Bariis (Basmati Rice Pilaf with Raisins) but is made with coconut milk and without tomato or raisins. If you are vegan, feel free to substitute coconut oil or olive oil for the butter." Reprinted with permission from 

Zanzibar Pilau From Hawa Hassan With Julia Turshen

, by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls. "In cooking school, we were taught the five French “mother sauces” as defined by French cuisine. The foundational sauce to the Afro-Asian flavor profile is what we call 'the Mother Africa Sauce,' a riff on West African peanut sauce. You can pour it over a bowl of rice. You can dice up a sweet potato and mix it in as a stew. It tastes delicious with the meat of the chicken thigh crumbled into the mix. This sauce will keep for five days in the fridge and you can eat it every day, in a different way. It’s an easy back-pocket sauce that you can’t mess up. It’s both comfort food and comforting to cook. So give it a try." —JJ Johnson Featured In: 

A Spicy Peanut "Mother Sauce" From Harlem, Headed to Your Back Pocket

The Mother Africa (Peanut) Sauce

Moroccan-Style Roasted Beets, Carrots & Turnips

"Fit fit, broken pieces of flatbread cooked with fat and spices, is a typical dish throughout East Africa and is made with either Ethiopian-style injera (a flatbread made from fermented teff flour) or Eritrean kicha, like the one Ma Gehennet taught us how to make. It’s a wonderful way to use up leftover flatbread of any kind. You could even use leftover pita bread. The drier the bread, the more it soaks up the spices and butter. Serve with plain yogurt dolloped on top. This is wonderful for breakfast or as a snack." 

Kicha Fit Fit From Hawa Hassan With Julia Turshen

This is one of those quick and easy dishes that you can throw together in minutes and just let the spices and your oven do the work for you. When cooking with plantains, it’s important that you choose fruit that is fully ripe. Only cook with ones that are deep yellow all over with not even the tiniest hint of green and if they are starting to be dotted with black then that is even better! Serve with some cooked greens or a green salad on the side.


Jollof-Spiced Chicken with Baked Plantains

sunchoke cream • plantain powder • fennel fronds • olive oil • fleur de sel Yes, this is the recipe that I talked about in the intro. Pan-seared fennel alone is yummy, but mojo-inspired citrus and garlic-herb sauce, umami-rich plantain powder, delicate anise-flavored fennel fronds, rich sunchoke cream, and a drizzle of really good olive oil elevate this to a standout dish. While layered, this is a fairly simple dish to make. The key is preparing some of the components (i.e., the plantain powder and sunchoke cream) ahead of time so you don’t get bogged down making garnishes. Trust me, the payoff is BIG. If my persnickety five-year-old likes this dish, you will love it. Song: “Afro-Cu (Bembé)” by Mongo Santamaria from What Do You Mean 

Bryant Terry's Citrus & Garlic-Herb Braised Fennel

"Malawi is known as the 'warm heart of Africa' due to the friendliness of Malawian people. These cookies can be cut in the shape of hearts to commemorate the Malawian people." This recipe is adapted slightly from 

Mbatata (Sweet Potato Cookies)

This dish has a lovely combination of flavors -- saffron couscous is combined with cauliflower and fennel; bright herbs and olives; warmly-spiced fish; and a splash of tart lemon juice.  The fish marinade riffs on couscous' North African origins, using some of the ingredients often found in the Ras Al Hanout spice blend, along with garlic and lemon in an oil-based paste.  The savory-sweet combination compliments the slightly fusty edge in the couscous from the saffron and fennel.  Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients -- it'll just take a few minutes to rifle through your spice cabinet.  There are admittedly a few steps, but the result transforms some common ingredients into an exciting dish.  

Saffron-scented Vegetable Couscous with North African-spiced Halibut

This recipe is from The Jubilee Happy Cooker, published in 1987 by the Union of Jewish Women in Durban, South Africa. It came to me by way of my friend Stephen and his mother, Lesley.

The original recipes calls for a sauce made with 1 cup cream, 180 grams butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup hot water. I've reduced the amount of sauce by 25%, as I found my pudding couldn't absorb the full quantity. You might want to pour the sauce over the pudding in stages, reserving some in case your pudding absorbs it all (and so that you don't flood it with more than it can take in right off the bat). 

