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Zoe's Ghana Kitchen
' Zoe's Ghana Kitchen introduces you to dishes - sweet with peanuts and hot with chillies - that have big flavours and are satisfyingly no-nonsense. Cooking out of it has left me yearning for pork ribs in sticky plantain sauce and lamb and peanut butter stew as well as simple grilled fish. And I had no idea how easy it was to pair smoked fish with yams, squash and ginger. Chalé, the basic hot tomato sauce (spiked with ginger and a little curry powder), which is used as the base for many of the recipes, is a godsend.' - Diana Henry
"I believe we are on the cusp of an African food revolution. There is a longing to try something that is actually new, not just re-spun, and African cuisines are filling that gap. It's the last continent of relatively unexplored food in the mainstream domain. For too long Africans have kept this incredible food a greedy secret." - Zoe Adjonyoh
Ghanian food is always fun, always relaxed and always tasty! From Pan-roasted Cod with Grains of Paradise and Nkruma (Okra) Tempura to Coconut & Cassava Cake and Cubeb Spiced Shortbread, this is contemporary African food for simply everyone. If you're already familiar with good home-cooked Ghanaian food, you'll find new ways to incorporate typical flavours - such as plenty of fresh fish and seafood, hearty salads and spices with a kick. If you're new to it, you'll no doubt be surprised and delighted at the relative ease of cooking these tempting dishes. Most of the ingredients are easy to come by at supermarkets or local shops, and the recipes are super flexible - you can take the basic principles and adapt them easily to what you have available in your cupboard or fridge. Zoe's Ghana Kitchen will help you bring something truly exciting and flavour-packed to the kitchen. Get ready to bring African food to the masses.
"I believe we are on the cusp of an African food revolution. There is a longing to try something that is actually new, not just re-spun, and African cuisines are filling that gap. It's the last continent of relatively unexplored food in the mainstream domain. For too long Africans have kept this incredible food a greedy secret." - Zoe Adjonyoh
Ghanian food is always fun, always relaxed and always tasty! From Pan-roasted Cod with Grains of Paradise and Nkruma (Okra) Tempura to Coconut & Cassava Cake and Cubeb Spiced Shortbread, this is contemporary African food for simply everyone. If you're already familiar with good home-cooked Ghanaian food, you'll find new ways to incorporate typical flavours - such as plenty of fresh fish and seafood, hearty salads and spices with a kick. If you're new to it, you'll no doubt be surprised and delighted at the relative ease of cooking these tempting dishes. Most of the ingredients are easy to come by at supermarkets or local shops, and the recipes are super flexible - you can take the basic principles and adapt them easily to what you have available in your cupboard or fridge. Zoe's Ghana Kitchen will help you bring something truly exciting and flavour-packed to the kitchen. Get ready to bring African food to the masses.
477 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2017
92 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 18, 2021
I started out by making Coconut Rice on 11/13/2021. It was easy, but I was nervous because I have always cooked my rice in a rice cooker. This time I cooked it on the stovetop. It needed more monitoring. It turned out tasty and creamy! I loved it. I cooked it again on 12/17/21 to eat with flank steak and fried salmon.
Then I tried making Mango & Pineapple Salad. The only ingredient I skipped in this dish was spiced cashews. I substituted raspberries in its place. I enjoyed the salad. It’s a good mixture of fruits and juices to get rid of the bitter taste of arugula.
Then on 11/27/2021, I learned how to make fried plantains. I loved eating it. I didn’t add any optional ingredients. I eat as is. I started out cooking 3 but decided to cook all 5 after I tasted the cooked plantains. It was delicious. I paid 5 for $3 at Publix. It was so easy to make! From the picture below, the book informed that there are 5 ways to making plantains. I decided on the fried plantains to try first because it was the author’s favorite but I was surprised that there are recipes for green plantains too.
There are so many dishes I want to eat in here, which surprised me because I haven’t been to an African restaurant before.
This book opens up to a picture of the author and chef Zoe Adjonyoh chopping peppers. A table of contents is listed. There’s an introduction page informing readers that African cuisines are not as well known as other cuisines and the chef wanted to change that. She wrote this book to include recipes that are for comfort, play, and inspiration. The author said she’s a self-taught chef. Her focus will be on Ghanaian foods.
