June 17, 2000

Learn the Secrets of African Cooking and Enjoy an African Feast

(June 17, 2000 -- North Adams, MA) On Saturday, July 8, at 5 pm visitors to MASS MoCA will discover the rich, sultry blend of meats, tropical fruits, vegetable, grains, and spices that form the foundation of West African cuisine. Culinary historian and author Elizabeth Jackson will host a journey through the south of the Sahara with Taste of Africa. The evening will include a cooking demonstration and a hot buffet dinner featuring the demonstrated recipes.

West Africa stretches southward from the Sahara Desert to the humid coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, encompassing everything from Senegal to Nigeria. West African cooking requires very little specialized equipment and, as Jackson makes clear, "the beauty of West African cooking is its flexibility. There may be dozens of variations for a single dish, and you can easily tailor that same dish to suit your tastes."

The daughter of missionaries, Elizabeth Jackson grew up in the Kano area of Nigeria, just south of the Sahara desert. She moved to the United States before going to college and eventually began reproducing the Nigerian recipes of her childhood. Her West African-style cookbook, South of the Sahara is one of few on the topic. According to the Reviewer's Bookwatch, "There's a relative shortage of African cookbooks in general, compared with other countries; what is available usually lacks the glistening photo-enhanced appeal of competing nations. Not so this guide: from its appealing dishes... to its photos, maps and recipes, this is a superior African cookbook indeed."

The Feast series is sponsored by Philip Morris Companies, Inc.

Tickets for Taste of Africa are $18 and are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office at 87 Marshall St. in North Adams from 10 am until 6 pm daily. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased online at www.massmoca.org. Elizabeth Jackson will be available after the event to sign copies of her book.

MASS MoCA will also host a Pan-African Dance Party starting at 7:30 pm on July 8 with Valerie Naranjo and Mandara and dance instruction provided by Sandra Burton.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org