We couldn’t do it all without her so Mother’s Day is the ideal time to honor the woman who gives so much of herself to her family. In America and Africa, motherhood is a well-honored tradition, but Mother’s Day is a particularly important holiday in Africa as motherhood is one of the few positions of honor for women. It’s every girl’s dream to become a mother, and young African girls prepare for motherhood by helping their mothers care for their siblings. Both mothers and grandmothers are honored and shown extra appreciation on Mother’s Day. In America, women have more opportunity, but motherhood is equally as important.

This Mother’s Day, give Mom the day off (if she’ll take it) and show her how important and loved she is with a Mother’s Day brunch fit for a queen. For a brunch spread with an African twist, start with Scotch eggs, a popular West African snack food, consisting of hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage, breaded and deep fried. Serve this with Nigerian yam pottage, a spicy stew made with yams and other vegetables. Fish and other seafood are popular in South Africa and other areas along the African coast, and grilled salmon served with a corn salad are light and delicious additions. For a sweet ending, prepare puff puff, a fluffy and rich Nigerian treat similar to doughnuts.
Mom is sure to feel the love with a day filled with delicious food, extra attention and relaxation because come Monday, the making and serving breakfast, preparing lunches, brushing teeth and hair . . . starts all over again.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mom-like women in our lives!

Spring is a time of rebirth in nature and spiritually within. As the weather warms and flowers bloom, Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate the Easter season and Christ’s resurrection.

For many Americans, this is a time for families to unite and enjoy time together. Children participate in egg hunts and anticipate waking on Easter morning to baskets filled with all sorts of goodies left by the Easter Bunny, and worshipers don new spring outfits for Sunday church services. As with other holidays and traditions, Easter in the United States is celebrated differently by different cultures, but it’s these difference and traditions that make the season so special.

In the United States and with the last hymns and prayers of Sunday services complete, attentions and appetites turn to the Easter feast to come. Some families may opt for a classic Easter brunch boasting egg dishes, meats such as bacon and sausage, warm biscuits, sweet pastries and fresh fruit. For an Easter brunch with an African twist, consider a Berber spice rubbed roasted Rack of Lamb, West African fried Rice, some sauteed spring vegetables like baby Carrots and Asparagus along with a great light dessert like fresh fruits served with light cream.

Whether you’ve spent your Easter in an intimate setting with close family or entertained a crowd, Easter is a blessing worth sharing. Happy Easter.

Unfortunately, most resolutions are broken as quickly as they’re made. This year, be realistic and set resolutions that are measurable and attainable. We quite often travel farther by taking baby steps instead of sprinting.

According to a 2011 article in Time magazine, it’s really no surprise that the most commonly broken resolution is to lose weight and get fit. It’s simply not realistic (nor very enjoyable) to vow to drop 20 pounds and run a marathon by February. By making small adjustments to your lifestyle, you could see big changes in your waistline, energy level and overall well being by this time next year – all without the stress and disappointment of another broken resolution.

Instead of dieting, why not make lifestyle changes to the way you eat? Paying closer attention to the foods you eat, the way they are prepared and how they are cooked can result in a new you to last a lifetime. Consider using lower fat and lower calorie ingredients in your recipes (substitute olive oil for butter or low-fat milk or sour cream for their full-fat cousins), and incorporate more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of frying, try baking, broiling, roasting or grilling. You’ll keep all the flavor and lose some of the fat and calories. Speaking of flavor, add a shake or a pinch of your favorite spices to your dishes and put a whole new dimension to meals that you prepare at home. And if you’d like to take a vacation but just can’t get away, explore new worlds through food. The recipes at the end of this article will help take off the holiday pounds and will take you on delicious culinary journey without ever leaving your kitchen.

Adding exercise to your routine can help take off the pounds, increase energy levels, reduce stress and lead to a healthier you. If the gym is not your thing, try a new sport or activity – maybe tennis or dancing (it sure works for those “Dancing with the Stars” contestants) – or just get out and walk. Take the stairs, rake leaves or take a 20-30 minute power walk through the neighborhood in the afternoon.

All this focus on a healthier lifestyle is much easier and more fun when other people are involved. Research shows that people with close relationships with family and friends are more engaged, satisfied and happier, and having people you enjoy in your life can help you stick to your resolutions. Form a supper club focused on preparing healthy meals; recruit a few exercise buddies to help you stick to an exercise routine (walking is a great time to catch up with friends); or form a book club of friends with similar likes and interests. The more the merrier!

In the end, it’s all about living a better life, enjoying life more and being the best that you can be. Best wishes for a happier, healthier you in 2012!

Each of these countries and territories is at a different level of economic and social development, and the various climates, terrains and influences produce a wide range of cooking styles and locally available ingredients. Like the continent itself, African cuisine is multi-ethnic and is as varied as the many cultures – Arab, Asian, Indian and European – that influence it. Recipes and cooking styles are passed down from generation to generation, and many modern recipes are based on classic dishes that are centuries old.