The author has a website to sell West African spices so that everyone can have access to the true taste of West African flavors. There’s an area where she shared her food journey to readers. Somehow she’s more interested in her dad’s Ghanaian side of cuisines than her mom’s Ireland side. I like seeing the family photos within these pages. I like her advice on choosing ginger as well as choosing yams. There’s a page where the author discussed about spices & herbs and Ghana’s 3 basic ingredients. It’s interesting for me to learn that African dishes uses a lot of chilies. I guess pretty much all countries eat spicy foods. Another page discussed about grains & legumes. Now I know Ghanaian eat rice a lot too. I will have to try basmati rice one day. I’m currently eating Korean rice.
There’s a page titled other staple ingredients & flavorings as well as fruits and vegetables. I’m surprised soursop is a Ghanaian fruit because I grew up eating it in Vietnam. I haven’t eaten it in a long time. I learned that Okra flowers are edible from the author’s Instagram page but she didn’t mention it in the vegetables page of this cookbook. I was super surprised by that. I will have to try it next summer because this summer was my first time growing it in my backyard. The number labels on the fruits & vegetables pictures were helpful since the pictures weren’t on the same page as the description.
This cookbook differentiate itself from other cookbooks by the music list of recommendations from the author after the salad page. Zoe wants us to listen to Ghanaian music while cooking Ghanaian dishes! Between recipes, there are stories about the author, similar to a memoir divided into 4 parts. Part 1 of her “My Ghana Story” located on page 90 of the Fish & Seafood, part 2 located on page 118 at Veggie Dishes, part 3 on page 166 at Sides, and part 4 on page 184 at Desserts. I see the open market and street food pictures in Ghana is not so different as the open market & street foods in Vietnam. I enjoyed reading the author’s memoir. Funny how many sentences ended with “o” when Zoe’s aunt or uncle said something. At the end of the cookbook, there’s another list of music to listen to while eating. I loved the patterns between the menus. The cover and back cover of this cookbook is gorgeous! I highly recommend everyone to try this cookbook!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to Voracious Books for the opportunity to read, cook, and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
Then I tried making Mango & Pineapple Salad. The only ingredient I skipped in this dish was spiced cashews. I substituted raspberries in its place. I enjoyed the salad. It’s a good mixture of fruits and juices to get rid of the bitter taste of arugula.
Then on 11/27/2021, I learned how to make fried plantains. I loved eating it. I didn’t add any optional ingredients. I eat as is. I started out cooking 3 but decided to cook all 5 after I tasted the cooked plantains. It was delicious. I paid 5 for $3 at Publix. It was so easy to make! From the picture below, the book informed that there are 5 ways to making plantains. I decided on the fried plantains to try first because it was the author’s favorite but I was surprised that there are recipes for green plantains too.
There are so many dishes I want to eat in here, which surprised me because I haven’t been to an African restaurant before.
This book opens up to a picture of the author and chef Zoe Adjonyoh chopping peppers. A table of contents is listed. There’s an introduction page informing readers that African cuisines are not as well known as other cuisines and the chef wanted to change that. She wrote this book to include recipes that are for comfort, play, and inspiration. The author said she’s a self-taught chef. Her focus will be on Ghanaian foods.
The author has a website to sell West African spices so that everyone can have access to the true taste of West African flavors. There’s an area where she shared her food journey to readers. Somehow she’s more interested in her dad’s Ghanaian side of cuisines than her mom’s Ireland side. I like seeing the family photos within these pages. I like her advice on choosing ginger as well as choosing yams. There’s a page where the author discussed about spices & herbs and Ghana’s 3 basic ingredients. It’s interesting for me to learn that African dishes uses a lot of chilies. I guess pretty much all countries eat spicy foods. Another page discussed about grains & legumes. Now I know Ghanaian eat rice a lot too. I will have to try basmati rice one day. I’m currently eating Korean rice.
There’s a page titled other staple ingredients & flavorings as well as fruits and vegetables. I’m surprised soursop is a Ghanaian fruit because I grew up eating it in Vietnam. I haven’t eaten it in a long time. I learned that Okra flowers are edible from the author’s Instagram page but she didn’t mention it in the vegetables page of this cookbook. I was super surprised by that. I will have to try it next summer because this summer was my first time growing it in my backyard. The number labels on the fruits & vegetables pictures were helpful since the pictures weren’t on the same page as the description.
