Simply West African by Pierre Thiam, Lisa Katayama

Experience the vibrant cuisines of West Africa any night of the week with 80 easy, accessible recipes

This is West African food for every kitchen, a generous, warm welcome to its delicious, irresistible culinary mainstays and rhythms. If you already cook with ingredients like hearty greens, yams, black-eyed peas, and okra, or have enjoyed Southern staples like jambalaya and gumbo, you have tasted the deep culinary influences of this interconnected region that spans Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Nigeria, and more. 

Now, in Simply West African, celebrated chef and West African cooking authority Pierre Thiam unlocks the region’s essential tastes for the everyday home cook. With helpful tips and tricks that teach readers the basics of the cuisine, Pierre shows how seamlessly these flavorful, easy-to-execute dishes can become weeknight staples or the star of your table for weekend gatherings. Introduce family and friends to:



Familiar dishes with a distinctly West African vibe: 

Chicken Yassa Tacos; Saucy Shrimp and Fonio Grits; Maman’s Crispy Herb-Crusted Chicken; Blackened Salmon with Moyo Sauce

One-pot crowd pleasers: 

Root Vegetable Mafe; Chicken Stew with Eggplant; Tomato, and Ginger; Braised Beef and Collard Greens

Hearty vegetables and starchy soak-em-ups: 

Roasted Eggplant in Peanut Sauce; Double Coconut Rice and Peas; Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Mash

With this book, you too will fill your kitchen with the comforting, irresistible flavors and beautiful spirit of West Africa.

Chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Pierre Thiam was raised in Dakar, Senegal. He is the executive chef of the award-winning restaurant Nok by Alara in Lagos, Nigeria and the Signature Chef of the five-star Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Senegal as well as the executive chef and co-owner of Teranga, in New York City. He lives in El Cerrito, California with his wife Lisa, their daughter Na’ia, and dog Malcolm. Lisa Katayama is a Toyko-born writer who has been featured in Wired and The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan.

Author Residence: Oakland, California

Author Hometown: Dakar, Senegal and Toyko, Japan