As the heart of the continent, Central or Middle Africa stretches from the rainforest of the Congo River north to the Tibesti Mountains. The region encompasses Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé and Principe. As a predominantly land-locked region, Central Africa experienced very little influence from Europe and the Arab world until the end of the 19th century when Belgium and France developed colonies in the region.

FuFu is a staple of Central African cooking that’s made from boiling root vegetables such as cassava. This thick paste is served with grilled meat and sauces. Cassava also is prepared as cooked greens. Chilis are a popular spice and were introduced to the region during the 16th century slave trade. Popular meats include chicken and beef along with occasional game meats.

Home to Mount Kilimanjaro and to the second-largest fresh water lake in the world — Lake Victoria, East Africa is known for its beautiful scenery and wild animals such as elephants, lions and rhinoceros. The countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are all located in this region.

East African cuisine is as varied as its landscape blending local traditions with foreign influences. Arabs settled the coastal areas of East Africa some 1000 years ago, and centuries later, Portuguese, British and Indians followed. Each group of settlers brought their food products, spices and cooking techniques that are now popular in the region.

Along the coast, the Arabic influence prevails, and the cuisine of this area includes steamed rice with Persian spices, pomegranate juice and other Arabic spices such as cinnamon, saffron and cloves. The Portuguese brought cooking techniques – among them roasting and marinating – along with a variety of spices to add flavor and aroma to the otherwise bland East African diet. From their colonies in Asia, the Portuguese also brought oranges, limes and lemons as well as exotic foods such as domestic pigs, tomatoes, corn, pineapple, bananas and chilis – many of which are still common in the region today.

The Indians and British are credited with bringing spiced curries and soups, pickles and chapatti, unleavened flat bread that is served with curry dishes. In some areas of East Africa, cattle is viewed as a form of currency or wealth; therefore, meat is absent from the diet.

Similar to polenta and to fufu in Central Africa, ugali is the most popular dish in East Africa and is a cornmeal mash made from ground corn flower or maize. With a dough-like or porridge consistency, ugali is predominantly eaten with soups and stews.

The cuisine in Northeast Africa consists mainly of spicy meat and vegetable stews, called “wats.” that are served with flatbread. Typical meats found in this region are lamb, beef, chicken and goat. Vegetables include onions, carrots, potatoes, legumes and chard. Coffee is thought to have originated in Ethiopia and continues to be a major part of the country’s economy as well as the culture and cuisine.

A popular spice of the region is Berber Spice – a combination of powered chili pepper and other spices. It is an essential component of many Northeast African dishes.

In the 1st century, the Phoenicians brought sausages. The Carthaginians are credited with bringing wheat and semolina to the region, and the Berbers made semolina into couscous. The Arabs brought many spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and saffron. Other popular North African spices include cumin, sumac and turmeric. Common ingredients of the cuisine are couscous, chickpeas, merquez sausages, rice, olives, nuts, seafood, various types of fruits and vegetables and meat such as lamb, beef and goat.

One of the most popular dishes in North Africa is the Moroccan lamb tagine. The dish consists of lamb slow cooked in spices and lemon juice in a clay cooking vessel. There are numerous variations of this dish in other parts of the region and continent. Another staple is couscous, which is a pasta made from semolina that is served as an accompaniment to both meats and stews.

The South African coast borders the Atlantic and Indian oceans; therefore, seafood — such as prawns, tuna, lobster, crayfish and mackerel — is abundant in this region. Popular meats are lamb, poultry and wild game. Rounding out the staples of this region are grains and a variety of locally grown fruits such as mangos, grapes and apricots and vegetables including tomatoes, green beans and cabbage. Popular spices include spicy curries from the region’s Indian and Asian influences.

Dishes that combine both sweet and savory flavors are popular with bobotie being one of the most favored dishes. Bobotie is similar to meatloaf or shepherd’s pie. It is made with lamb (or sometimes beef), apple and raisins and is topped with a custard-like topping.

West African cuisine is typically light on meat and heavy on starch and fat with many dishes prepared as stews. More seafood is eaten in this region than in the other areas of Africa, and rice is a common staple due to the abundance of rain. Black-eyed peas also are a staple of this region as are tomatoes, millet, rice, sorghum and root vegetables such as yams, cocoyams, sweet potatoes and cassava. Mutton and beef are the preferred meats in some areas with goat meat being the most popular. West Africans traded with the Arab world, and cinnamon, cloves and mint have since brought an abundance of flavor to West African dishes. European explorers are credited with introducing chilis to the region. Cooking techniques in Western Africa are plentiful and include roasting, baking, frying and boiling.

Jollof rice is the most popular staple dish in West Africa, and while there are many variations, it traditionally includes parboiled rice in a heavily seasoned tomato sauce. The dish is often served with meat or chicken. A popular snack sold by roadside vendors and restaurants in the region is suya – a shish kebab that originated in Nigeria and Niger. Made with skewered beef, chicken or fish and rubbed with a dry spice mix, the kebabs are then barbequed and are often served as a late-night snack.