This cookbook differentiate itself from other cookbooks by the music list of recommendations from the author after the salad page. Zoe wants us to listen to Ghanaian music while cooking Ghanaian dishes! Between recipes, there are stories about the author, similar to a memoir divided into 4 parts. Part 1 of her “My Ghana Story” located on page 90 of the Fish & Seafood, part 2 located on page 118 at Veggie Dishes, part 3 on page 166 at Sides, and part 4 on page 184 at Desserts. I see the open market and street food pictures in Ghana is not so different as the open market & street foods in Vietnam. I enjoyed reading the author’s memoir. Funny how many sentences ended with “o” when Zoe’s aunt or uncle said something. At the end of the cookbook, there’s another list of music to listen to while eating. I loved the patterns between the menus. The cover and back cover of this cookbook is gorgeous! I highly recommend everyone to try this cookbook!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.com for more details
Many thanks to Voracious Books for the opportunity to read, cook, and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
October 30, 2024
I was looking forward to this cookbook, as I know very little about West African food. The book starts with a brief introduction to the author and to Ghana’s various regions. Then a quick guide to ingredients used in the book that maybe unfamiliar. I was very interested to try some of the more unusual spices and vegetables, and luckily my husband found a Nigerian shop that stocked most of what I needed. I’d heard of Grains of Paradise before, but never used them. Now I need to restock. The real find for me was the Garden Eggs – small white egg-shaped and sized aubergines. I’d love to grow some, but am having difficulty sourcing some seeds.
I would normally consider myself to be a chilli head. And with most recipe books, I would increase the amount of chilli used in recipes. Not here! When a recipe calls for a fresh scotch bonnet chilli, another chilli AND chilli flakes – all together – I had to cut back. Many of the recipes used chillies – which I wholeheartedly approved of. And as we’d had a bumper chilli harvest this year (and still lots left over and frozen from last year), the recipes were very welcome.
I tried 15 of the recipes – most were excellent, and I would cook again. I particularly enjoyed three of the stews: Garden Egg Stew with Tilapia; Beef and Spinach Stew and Peanut butter Stew with Lamb. But there were also some great fish dishes: Grilled Sardines in a Spiced Roasted Tomato Sauce; Pan-fried Tilapia Fillets; and the wonderful Ghana Salad that could be made with canned fish, so a good store cupboard recipe.
The Suya Dry Spice Rub I made the full recipe of, and have used it for the beef kebabs (though I did venison), and for at least 3 other meals of roast meats (not recipes from this book), and it is so tasty, it is now part of my store cupboard.
Measurements are given in both metric and imperial. There are pictures for many of the dishes, but often they are too small and not right beside the recipes. I would have liked more photos – and particularly more photos of Ghana.
All in all, a very interesting recipe book with many great recipes (lots more for me to try). It is particularly good if you like a bit of heat in your food.
I would normally consider myself to be a chilli head. And with most recipe books, I would increase the amount of chilli used in recipes. Not here! When a recipe calls for a fresh scotch bonnet chilli, another chilli AND chilli flakes – all together – I had to cut back. Many of the recipes used chillies – which I wholeheartedly approved of. And as we’d had a bumper chilli harvest this year (and still lots left over and frozen from last year), the recipes were very welcome.
I tried 15 of the recipes – most were excellent, and I would cook again. I particularly enjoyed three of the stews: Garden Egg Stew with Tilapia; Beef and Spinach Stew and Peanut butter Stew with Lamb. But there were also some great fish dishes: Grilled Sardines in a Spiced Roasted Tomato Sauce; Pan-fried Tilapia Fillets; and the wonderful Ghana Salad that could be made with canned fish, so a good store cupboard recipe.
The Suya Dry Spice Rub I made the full recipe of, and have used it for the beef kebabs (though I did venison), and for at least 3 other meals of roast meats (not recipes from this book), and it is so tasty, it is now part of my store cupboard.
Measurements are given in both metric and imperial. There are pictures for many of the dishes, but often they are too small and not right beside the recipes. I would have liked more photos – and particularly more photos of Ghana.
All in all, a very interesting recipe book with many great recipes (lots more for me to try). It is particularly good if you like a bit of heat in your food.
September 25, 2017
Fantastic look at life in Ghana and the food that makes it so. I likely will not make any of these dishes, but hope instead to eat in Ghana under the guidance of my friend Kofi.
