Out of the subcontinent, into Africa

October 28, 2005 8:03 AM

Looking for recommendations for an Ethiopian/Eritrean/North African cookbook.

My boyfriend is a big fan of this type of cuisine (okay, okay, cue the MRE joke...go on, do it...) and I'd like to be able to make it at home. I've cooked quite a lot of Indian food and am generally pretty comfortable in a kitchen, but have no idea of a good cookbook for this type of food. Any suggestions are welcome, as are any suggestions of favorite dishes to try perfecting.

I live in the Newton-Wellesley-Waltham area outside of Boston and have access to a variety of ethnic groceries nearby, so I don't think I'll have too many difficulties getting ingredients, but if there's any other Boston MeFites who have thoughts on where to go shopping, it'd certainly be appreciated. Will I need any special equipment/pans?

Also, which area Ethiopian restaurant is your favorite?

posted by fuzzbean to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

Olivia Warren, Taste of Eritrea: recipes from one of East Africa's most interesting little countries.
posted by cog_nate at 8:21 AM on October 28, 2005

Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant has a section on Ethiopian cuisine. I've made most of the recipes and they've all been very good. The red lentil stew is fabulous.
posted by luneray at 8:55 AM on October 28, 2005

The one piece of specialized equipment they may call for is a tagine, which is like a ceramic baking dish with a cone-shaped lid that you use for couscous or stew-ish things.

You don't really need one if you don't want to go to the expense, though. Whatever you currently use for rice or couscous should get the job done.

The only other piece I think would be important would be a good dutch oven with a heavy lid.
posted by bcwinters at 9:56 AM on October 28, 2005

One dish I've cooked over the years is a dish of the Moroccan Jews. Braised Chicken with Honey and Tomatoes. Flavorful, low-fat, easy (throw everything in a pot and let it cook), and it makes the house smell great.
posted by Brian James at 10:28 AM on October 28, 2005

Paula Wolfert's cookbooks are the classic recommendation, especially her books focusing on Moroccan cuisine.
posted by Vidiot at 9:56 PM on October 28, 2005

Not helpful, but you might want to take a foodie trip to DC, where they have scads of terrific Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants. this one is the most famous.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:24 AM on October 30, 2005

Thanks to all for the suggestions; I'll definitely be looking up those cookbooks.

CunningLinguist: not helpful right now, but I've got a sister in DC that I think I could shanghai into a trip... Thanks for the tip.
posted by fuzzbean at 7:36 AM on November 1, 2005