Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria with Ozoz Sokoh

CulinaryArts@SPAC presents an immersive evening of West African culture with Nigerian-born culinary anthropologist and author Ozoz Sokoh, in conversation with WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke. Sokoh will share stories from her highly praised new book Chop Chop: Cooking the Foods of Nigeria, a definitive guide to Nigerian cuisine featuring 100 recipes that honor and preserve the nation’s rich culinary traditions. In the tradition of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Madhur Jaffrey’s An Invitation to Indian Cooking, Chop Chop offers both a cultural history and a hands-on introduction to the flavors of Nigeria.

The evening’s tasting menu will be prepared by Albany’s Keobi Restaurant, known for its authentic and vibrant Nigerian dishes, and will feature dishes like Chin Chin and Puff Puff, Jollof Rice, Nigerian Salad, Egusi Soup, Fried Chicken and Mingau de Tapioca. Guests can also enjoy Afro-beat music and explore a marketplace presented by Nine Steps Away from Africa, offering handcrafted silver and beaded jewelry, balafons, soaps, musical instruments, and more. Nigerian cocktails and mocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. A book signing will follow.

The conversation will be recorded for future broadcast on WAMC’s The Roundtable.

The following Sunday, November 16, Ozoz Sohoh will be teaching a small group cooking class at Franklin Square Market, SPAC’s lead sponsor for the CulinaryArts. For more information, click here.

Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria and have it signed by the author.

Ozoz Sokoh is a Nigerian food writer and educator. A geologist by training, she began documenting her food journey on her blog Kitchen Butterfly in 2009. Central to her work is connectedness through food, food sovereignty, cultural identity, reclamation of food systems, and the joy of eating. Her research and documentation explores the roots of Nigerian and West African cuisine, the impact of West African intellectual contributions to global development from the American South, through the Caribbean to Europe, Central and South Americas, and the connection to the Afro-diaspora.

Sokoh has spoken at TEDx and at conferences hosted by the Culinary Institute of America. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Gastro Obscura, CNN African Voices, and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, among others.

She is a professor of Food and Tourism Studies at Centennial College, Ontario-Canada, where she teaches a variety of courses including Exploration of Foodways. She makes her home with her three teenage children in Mississauga, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Find her online @KitchenButterfly.

With over 40 years of combined experience, Kelechi and Obinna have cultivated a culinary haven that honors their Nigerian roots. Kelechi’s background as a nurse and Obinna’s expertise in engineering come together to create an experience that is both compassionate and impeccably executed.

In a landmark partnership with CulinaryArts@SPAC, they are set to bring the pages of Ozoz Sokoh’s book, Chop Chop – Cooking the Food of Nigeria, to life on the plate. Believing that every dish tells a story, they will share the rich, flavorful history of Nigeria with all who attend.

Keobi is a testament to how food can build community and foster understanding. Discover more about their mission and menu at www.keobirestaurant.com.

Thank You To Our CulinaryArts@SPAC Sponsors & Supporters

Culinary Arts@SPAC is produced by Culinary Consultants Pam Abrams and Kevin London.