Sharing Cuisines And Backgrounds

 What we eat tells other who we are. It's a glimpse into our histories and traditions. A plate of rice or yams can explain our pasts and who are ancestors were. Our recipes are a mirror of us, passed down for generations in some cases.

Regular  contributor Yewande Komolafe wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She tells of her own roots in Lagos, Nigeria in her new monthly column. Like Marcel Proust  with his madeleines, ,  Chef Komolafe reminisces about the aromas and taste of her past, She tells how diasporas shape and will always shape the American cuisine. The broader region of West Africa has also been responsible for the way America eats.Our barbecues and gumbos, fried fish and rice dishes are all part of the gifts the enslaved brought to America. They brought over fried foods along with okra and yams to add to the North American diet. Her own recipes made for guests, explains who she ; her background and her ideas on food. WE all do this , letting friends and colleagues into a slice of our lives and our histories. These dishes connect us to our our pasts and to those ancestors where we inherited those recipes.

Chef Komolafe also offers up a side dish - roasted carrots with yaji spice relish. Yaji is an essential pantry spice that should be in every kitchen. It's a homemade and simple blend of toasted peanuts, ground ginger, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders combined with fine sea salt. All of this is then pulsed in a spice grinder but you can also use a mortar and pestle to create it.Chef Komolafe roasts the carrots on a sheet pan at 400 degrees Farenheit after coating them in a neutral oil such as vegetable or grapeseed.The relish , made with yaji , grated lemon, grated ginger and chopped scallions. Parsley and more oil is added.The carrots are then tossed with the relish in a large bowl. Toasted peanuts are scattered over the carrots. This would be a good side with roasted chicken for a Sunday meal or a a small Saturday get together. It could even be used for grilled vegetables too such as broccoli and cauliflower.

How we cook instantly telegraphs whop we are and where we come from. This is evident in CHef Komolafe's cooking and the ingredients she uses. They reflect her and her family's past while letting her guest know who she is ,