I was instantly attracted to this book by the description of recipes from the Horn of Africa - a region which has always intrigued me. I first tasted Ethiopian food in Amsterdam in 2007 and was hooked from the first delicious mouthful of a chicken doro wat scooped up with a piece of injera. Until I read this book I was unaware of the diverse cuisine of Ethiopia or the distinct foods to be found in the Tigray region. It really has been a revelation.

The book is a mix of recipes and reminiscence which places the food in a cultural context. I have made my first injera (but the alternate version) and this is a good piece of bread that can be used to mop up sauce of any culinary tradition. The vegan scrambled eggs were something I had never tried and something I will make again.

This is a fabulous book filled with love, family connections and how we all make connections via food. I would definitely recommend.

Tekebash and Saba: Recipes from the Horn of Africa by Saba Alemayoh (Murdoch Books, £22)

Born in Sudan to Ethiopian parents, Saba Alemayoh travelled to Australia when she was just nine.

After a stint in the Australian Army, Alemayoh opened a restaurant in Melbourne with her mother Tekebash Gebre, who took charge of the kitchen, cooking for customers the food of her East African homeland.

After five years, the restaurant closed, so Alemayoh and her mother have co-written a cookbook which pays tribute to Tigray, one of nine states of Ethiopia, and Gebre’s migration journey.

“It was increasingly important that we differentiate and identify with our Tigrayness if you like,” writes Alemayoah, inviting the reader to think differently about how meals are constructed and served. “There are no starters, mains or desserts, simply dishes that are often shared as part of a communal banquet for all to enjoy.”

For readers unfamiliar with the region and its food, the book starts with essays about Tigray’s location and history and the backbone of its cuisine (namely a fermented flatbread called Injera, a spiced butter called Tesmi, and the powdered chile spice mix known as Berbere or Dilik, plus recipes for all three.)

Each chapter is themed around part of Gebre’s story: We learn about Abesh, a basic chickpea stew that was the first dish Gebre ever cooked and how she learned to make it in transit during her flight from the conflict in Tigray; how her first boss in Sudan for whom she worked as a ladies’ maid taught her how to make Bamya (made with okra and lamb); the food she craved when pregnant (Fried Tilapia with Cumin and Lemon, Tigray-Style Gnocchi made with Yoghurt) and later, in a chapter titled Raising a Child in a Tea Cart, we are given a recipe for Mes, a homemade honey wine.

This book is lovingly written by Saba about food and her mother Tekebash's journey from Ethiopia's northern most state Tigray to the opening of her restaurant. There are both hair raising and amusing stories along the way interwoven by recipes. The recipes are simple and achievable. You're left feeling Saba and Tekebash have become new friends and that you often visit their restaurant. (It is the other side of the world unfortunately)

This is not your average cookery book. Of course there are recipes, and they seem to be mighty delicious too, but the main thing here is the story of the author and her mum. Their heritage in the Tigray region of what is now controlled by Ethiopia and their flight to Sudan and then on to Australia is movingly told here. I learned a huge amount about a region and culture about which I knew very little and what little I did know was wrong. Can you say you were moved by a cookery book? I think you can.

Travel around the world one plate at a time may be as extraordinary as changing airplanes and taking long journeys around the world. When it comes to food, well curated recipes featuring international cuisines may be an unique opportunity to open up to specific histories and cultures, one spice at a time.

With influences from the Sudanese and Ethiopian cuisine, the traditional meals from Tigray are featured in Tekabash&Saba. Recipes from the Horn of Africa, a mother and daughter experience of East African identity. Saba Alemayoh, after a career in the Australian Army, among the first women to go to combat, is the owner of a successful restaurant in Melbourn, Saba serving a fine selection of Eastern African dishes.

The book, with a beatiful cover and equally beautiful illustrations is an introduction to the geography and tastes of East Africa, particularly Tigray, Ethiopia´s northernmost state. The cuisine mostly developed under the impact of faith and available resources.

The backbone recipes of the cuisine are three essential recipes: tesmi - spiced butter, injera - fermented flatbread where, for instance, different meals spread on, instead of dishes (and there is another type of flatbread, the kicha), and dilik or berbere - a kind of powdered chilli mix or paste (the recipes of how to prepare all of them are also included). Ingredients such as chickpea are one of the most used and appreciated, present in various combinations in the recipes of local meals, such as vegan scrambled eggs that I´ve tried and keep perfecting it over and over again. Some combinations are unique, like the cardamom seeds into the shiro powder. The stuffed green chillies, the accompaniment for meat dishes, are also an excellent and easy recipe to try. For a long summer evening, shredded flatbread with tomato sauce is an fresh choice, to be prepared within minutes (as a matter of fact, the book does not inlude the time requested for preparation, and it may be a bit confusing, but after you try the recipes - or just have an acknowledgeable look over the recipes themselves - one may just realize that mostly one may not spend more than 30 minutes preparing it). It also features one of my favorite veggie, Okra - or Bamya - which is such a pleasure to match with meat or vegetarian dishes.

The recipes are sharing stories of her mother´s and her own´s life. They also introduce the readers into the everyday pace and customs of the average Tigraweyti family, a priviledge to be taken with gratitude.

Most of the ingredients featured can be easily found in the ´ethnic food´ stores from all over the world. The recipes are easy to follow and written in a way that addresses both the experiences and the beginner cook.

Tekebash&Saba are an extraordinary introduction into the food culture in this part of the world. A very delicious invitation, actually.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

An excellent book, informative and thought provoking. I learned more about the Horn of Africa. I tried once the cuisine and loved it.
This is a well written and informative book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Absolutely beautiful book recipes I am looking forward to trying Wonderfully written fascinating to learn about African traditions.#netgalley#murdochbooks

A wonderful book a mix of travel guide, memoir and recipe book. It is a delight to read and transports you to a different world. This is a book I will buy in hardback just to dip in and out of.

I loved the cultural and historical notes regarding Tigray and Ethiopia that accompanies the recipes in this book. Some of these recipes have similarities to Indian cuisine as well, especially in the usage of chillis and spices. Readers will find authentic recipes that do not require exceptional mise en place or preparation and can be cooked by any enthusiastic cook.

I am so happy to see more and more books from Africa. I loved the stories, I learned so many things about Tigray and Ethiopia. And the recipes sound delicious I didn't get to make anything yet, but definitely I will soon.

As it mentions in the blurb about this book, it is so much more than a cookery book. In fact, if you just want recipes then probably don’t buy this but if you would like to learn more about the African culture and be informed about the lives of the real people of Ethiopia, then read on. I must admit that I haven’t tried these recipes but I enjoy Middle Eastern Cuisine and some are similar so I expect I will at some point. It is the pages in between the recipes which hold the real treasure.

This book is a beautiful introduction to African cooking, it has some beautiful recipes which I can’t wait to try out.

I knew little of African cuisine before opening this book but it’s really opened my eyes and got my appetite going. What an excellent recipe book that is so much more!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is much more than a cookbook - we learn about the history of a culture and a family as well as a wonderful mother-daughter connection, told amongst the beautiful recipes. I loved having the added context of when a recipe would be traditionally prepared - for a wedding, or after a birth, and the description of the other traditions surrounding those major milestones. The story of the Tigrayan people and the continued struggle they endure is told throughout this book, but it is also full of hope and delicious food.