Entertaining Ideas from the African American Kitchen : Recipes and Traditions for Holidays Throughout the Year Book

From Emancipation Day to Kwanzaa, from formal events to casual parties to spark up a "blue Monday," holidays are a chance to warmly welcome family and friends with the best of African and African-American traditions, culture, and cooking. Rich in lore and customs, and including 150 delectable recipes, Ideas for Entertaining from the African-American Kitchen is the first book to show home cooks and entertainers how to prepare bountiful feasts for all occasions. Angela Shelf Medearis, acclaimed author of The African-American Kitchen and A Kwanzaa Celebration, takes us through a year's worth of holidays and special occasions from Emancipation Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and Juneteenth to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. She offers suggestions for arranging traditional African ceremonies - from an Afrocentric baby shower to a "rites of passage" dinner for teenagers and a "jumping the broom" wedding feast - along with handy tips that make preparations enjoyable as well as easy. Medearis also provides hosts with advice on when to send invitations, how to set a table, and even getting guests to mingle. Best of all, she serves up traditional and contemporary dishes that are rich in flavor and simple to make.

Angela Shelf Medearis blends food, culture and history.