South African Malva Pudding

wilted arugula • pili pili oil • lemon juice Smoky roasted peppers provide a bright contrast to the delicate, buttery flavor of big lima beans in this dish. The pili pili oil adds the subtlest kick—you’ll notice it, but it doesn’t overpower. Peppery arugula adds freshness, and a squeeze of lemon brightens everything. I created this recipe for a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma in 2019. My family had a Father’s Day cookout with some friends (hi, Maisha, David, and Naya) that was shot by my buddy photographer Erin Scott, and Williams-Sonoma featured the images in their catalog, on their blog, and across their social media platforms. That was a meaningful partnership, since Father’s Day is my favorite holiday of the year. While I’m appreciative of gifts, Father’s Day is about expressing gratitude to my family for the love they show me every single day. When I was working on this book, I spent more than a year testing recipes and writing almost every weekend (and a lot of holidays). My wife and daughters supported me wholeheartedly throughout that process. On Father’s Day weekend, I celebrate them for the privilege of being a husband and Baba. Song: “Golden Lady” by Stevie Wonder from 

 and “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder from 

Bryant Terry's Warm Butter Bean Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers

These pork chops are perfect for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. They marinate for 1 hour, then take about 5 minutes to cook. The big flavors in the marinade are lime, dark brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. I love how these ingredients work together, creating a balance between the acidic lime, sweet sugar, and deeply savory dry spices.

Marinated Thin-Cut Pork Chops

Surely, any drink that has a double-barelled reference to men in one word is worth a closer look. Enter Chapman. 

I assure you that this refreshing cocktail (contrary to the suggestions above) is neither come and go (it is here for ALL seasons) nor unstable in its nature (consistent in how to make it and its great taste). So, I rapidly discard that definition and go for it in all its grace and strength – male and all. And very Nigerian too, think of it as the African version of Sangria.

It has soft drinks in the mix - don't let that put you off. If you got served a glass, you would be hard pressed to tell what it was made from!
TIPS? You could use fruit flavoured icecubes; Use Grenadine syrup or even Pomengranate syrup instead of the Blackcurrant cordial - the key thing is to get the ‘Chapman red’ colour; swap some or all of the Fanta and Sprite with Ginger ale or Bitter Lemon and swig some Campari into the mix. Finally, choose your garnish - mint leaves, cucumbers, citrus slices. I’ve read of people loving bananas in it. Personally, I’m a cucumber babe but you just might be a Pineapple kinda guy, who knows. Go with the flow and do rock the boat if you must. Expand your horizons and mine.



Nigerian Chapman aka African Sangria Cocktails

The idea of dessert on the grill is fascinating, especially if cake and what better to serve with than summer berries and a mixture of cream and lemon thyme curd. I love the combination of strawberries and lemon - I think they are a marriage made n heaven. Day old cake left at room temperature is best for this, as it is slightly drier and holds better. Note - if you can't grill the cake on coals/gas, use a heated, slightly oiled grill pan.Tips for baking the cake? Measure out the oil first before the yogurt - its easier and ensures you get your full measure; the sprinkled light brown sugar bakes crisp and gives a nice crunchy topping, as does the sprinkling of almond meal round the tin. To slice the cake, use a sharp knife, not a serated one or table knife - this leaves a smooth, finer face on the cake. Grilling the cake gives it a nice crunchy exterior and a soft interior, not to mention a nice smokiness that goes well with the cherries which soften, sweeten and become juicier. This is great use for left over cake.... - Kitchen Butterfly

Grilled Lemon cake with strawberries and lemon thyme cream

This Smoky, Citrusy Grilled Bass Is an Homage to My Great-Aunt's Jerk Seasoning

 Jerk dishes take me back, way back. First to my great-aunt, whose cooking connects me to the West Indies every time I get a taste of pork or chicken that's been dry rubbed with that island mix. The irony is that as a kid, growing up in a family that hailed from Barbados and Puerto Rico, I didn't really like island food. I wanted to eat American food like meat loaf and spaghetti. But once I became a chef, I fell in love with all the flavors I grew up with. This is basically my homage to my aunt's recipe. All I've done here is add citrus to it to brighten up the flavors.

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