Category: BIPOC

BIPOC

White Ivy by Susie Yang

ByTheBookBites

My friend requested a menu asap for this months book club since one of our NY members will be in town.

Chinese Boston fusion has me pretty pumped for this menu. A bigger plus was learning that “Boston Chinese” is actual a real thing.

Whats on the menu:

  • Lychee Martinis
  • Southie Southside
  • Chilled Melon Fruit Salad
  • Daikon Radish Chinese Paocai (Kimchi)
  • Chow Mein Sandwiches
  • Boston Creme Pie
  • Cannoli

I always enjoy doing research to find semi-accurate menu options. Boston had a large population of Chinese and Asian immigrants which led to a specific sub-genre of food. This is also unchartered on my food quest. Turns out, the secret ingredient in this unusual union is MOLASSES!

Is paocai/kimchi Chinese or Korean?

  • Typically kimchi is thought to be Korean. It originated between the 1st and 7th century AD.
  • China does lay claim to their own paocai (kimchi)
  • Some South Koreans worry that their culture is at risk of fading out if China lays claim to kimchi
  • ….

The daikon radish dish was primarily inspired by the characters family farm and the lychees from the childhood memories.

……

W…..

BIPOC

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

ByTheBookBites

This book is amazing and the first book to receive a five out of five rating from all our members. It is full of “foodspiration” and definitely the first book I wanted to post a menu for.

This book follows two family lines and the different journeys faced by the relatives that follow. I listened to the audiobook and loved listening to the narrator. Once I adjusted to his voice I couldn’t get enough of how soothing it was. There are some harsh realities within the book but the perspective and details made this a real page-turner.

I had never had African food before so lots of research was needed for me to understand the different types of food and what everything was. Homegoing starts in The Ivory Coast (modern day Ghana) in Western Africa and I wanted to avoid mistaking all African food as the same, and as it turned out, most of the local African restaurants near me are Ethiopian (Eastern Africa). This made us have to do some digging to find a good fit but we were able to find a few to chose from along Buford Highway and Clarkston.

What we ordered

  • Jollof Rice (smokey one-pot stew rice)
  • Plantains
  • Moi Moi (bean pudding cake)
  • Fu Fu (pounded yam)
  • Goat Peppered Soup
  • Stewed Snails

My initial reaction: it was SPICY!!! I am not exaggerating, but to be fair they did warn us. The menu contained a disclaimer “we cannot make anything less spicy”. The rice and plantains were my favorite but I would recommend spicing to taste when making this on your own. Moi Moi is a huge protein source in Nigeria and Ghana. There are many different versions and types so don’t be surprised if you get Moi Moi with a hardboiled egg inside. In Ghana it is commonly referred to as “Olele” or “Alele”. Fu Fu was a surprise top contender for me. It was best when dipped into my goat pepper soup. The best way I can describe Fu Fu was a more gelatinous mashed potato. It is pounded white yams so it arrived like a clean ball of mashed potatoes wrapped in plastic wrap.

What to have on your menu:

  • Jollof Rice
  • Plantains
  • Fu Fu
  • Moi Moi
  • Goat Pepper Soup

For the adventurous souls that decide to cook these yourself here are some recipes:

Jollof Rice & Plantains:

Fu Fu:

Goat Pepper Soup:

Moi Moi:

Happy Reading and eating!!!

P.S. We won’t hold it against you if you order take-out to ensure a good and authentic Ghanian spread.