Hibiscus

Although she was born and raised in London, Lopè Ariyo grew up with a mother determined to instill pride in her Nigerian heritage. That effort including sending her to school for a time in Lagos, where she deepened her appreciation for Nigerian food. Just as Yotam Ottolenghi is not necessarily bound by traditional Middle Eastern recipes even as he find boundless inspiration in them, for every popular Nigerian dish Ariyo offers, she also provides a recipe for a fresh interpretation based on European as well as African ingredients. Traditional dishes include Obe Egusi, a soup of ground gourd seeds, chiles, ginger, and cloves; Asaro, a spiced yam  pottage; and Obe Ila Osun, an okra and seafood soup. When she draws on Nigerian inspirations, Ariyo creates dishes such as a fennel and mango slaw, seared scallops in grapefruit sauce, and a plantain ice cream. A smart, affectionate, and enticing collection.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout. Metric measure.