Out of Africa: feast on Kwanzaa's fruit of the harvest

Vegetarian Times, Dec, 2003 by Carla Davis

menu

Granny's Icebox Rolls

Tofu Gumbo

White Corn Grits Souffle

Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes

Sugared Sweet Potatoes, Plantains and Apples

Mixed Greens

Macaroni and Cheese

Five-Flavor Pound Cake with Caramel Drizzle

Kwanzaa--you'll find it on any December calendar, inked between Christmas and New Year's, a holiday so novel that 40 years ago it didn't exist. Yet 15 million people worldwide now circle the dates for Kwanzaa, the creation of a California college professor and African-American activist named Maulana Karenga.

Kwanzaa, Swahili for "first fruits of the harvest," is a 7-day celebration of life, family, community and culture. From December 26 through January 1, African Americans give thanks for past accomplishments--the "fruits" of their labor--pay homage to their ancestors and reaffirm the values of their African heritage. A cultural rather than a religious observance, Kwanzaa is a time of fasting, feasting and self-examination.

Based on traditional harvest festivals, Kwanzaa was established in 1966 at the height of the Black Freedom Movement. Desiring Pan-African solidarity, Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa with three purposes: to restore rootedness in African culture; to reaffirm a common identity and direction as a world community; and to introduce and reinforce the Seven Principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

During Kwanzaa, family members gather each night to light red, green and black candles corresponding to the Seven Principles. As each candle is lit, the family discusses the principle of the day and makes a commitment to practice that principle throughout the year.

The rituals of Kwanzaa also include eating--and lots of it. The sixth day of Kwanzaa, December 31, is marked by a lavish feast. "The Kwanzaa Karuma, in keeping with the theme of black unity, draws on the cuisines of Africa, the Caribbean and southern America, wherever Africans were taken," says classically trained chef Carla Hall, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and a proponent of showcasing African-American cooking minus the meat. "The way I contribute, as the cook in the family, is to take a few of my grandmother's old traditions and my food memories, add a new twist to some of them and create new traditions."

The following recipes are some of Hall's favorites. Whether or not you celebrate Kwanzaa, you're sure to find any of these dishes welcome at your holiday table.

Washington, DC, resident Carla Hall graduated from the cooking school L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. She runs Alchemy Caterers and teaches cooking classes.

Granny's Icebox Rolls

MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN ROLLS

When I was growing up, Sunday dinner
was always at my grandmother's house 30
miles away. I always wanted my mom to
pull over and call ahead to let Granny
know we were just 10 minutes away. She
would never start the cornbread or bake
the rolls until we were in the house.

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 pkg. dried yeast

1 tsp. plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick plus 4 Tbs. melted butter

1 large egg, beaten

3 cups all-purpose flour

1. Combine lukewarm water, yeast and 1
teaspoon sugar. Let yeast bubble and double
in size, about 15 minutes.

2. Mix milk, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, salt,
butter and beaten egg together. Slowly stir
in flour. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture,
stirring well--dough should be very
sticky. Cover flour mixture with wax paper
and towel, and place in warm area. Let
rise until it doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

3. Divide dough into two sections. Knead
each section about 4 minutes, and on
floured surface, roll out dough to about
1/4-inch thick.

4. Use 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut
dough into circles. Brush dough cutouts
with remaining melted butter. Fold dough
cutouts in half, spray baking sheet with
nonstick cooking spray and place dough
on sheet about 1 1/2-inches apart. Let rise
about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

5. Preheat oven to 400F.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden
brown on top. Remove from oven, and
serve hot.

PER SERVING: 80 CAL; 2G PROT; 4.5G TOTAL
FAT (2.5G SAT. FAT); 10G CARB; 15MG CHOL;
75MG SOD; 0G FIBER; 2G SUGARS

Tofu Gumbo

SERVES 8

Gumbo may be made with a number of
main ingredients, so why not tofu? Marinated
tofu is a modern addition to this old
Cajun favorite--along with the distinctive
texture of okra. It's served over a White
Corn Grits Souffle, which is fluffed with
eggs and served golden brown and piping
hot right out of the oven. Leftover grits
may be sliced and fried like polenta for
breakfast the next morning or eaten as a
snack later in the day.

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1 lb. extra-firm tofu, cut in 1/2-inch
cubes

3 Tbs. plus 1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 cup diced canned tomatoes

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

2 bay leaves

2 cups vegetable stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste

1/4 lb. okra, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1. Combine garlic, onion, mustard, cayenne
pepper, peanut oil, vinegar and brown
sugar in large bowl. Place tofu cubes in
mixture, and marinate 2 to 24 hours.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in large
pot over medium heat. Saute onions,
celery, peppers and garlic until onions are
translucent and vegetables are soft, about
10 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme,
oregano, basil, bay leaves, stock, salt and
pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and
cook 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet,
and saute okra until light brown. Remove
from skillet, and add to tomato mixture.

4. Drain tofu, keeping diced onion. Reheat
skillet, and saute tofu until lightly browned.
Remove from skillet, and add to tomato
mixture.

5. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in skillet, and
whisk in flour. Continue whisking mixture,
or roux, until it is light brown and smells
slightly nutty, for 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Reheat tomato mixture over medium
heat, and stir in roux 1 tablespoon at a
time. Continue to stir until gumbo is consistency
of gravy. Remove from heat, and
serve over White Corn Grits Souffle.

PER SERVING: 360 CAL; 8G PROT; 30G TOTAL
FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 16G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
240MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 5G SUGARS