Kwanzaa, which means first fruits of the harvest in Swahili, is a celebration of family, community, African heritage and great food. The weeklong holiday, which begins on Dec. 26 and ends on New Year's Day, is based on seven guiding principles, with each day's observance starting with the lighting of candles.
The centerpiece of the Kwanzaa festivities is the feast of Karamu, which is observed on Dec. 31. It's modeled after traditional African harvest celebrations, at which villagers gave thanks for their bountiful harvest by sharing it at a huge communal feast.
There are no hard and fast rules about what foods to serve for Karamu. The important thing is that the dishes reflect your family's roots and taste. Choose from old family favorites - such as Grandmother's okra and tomato stew; classic Southern fare like chicken and dumplings; dishes from Africa; or foods from the Caribbean, Latin America or anywhere else Africans and their descendants settled. In keeping with the spirit of Kwanzaa, invite your guests to bring a dish to share at the feast.
I have put together a buffet for Karamu featuring foods that are easy to prepare and colorful, and which reflect the global reach of African-inspired cuisine. Use them all or mix and match for a Karamu that is uniquely your own.
First, a scrumptious West African-style peanut stew. I love the combination of the spices used in this recipe. The cumin and coriander are wonderfully fragrant, the crushed pepper gives the dish some real heat, and the peanut butter makes the sauce creamy and very rich. By the way, feel free to improvise by adding carrots, potatoes or canned garbanzo beans.
Next, Hoppin' John is a traditional Southern favorite with deep roots in the Carolinas. It's a simmer of black-eyed peas, with a mixture of spicy sausages, ham hocks or some sort of cured pork, and rice and tomatoes. Black-eyed peas have always held a special place in African-American food lore. Many of us eat them on New Year's Day for good luck during the rest of the year.
Greens are another favorite of African-Americans, but too many people overcook these healthy vegetables, turning them into pea-green-colored mush. I am including a recipe for perfectly cooked greens, from one of the best Southern chefs to ever walk the planet, Edna Lewis.
Finally, sweet potatoes are a must-have on most Southerners' holiday menus. The feast of Karamu is no exception. But instead of putting them in a casserole or a pie, I came up with a scrumptious sweet potato cake. It's very much like a pound cake, only richer ... if that's possible.
