Ethiopian Feast: The Crown Jewel of African Cuisine

I have loved Ethiopian food from the first time I tried it. Unfortunately, Ethiopian cookbooks or even internet resources were scarce, and those that did exist were difficult to really follow. Other books or recipes have left out steps, assumed the reader knew how to already do things or talked about (to me) obscure ingredients. Add to that the very intimidating act of going into an Ethiopian market and seeing bags of spices and grains and legumes, frequently not labeled. I knew I wanted to buy ingredients, but I couldn't figure them out. I once bought a 2 pound tub of berbere (I think) and then had to carry it on a plane. I didn't want to check it, as I figured it would spill. But I also worried that it could be considered some kind of weapon. I ended up packing it in my carry-on and got home without any awkward questions. I used that spice in everything, but I never really knew what it was.This book takes the guessing out of ingredients, techniques, and cooking equipment. I feel comfortable walking into an Ethiopian market and asking for shiro powder or besso and having a reasonable understanding of what I need. This book provides lists of commonly used ingredients and describes each one. There is also a section on spice blends that are commonly used in cooking, which is what gives Ethiopian cooking such a deep and comforting flavor.The book is divided into logical sections: breads and grains; meat; cheese and eggs; lentils; vegetables; snacks and treats; and Ethiopian beverages. Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph, so you know exactly what you are making and how it should look. The recipes are easy to follow and the steps are clearly described. There is no guessing about what you need to do next or which ingredients you need.Maybe my favorite part is the recipe for injera. I have tried, with horrible results, to make injera in the past with online recipes. And while there are a many steps involved, they are very clearly written and easy to follow. I haven't yet made the bread, so I can't comment on the outcome. But this recipe, when compared to every other recipe for injera I've ever seen, is clearly superior. I plan on making the injera starter in the next few weeks, and after I do and actually cook the bread, I will update my review. Based on my experience with the other recipes in this book, I have no doubt that I shall successfully make my own.

The recipes are broken down to such simple approachable steps. This cookbook is hands down the best. It has information on what things are and where to get ingredients, which is fantastic if you don't live in a city like Seattle or DC. Everything I've made has been great! Can't recommend it enough if you love ethiopian food.

I love this cookbook and have had a lot of fun making the recipes and sharing Ethiopian feasts with friends. I have made a lot of the recipes (breads, veggies, meats, lentils, tea, etc.) and have really enjoyed them. I also enjoyed reading the author's comments and her personal story. While I am not an expert on Ethiopian food, a friend who lived in Ethiopia thought the meal she came to that I cooked from this cookbook seemed very authentic.This cookbook, however, is not like most cookbooks, it requires commitment - you can't just get this cookbook and start cooking. It took me a couple of weeks of preparation before I made my first dish.First, even though I have a very well stocked spice cabinet that supports a number of ethnic cuisines, I had to special order a fair number of ingredients (e.g., Bishops weed seed, koseret, besobela, African long pepper and besso). The book provides a very clear list of these special ingredients and accurate information on where to purchase them. Purchasing them was easy online, but it did cost about ~$100 (including shipping), and I now have a box full of Ethiopian spices. As I said, it requires commitment.Second, the way most of the recipes work is that you make large quantities (and I mean LARGE) of component ingredients and then use various combinations of the components in the recipes throughout the book. These components include Spiced Clarified Butter (Niter Kibe), which sits for 2-3 days and is made from 2 pounds of butter, Berberre Paste, which requires 3 cups each of ground California chili peppers, paprika and chili powder (yes, that's 3 CUPS of each) and has to sit for 10-14 days before using. Then there is the ginger-garlic paste (another ingredient of the berberre paste) is made from 2 pounds of garlic and almost 2 pounds of ginger and the Q'imam, which is a spice mix. Likewise, the injera bread, a foundational part of Ethiopian cuisine, required about two weeks to prepare since I had to develop the sourdough starter from scratch (now I can just keep the starter in the fridge and it only takes a couple of days to make the injera.) Once all these ingredients are obtained and assembled and sit for the requisite time, you can start making the recipes.You might say to yourself that you would just decrease the quantities. (After all, do most of us need 12 cups of berberre paste?) Unless you do a carefully planned and calculated meal, it would require a spreadsheet to calculate the various quantities of components needed for a less ambitious approach to Ethiopian cuisine (and this information would be useful in a future edition of the book). I ended up cutting the berberre paste in half but made the entire recipe for the clarified spiced butter, Q'imam and ginger-garlic paste and ended up with too much ginger garlic paste after serving several feasts. If all you cook is Ethiopian, it probably doesn't matter that you make large quantities of these components, but it's complicated for those of us who want to make Ethiopian food occasionally. I think one way to manage it is to just commit to multiple feasts until your components are used up.While I was waiting for ingredients to arrive and component parts to be ready, I made the Bread Baked in Banana Leaves, which didn't require any special ingredients. Have you ever encountered a bread recipe for a single loaf that required 5 pounds of flour? Me neither. I cut it in half and still made a huge, but delicious loaf. My husband and neighbor loved it. Then there's the misnamed "Ethiopia Chocolate," which doesn't taste at all like chocolate. It was the only dish that was found to be challenging for my guests to eat. Several of us were startled by the first bite but then found the dish, which relies heavily on clarified spiced butter and besso (roasted barley powder), strangely addicting. My neighbor, who is usually very adventurous and enthusiastic about exotic food that I bring her, ended up returning the chunk of this dish that I left her saying she just couldn't do it and that she was "disappointed in herself." She loved everything else, wonderful neighbor that she is.If you are willing to approach this book with a spirit of curiosity and adventure to make traditional Ethiopian feasts involving multiple dishes, you will love the results. If you are looking for a cookbook that lets you make the occasional Ethiopian dish with whatever you have on hand, it's probably not for you. Perhaps, unlike us, you are lucky enough to live near an Ethiopian restaurant where you can enjoy this wonderful varied cuisine without lifting a finger, but cooking it yourself is a special experience, and I am grateful to the author for that opportunity.I will also add that, unlike several other reviewers, I don't know the author, nor have I ever eaten in her restaurant. But I'm a fan! Thank you Mulunesh Belay for providing my husband, neighbor, friends, and me with some very fun evenings celebrating terrific Ethiopian food.