Cover of "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen," a product by Gneiss Spice, featuring hands cradling a bowl of vibrant stew overflowing with vegetables and herbs, capturing the essence of West African cuisine. The title and authors, Pierre Thiam and Lisa Katayama, are prominently displayed.
A chef in a white coat meticulously plates vibrant dishes inspired by "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen" by Gneiss Spice. Multiple plates are arranged on the counter, with two others assisting amid these culinary mainstays. Warm lighting highlights the scene, creating an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of Pierre Thiam's signature style.
In "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen," a cookbook from Gneiss Spice by Pierre Thiam, hands present a bowl filled with colorful West African cuisine. Accompanying it is a plate of olives and onions and a small bowl of green sauce, all elegantly arranged on a light blue backdrop to highlight the region's culinary staples.
Cover of "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen," a product by Gneiss Spice, featuring hands cradling a bowl of vibrant stew overflowing with vegetables and herbs, capturing the essence of West African cuisine. The title and authors, Pierre Thiam and Lisa Katayama, are prominently displayed.
A chef in a white coat meticulously plates vibrant dishes inspired by "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen" by Gneiss Spice. Multiple plates are arranged on the counter, with two others assisting amid these culinary mainstays. Warm lighting highlights the scene, creating an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of Pierre Thiam's signature style.
In "Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen," a cookbook from Gneiss Spice by Pierre Thiam, hands present a bowl filled with colorful West African cuisine. Accompanying it is a plate of olives and onions and a small bowl of green sauce, all elegantly arranged on a light blue backdrop to highlight the region's culinary staples.

Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen


$ 28.00
Minus Plus

Experience the vibrant cuisine of west African, any night of the week!

"Chef Pierre Thiam offers an entry point into the cooking of a region that has been ignored by the mainstream food culture for way too long.” —Jessica B. Harris, culinary historian

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

 

Praise for Simply West African

“Chef Pierre has a tender and intimate relationship with West African food that he shares with others generously. His passion seeps into his creations in such a way that when you take a bite of his food, that passion transfuses into you. While cooking is an art with a complex language, Chef Pierre has translated it simply in his new book, Simply West African. Now, we all get to generate that passion for ourselves. His recipe book is as welcoming as Senegal itself!”—Lupita Nyong’o

“A sprawling work of adoration for the cooking and cultures of West Africa condensed into 80 recipes that feel both accessible and penetratingly sincere. . . . The book’s wealth of information is an achievement in itself. But its greatest success lies in its constant reminders that no matter how far removed from the rest of the globe your kitchen may be, you’re never truly far from a new world of inspiration.”—Eater, “16 Best Cookbooks of Fall”

Published September 2023.