March 5, 2021
This book is more aspirational / photo gorgeous for me than one I'd be game to tackle recipes from, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great book to look at!
Read
December 3, 2021love the section in the front: a soundtrack to cook to and in the back: a soundtrack to eat to
September 24, 2017
I have to give this cookbook 4 stars because the food looks so delicious, the book is beautifully laid out and the information about all the African food is fascinating. But I have to say, although I'm pretty sure I'd be delighted to eat any of the food prepared from these recipes I'm no where near ready to make them myself. Too many new ingredients and techniques to absorb. Sigh...
abandoned-dnf
September 16, 2020I'd love to be able to comment on this book, but I literally couldn't read it. I don't know what the print edition is like, but the Kindle edition has a weird thin, pale font that looks like half the letters are missing. Whether this is a conscious graphic choice or something is wrong with the file, I don't know. The mottled-looking font appears throughout the entire book, so I'm inclined to think it was intentional. Too bad. A cookbook is no good if it can't be read. The few times I've had Ghanaian food, it was very good, so I'm disappointed that this book is unusable.
November 6, 2021
4.5 stars.
Clears throat. Ahem. YO, PUBLISHERS. MORE BOOKS LIKE THESE, PLEASE.
I am a cookbook aficionado (also a white, cishet woman) and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to FINALLY see cookbooks that focus on cuisines that are from cultures generally (and unfortunately) overlooked. I want to learn about flavor profiles beyond the usual (and boring and tired) flavor profiles. Watching Netflix's "High on the Hog" highlighted just how big a deficit there is in cookbooks about African cuisine. And, thankfully, into the void this steps.
Added to all the above are included playlists to help you truly feel as many aspects of the Ghanian culture as possible.
So, publishers, PLEASE continue to scour the globe and use your reach for good. PLEASE seek out indigenous chefs who are on the forefront of their cuisines and introduce them to the rest of the world (so we can appreciate...not appropriate) and also expand the boundaries of our collective culinary horizons.
Clears throat. Ahem. YO, PUBLISHERS. MORE BOOKS LIKE THESE, PLEASE.
I am a cookbook aficionado (also a white, cishet woman) and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to FINALLY see cookbooks that focus on cuisines that are from cultures generally (and unfortunately) overlooked. I want to learn about flavor profiles beyond the usual (and boring and tired) flavor profiles. Watching Netflix's "High on the Hog" highlighted just how big a deficit there is in cookbooks about African cuisine. And, thankfully, into the void this steps.
Added to all the above are included playlists to help you truly feel as many aspects of the Ghanian culture as possible.
So, publishers, PLEASE continue to scour the globe and use your reach for good. PLEASE seek out indigenous chefs who are on the forefront of their cuisines and introduce them to the rest of the world (so we can appreciate...not appropriate) and also expand the boundaries of our collective culinary horizons.
August 15, 2020
I was looking for new things to cook during lockdown and this book was just the ticket. The flavors were bold and I was able to find most of the ingredients online to cook the recipes. The peanut sauce has become a staple and I love using the baobab compound butter for shrimp as a quick meal. It’s great for getting out of your comfort zone
January 9, 2022
This book goes beyond mere cookery. Adjonyoh even includes a music playlist! Imagine sitting at your table with family or friends with music playing in the background. Depending on your location, you may need to expend some effort to source ingredients.
September 29, 2020
Good recipes, though some of the ingredients may be hard to locate. Tried the plantain ribs and they were quite tasty.
November 13, 2021
very interesting. lots of recipes I am likely to try. Particularly interested in her version of Jollof chicken
Read
January 26, 2025Couldn't eat most recipes
January 16, 2022
Gorgeous photos, beautiful writing. Love this cookbook! I read through it like a romance novel, loved every delicious page. I lived and worked in Ghana long ago (Peace Corps, 91-93) and having this book makes me feel like I've caught up with an old friend. I may not actually cook any of the these recipes, and that's ok. I'm just loving having this book to look at.
June 6, 2019
Beautiful paper , photos, lovely feel. The recipes are very accessible.
January 8, 2024
Loved the stories and all the fantastic information about how to use the different ingredients - can't wait to try some of these out!
Read
July 21, 2017641.59667 A235 2017
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews