West African Perspective

About the Book

Whether you plan to serve a simple meal or go extremely elaborate, there is something in this cookbook for you. The international flare that the recipes add to your cooking is what you really need to ‘wow’ your guests and family. You can choose to go for the familiar dishes or a complete traditional dish that will leave them speechless. In this book, you will find recipe favorites that will bring elegance to your table. You have everything you need ranging from appetizers and soups to seafood and meat dishes which completes your collection of ideas to astound your guests. Since we are on the topic of creating a lasting impression, this would be a good time to mention the fun ideas that are included in the book to help you dress up your meals. You would want to browse the salad and side dish sections for a variety of ideas such as sweet, couscous or tropical salads, herbal potatoes, coconut or green rice, rice sticks and much more. Lastly, it is important to mention that creativity is a major factor for successful cooking and is greatly encouraged to ensure that we are transforming the perception of cooking from boring or intimidating to exciting and fun. There is an interesting selection of dishes like creamy shrimp, grilled pepper fish, peanut butter chicken, tasty mango chicken, spinach soup, goat melt, creamy lamb stew and mouth-watering grilled pork just to highlight a few. This book encourages the introduction of innovation in both the food preparation and presentation which will transform your simple home-cooked meals into unusual menus suitable for all occasions. Whether you are a novice or experienced cook or your taste is exclusive or simple, there is something in this book for everyone and for every season.

About the Author

Mrs. Margaret Ellis (formerly Badjan) was born and raised in The Gambia, West Africa. She is the daughter of a woman who has been renowned to be a creative cook. Her mother has been married now for almost 4 decades and has cooked three fresh meals daily for many years with the help of her children and sometimes, housemaids. She has learned from her mother that cooking is an art and that a good cook dispenses happiness to all with their delicious meals. Her mother taught her a value that is explained explicitly by Elsa Schiaparelli in her proverb: “Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is a great importance to the morale”. Margaret started cooking family meals at the age of 8. Her mother knew that even as a novice in the world of cooking, she had a desire to be creative. Her mother peaked her interest when she solicited her opinion or complimented her suggestions. She learned from her that cooking is about getting involved and being creative just as stated in the proverb: “Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand” Chinese proverb. She learned to use the recipes that were provided to her as a theme and cooking the same meals each time with a little variation. Cooking for her is about being creative and discovering new dishes which brings her total satisfaction. She believes that there are many good cooks out there, but the most delicious meals are those that are cooked from the heart with passion, love and thoughtfulness.