The work ‘Cozinheirinhos da Diaspora’, by chef Aline Chermoula, praises ancestral ingredients.
🇧🇷Diaspora chef‘ is a cookbook inspired by African-American cuisine. With dishes designed for children’s tastes. The author is chef Aline Chermoula, mother of two children, Malu and Pedro. It’s a book that praises ancestral ingredients like pumpkin, coconut, yam, sweet potato, and okra.
The chef was kind enough to make recipes that are practical and easy to repeat at home, especially if you’re also a mom and time isn’t always on your side every day. Aline is a researcher of the cuisine of the African diaspora in the Americas and a passionate advocate of the ancestral memory that the dishes of the African continent awaken (or should awaken) in Brazilians.
“Brazil does not want to be black, indigenous and Latino… It wants to be Western, it contemplates, almost exclusively, Europe”, underlines the introduction by Rodrigo França. “But here we resist, especially with our gastronomy. Even if many people don’t have direct contact with the axé terreiros, the quilombos and the river communities, we are enveloped in condiments that leave the dishes linked to the mother continent”.
The book has a central character, Chermoulinha, beautifully illustrated by Rangel Egido. It is in his words that we immerse ourselves in the playful universe of Cozinheirinhos da Diaspora. It is a book made to awaken in children, but also in adult readers, the taste for such a rich yet simple cuisine. A combination that is almost always sure to succeed.
Readers begin the “adventure” by learning tips for kitchen safety and hygiene. They learn many stories about aphrodiasporic ingredients and recipes. They know the meaning of the African diaspora: “A process where people were forcibly taken to other places in the world, forced to do hard labor as slaves.” And only then are they ready to recognize recipes like yam cream cheese, burnt coconut cake, Kelewele (banana seasoned with pepper and fried in palm oil, served with peanuts).
The book also has a surprise at the end: a QR code to access a playlist made for listening while you and the little ones whip up recipes.
“The diaspora cooks” – Flavors and knowledge of our ancestral and emotional cuisine, Editora Conecta 1, by Aline Chermoula, 38 pages.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
