West African

The area in Harlem where I live is known as Little West Africa because of the huge concentration of immigrants from Senegal, Mali, and Nigeria who keep their heritage alive in the neighborhood's shops and restaurants. At the heart of this vibrant community is Les Embassades, our local bakery and café, where my neighbors gather to eat, visit, and hang out. The café is owned by my friend Abe and his wife, who came to America from Senegal in the 1980s. Abe is truly living the American dream: Not only does he own his own successful business, he helps newcomers find a place where they can feel at home in a strange new country. This Senegalese-style stew is inspired by the many meals I've had at Les Embassades and features the typical flavors of West Africa—yams, peanuts, coconut milk, and morning glory, a green vegetable also known as water spinach or swamp cabbage.

This dish, typical of West Africa, is traditionally accompanied by foo-foo (a porridgelike side dish made from corn, sweet potato, plantain, or cassava meal). We strongly recommend serving the stew with rice to sop up the delicious sauce.

This is a traditional homemade drink that's found all across West Africa. It's sometimes called ginger beer, though it's not alcoholic.

It's believed that this stew — called mafé or maafe — originated among the Bambara people of Mali. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

These bean fritters appear in several West African countries; they are called akara in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and akla or koosé in Ghana. Although eaten as a snack or side dish, bean fritters are also consumed as breakfast food with hot sauce as an accompaniment (it's more like a thick relish than a sauce). We think the fritters are great as an hors d'oeuvre. Although we use vegetable oil for frying in our recipe, red palm oil is the preferred frying medium in Africa. And traditionally the black-eyed peas are skinned, but we think you get more bean flavor if you leave the skins on (and save a lot of time as well).

This rich curried soup has been served at '21' for years. Our restaurant is one of the few places in this country where you can still find it. At '21' the classic garnish is diced poached chicken; this version substitutes chutney.

The first African dish I tasted and truly enjoyed was Senegal's Chicken Yassa. The chicken marinated in lemon and onion was served with rice in a brightly decorated enamel basin. The thrill of eating in Senegal in the open air and the delicious gustatory counterpoints of lemon, chile, onion, and chicken combined to make my first taste of this dish one of my favorite culinary memories. Later, I served the dish in a modified version on the "Today Show." It has become my trademark dish, and many of my friends, if they haven't had a Yassa in a while, will ask for it. I've gotten so bold about my Yassa, that I've served it to my Senegalese friends. It's relatively simple to prepare and a perfect introduction to African food.