Saka Saka: South of the Sahara - Adventures in African Cooking

by Anto Cocagne, Aline Princet (Photographer)

Overview

Chef Anto Cocagne and Photographer Aline Princet take us on a unique food journey and introduce us to the best recipes from Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Ethiopia.

Chef Anto Cocagne and Photographer Aline Princet take us on a unique food journey and introduce us to the best recipes from Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Ethiopia. We will discover the main characteristics of these cuisines, the specialties of each region, the produce, the ideal pantry, the basics, as well as mouthwatering recipes for appetizers, main courses, side dishes, street food, desserts, and drinks.

And since no one evokes a cuisine better than its daughters and sons, we meet African musicians, writers, artists, and creatives who tell stories about their favorite dishes, their family cooking memories, and what these recipes represent for them today.

With stunning food and landscape photography, complemented by beautiful and colorful design, this book is an ode to conviviality, generosity, and positivity. It is a love letter to Africa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623718558
Publisher:	Interlink Publishing Group, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	672,735
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Anto Cocagne, known as Chef Anto, is a Gabonese woman chef who studied culinary arts in France and the US before starting her career as a chef and consultant on African cuisines in Paris. She is the artistic director of Afro Cooking magazine, president of the “We Eat Africa” food festival, and star of the African TV series Rendez-vous avec Le Chef Anto. Her ambition is to popularize African cooking throughout the world.

