Archive: Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa Snacking
I was in Charleston, S.C., for the first time this spring, and during my weekend stay only scratched the surface of the rich culinary heritage of this part of the south, and in particular, that of Gullah country. I did stumble upon all kinds of delicious morsels, including the benne cracker, a thin sesame seed wafer that's a little bit sweet, a little bit savory. I wolfed down a bag and bought one for my pals back home, intrigued by their flavor and texture. It was only during recent research that I put benne crackers together with Kwanzaa and came up with some interesting tidbits. It turns out that sesame seeds (known as benne seeds to West African slaves) were among the few possessions that made their way aboard slave ships and ultimately in the cuisines of the American south. I tried my hand at making a bunch of bennes...
By kimodo | December 22, 2005; 12:53 PM ET | Comments: (2)
'Tis the Season for 'Kah and 'Zaa, Too
Based on television commercials alone, you'd think that the only holiday coming up this weekend is Christmas. There's Santa, yet again, at the Kay Jewelers buying a rock for Mrs. Claus and there go those Target kids, getting jiggy by the tree, dancing to a holiday rendition of an Earth, Wind and Fire tune. Thing is, there's a whole lot goin' on this long holiday weekend, which includes both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, both culinary events in and of themselves. The eight-day Jewish festival of lights actually coincides this year with Christmas, kicking off the evening of Dec. 25. Wake up the next morning, Dec. 26, and there's Kwanzaa to celebrate, the seven-day tribute to Africa and African-inspired culture, which continues until New Year's Day. So as you can see, there is much to do beyond trimming a tree and waiting for the fat dude to come down the chimney. There...
By kimodo | December 20, 2005; 10:13 AM ET | Comments: (8)