Table of Contents

The cuisines of Africa 7

Two countries, one cuisine: Chef Anto 8

Tastes from Africa 10

Principles and traditions 10

Benefits of African cuisines 14

Main specialties 15

Staple ingredients 16

Staple ingredients region by region 18

The ideal pantry 20

Bases and Appetizers 25

Green nokoss (for fish and crustaceans) 26

Red nokoss (for meat) 26

Orange nokoss (for vegetables) 27

Ntorolo (chile and herb paste) 27

Instant marinade 30

Niter kibbeh (spiced butter) 31

Stuffed yam balls-Ghana, Nigeria 32

Papaya gazpacho 34

Cream of taro soup with coconut swirl 36

Cassava and shrimp fritters-Gabon 38

Portrait: Soro Solo 40

Bassamoise salad-Ivory Coast 44

Stuffed crabs-Gabon 46

Tuna pies-Senegal 48

Black-eyed pea fritters with bissap ketchup-Cameroon 50

Fonio salad with mango (inspired by chef Pierre Thiam) 52

Ngondo (African pistachio loaf)-Cameroon, Gabon 53

African pear dip and yam chips-Congo Basin 54

Portrait: Mamani Keïta 58

Black-eyed pea and beet hummus 60

Kachumbari salad-ivory Coast, Kenya 62

Kitfo (Ethiopian beef tartare) 64

Sea bass carpaccio with green mango 66

Mains 69

Stuffed mullet-Senegal 70

Fat rice-Burkina Faso 72

DG chicken-Cameroon 74

Portrait: Sandra Nkake 78

Beef kondrè-Cameroon 80

Yassa chicken-Senegal 82

Fish in banana leaf-Congo Basin 86

African salad bowl 88

Savory fish with eggplants-Congo Basin 90

Waatchi-Ghana, Nigeria 91

Portrait: Seydou Boro 92

Cassava leaves with peanut butter-Gabon 96

Peanut-crusted chicken (my version of maté) 98

Pèpè soup (fish and crustacean soup)-Congo Basin, West Africa 100

Odika smoked chicken-Gabon 102

Chakalaka (spicy vegetables and beans)-South Africa 104

Sautéed okra with mushrooms-Congo Basin 105

Nile perch nyembwe-West and Central Africa 106

Portrait: Captain Alexandre 108

Thiep bou dien-Senegal 112

Sautéed beef with spinach sauce-Togo 118

Sautéed kidneys with lentils-Gabon 118

Rabbit kedjenou-Ivory Coast 120

Tuna garba-Ivory Coast 122

Folong ravioli with smoked mackerel-Central Africa 124

Sides 127

Allokos (fried plantains)-West and Central Africa 128

Plantain fufu-West and Central Africa 130

Red rice-West and Central Africa 132

Portrait: Patrick Ruffino 134

Placali (cassava fufu)-Ivory Coast 138

Eggplants with Guinea sorrel-Gabon 140

Street Food 143

Beef baguette-West and Central Africa 146

Fried sardines-West and Central Africa 148

Grilled fish-West and Central Africa 150

Portrait: Fred Ebami 152

Banana fritters-West and Central Africa 156

Chinchins-West and Central Africa 158

Cashew nougat-West Africa 160

Crispy doughnut balls-Senegal 161

Desserts 165

Peanut financiers 166

Mango tart (inspired by pastry chef Christophe Michalak) 168

Baobab crème brûlée 170

Mbouraké-Senegal 172

Thiakry with strawberry coulis-West Africa 173

Portrait: Aïssé N'Diaye 174

Coconut rice with fruit tartare 178

Evaporated milk and lime ice cream 180

Sorghum cupcakes with whipped ganache 182

Spiced pineapple with cassava crumble 184

Poires Belle Hawa (poached pears with chocolate sauce) 186

Drinks 189

Gnamakoudji (ginger juice)-Ivory Coast 190

Bissap-West, East, and Central Africa 192

Bissapolitan 192

Baba milkshake (baobab and banana) 194

Kinkeliba iced tea 196

Ginger-citronella lemonade 198

Index 202

Acknowledgments 206

Where to find ingredients 207

Editorial Reviews

12/20/2021

Chef Cocagne celebrates “the tastes of Sub-Saharan Africa” in this vibrant if slightly scattered debut. In an appealing introduction, she focuses on the region’s history, explaining that there is no unifying cuisine, but rather diverse ways of eating spread across 54 nations. Puzzlingly, Cocagne then lists basics comprising the “African diet,” including cassava leaf stew and oily rice. Though sometimes oddly presented (national origins of the dishes appear in the table of contents, but not in the actual recipes), the information is fascinating. Cocagne covers everything from eating with one’s hands to the absence of frozen food in Africa. Most recipes offer helpful substitutions, such as swapping grouper for the tuna in tuna garba, “the quick and inexpensive dish of choice of young people in Abidjan.” The range of cuisines is vast: Ravioli are filled with smoked mackerel and amaranth leaves; a chapter on street food includes fried dumplings and grilled sea bream; and desserts encompass crème brûlée with baobab powder, and mbouraké made by pounding stale bread, sugar, and evaporated milk. Meanwhile, interviews with Sub-Saharan African personalities—such as radio host Soro Solo and designer Aïssé N’Diaye—fold in enlivening cultural tidbits. The generous spirit goes a long way to compensate for the book’s flaws, making it an important entry in the growing number of books about African cuisines. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

[A]n important and enchanting cookbook by Anto Cocagne ... Saka Saka extends the young chef’s reach to a global audience with stories and recipes that make you want to get cooking ... Adding to the delight of this beautifully designed cookbook are Princet’s photos, not only of the recipes but of African musicians, actors, writers and other personalities posing with foods from the African pantry ... and sharing their favorite African dishes, taste memories, and bits of cooking advice.

Los Angeles Times Best Cookbook of 2022

[A] snappy book ... if you’re looking for dishes that push the boundaries of your palate, Saka Saka has you covered ... For the curious American cook who wants more than weeknight dinner hacks, this engrossing book will point in a new direction, whether you head for the thiep bou dien (grouper, cassava, pumpkin and ‘dried fish and shell’) or a slightly more familiar black-eyed-pea and beet hummus.

The New York Times

In Saka Saka, Gabonese and French chef Anto Cocagne celebrates sub-Saharan African cuisine. The invigorating recipes [...] spotlight fresh, nourishing staples with creative flourishes [...] It details foods that are pertinent to both, with a helpful pantry list, and dispels misconceptions about African food being too oily or spicy, encouraging everyone to explore its bold tastes [...] Saka Saka is a congenial, welcoming cookbook that celebrates Africa’s culinary profile with tantalizing dishes and eye-catching photographs.

Foreword Reviews

Saka Saka contains conversations with artists and cultural icons from across the African continent alongside recipes inspired by those conversations. The collection is an ambitious survey of familiar dishes that strives to take readers on a journey through East, West and Central Africa. Anto Cocagne’s solution to connecting the cuisines south of the Sahara is clever: Many of the base sauces introduced in the beginning of the book accent or anchor the recipes throughout ... By revisiting these foundational components, the recipes highlight the versatility of the regions’ ingredients. Experienced cooks and those with some familiarity of African cuisines will feel challenged, inspired, and right at home."

Yewande Komolafe

[A]n adventure through sub-Saharan Africa. Named after a cassava leaf dish, this book combines recipes, portraits, and interviews that introduce African cuisine to the global consumer. Appealing dishes include everything from sides and appetizers to street food and desserts, all showcasing the beauty and art of food from Africa and the connection people have to it. Cocagne encourages readers to revise the misconceptions that food from Africa is too oily, too spicy, or too rich: in reality it is healthy and diverse ... With all the love that the continent has to offer this book is a must for cooking collections.

Starred Review Booklist

03/01/2022

Cocagne (a chef, a television host, and artistic director of Afro Cooking magazine) combines her French culinary training and sub-Saharan cuisine in her debut cookbook. She highlights recipes from Gabon (her home country), Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Ethiopia and explains the ingredients these cuisines require. Cocagne's delicious recipes (from street food to weeknight staples) list prep times and offer cooking tips to put novice chefs at ease; the cookbook also has tips for sourcing ingredients and suggests substitutions for those that are hard to find in the U.S. Cocagne's informative text goes beyond flavors to discuss sub-Saharan cultures; even more enjoyment comes from the profiles of artists, musicians, and writers (including Cameroonian poet Capitaine Alexandre), who share food memories and their favorite dishes. Princet's vibrant photography delivers energy. Cocagne says that her dream is to bring African food to every kitchen, and she delivers with a cookbook that educates, dazzles, and—most importantly—is delectable. VERDICT This cookbook will delight readers and home cooks alike as an introduction to sub-Saharan cuisine, and its recipes will quickly become go-tos.—Sarah Tansley

Library Journal