tarte tatin wrote:My apologies to all. I am really, really disappointed.... Joe, please let me know if you would like a financial contribution to offset this last-minute cancellation.

Please, there's nothing to worry about. I don't think there would have been anyway, but comradelaura's mom joined us as well, so we ended up at the same number.

I probably ought to be in bed, so I'm going to save a more thorough report until tomorrow, but in short, I'm sorry you couldn't join us, but we managed to have a very good time.

Thanks to Joe for all the planning he put into this event. It was fun for me to see several LTHers that I hadn't met, or at least hadn't seen in a long time. [cliché alert] The company was a major highlight of the evening.[/cliché alert]

I know Joe is planning a writeup, and I don't mean to steal his thunder, but apparently he's more sensible than I, going to sleep at a reasonable hour. So here goes.

There was quite a variety of foods; I only got pix of a few. The two Joes (germuska and Josephine) may have a more comprehensive photo assortment.

Being pan-African, it was unlike any other African restaurant I've been to (not that I've been to that many ...) As their literature says, they serve "... cuisines from the different regions of Africa. From Casa Blanca to Capetown. From the land of Sheba to the Ashanti Kingdom." The owner was friendly and eager to please (and I'm sorry I couldn't stay for the complimentary, impromptu dessert he offered as many of us were walking out the door).

After starting with African Summer Rolls (thin, round fried rolls filled with either beef or lentils, and a relatively thick, soy-based dipping sauce), quite a spread was put out.


It included a spinach stew, with potatoes and carrot


PiriPiri Nyama - marinated beef with vegetables in a chili tomato sauce


Piexie a Lumbo - shrimp and tilapia with vegetables and a coconut sauce


I think I was the only one who tried their Ethiopean beers. I started with a lager; it reminded me of a number of Eastern European beers. Not exactly a clean flavor, but not unpleasant. Light on the hops.


I then tried their dark beer ... very malty, identified as a stout on the label, but lacked the roastiness of a stout. Much closer to a very dark brown ale.


In general, I liked African Harambee, although I do think the spicing was rather mild compared to other African places I've been. But I'd go back again, particularly if accompanied by someone who'd never tried African food and wanted a non-threatening introduction.

nr706 wrote:In general, I liked African Harambee, although I do think the spicing was rather mild compared to other African places I've been. But I'd go back again, particularly if accompanied by someone who'd never tried African food and wanted a non-threatening introduction.

These were my thoughts exactly. Before last night, I had only had experience with Ethiopian and Ghanian food, yet all of the flavors at African Harambee were very familiar to me. I didn't feel like I was eating anything new, yet I'm pretty sure I hadn't encountered before the majority of dishes served last night. The piripiri nyama tasted almost identical to a standard Filipino menudo. I didn't taste the chili part of the tomato sauce that would have made this dish different for me. That said, I enjoyed everything we had last night. I often crave stews and would return to African Harambee for the wide selection of such dishes and friendly atmosphere.

The best part of last night, apart from meeting LTHers & friends I hadn't met before, was the dessert and, more specifically, the act of stopping for dessert. This is an experience I have a lot--where I'll have a meal and be more or less satisfied but be somewhat wanting dessert. Out of laziness or the disinterest of my companions I'll leave the restaurant, again, feeling like something in the evening was lacking. I loved that as the remainder of the group last night, we had put on our coats and said our goodbyes, were steps from the restaurant's front door, when, with a little nudge from Jyoti, we re-parked ourselves at the bar for complimentary sambussas and ice cream. Have I said lately how much I love LTH? Thanks everyone for the company, during dinner and dessert. Also, of course, thank you, Joe, for organizing the outing.

You mean I missed dessert? I guess I was too eager to make my walk home.

I enjoyed the variety offered at the dinner last night. It was nice to be able to sample so many different items. I particularly enjoyed the dried fruit curry and the lentils. Both were higher on the spice scale, which is probably what made them stand out for me. I am glad African Harambee is so close -- quality walkable options tend to get visited by Mr. X and me more often.

As always, it was a pleasure to see fellow LTHers. Thanks to germuska for putting the event together.

-The GP

P.S. I did stop in the Rogers Park Fruit Market to find out more about the advertised $3.29/pound cow skin. The man at the butcher counter didn't really answer my question of "what do you do with it?"

Thank you all for such a lovely dinner last night. It was a lot of fun meeting you all. I left sated and happy. Joe, thanks for organizing. Liz/Tracy, thanks for getting my stuffed belly home safely. nr706 (T -- not really), your commentary is spot on. Not too spicy, very tasty. I'd definately go back but I'm also willing to go spicier.

GP, too funny that you looked up the cow skin!! Did you actually get a look at it? I did a quick Google and apparently cow skin is used in West African, especially Nigerian, stew for its gelatinous qualities. Fortunately, the hair is singed off before using.

Unfortunately, The Soul of a New Cuisine, my only African cookbook, does not offer any cow skin stew recipes but at least the mystery is somewhat solved.

I look forward to dining with all of you again real soon.

Joe,

Thank you for organizing last night's dinner. My only exposure to African food has been in a couple of Ethiopian restaurants, so it was particularly nice to be offered such a wide variety of dishes from different African countries.

I would concur with comments made by the other diners, namely that the food was interesting but could have benefited from more aggressive spicing. However, I am not surprised to find toned down dishes in restaurants since there, sadly, seems to be great fear of not overwhelming Western palates.

Dessert was an unexpected treat - dried fruits and nuts in a samosa wrapper deep fried and served with icecream. Unfortunately, the people with cameras had left so I do not think we captured a picture of this dish. Sitting at the bar as we consumed this dessert allowed us to chat with the genial owner who helped us understand the cuisine found in different African countries.

All in all, a delightful evening in the company of LTHers whose enthusism and passion enhance every dining experience.

Thanks again Joe and I hope we can get another event going at this restaurant to experience the Ethiopian coffee ceremony that was discussed last night!

Jyoti

I had intended to run by Dulcelandia to pick up candy for the trick or treaters last night, but I was running late. So I went there today at lunch. On the way back, I remembered our cowskin discussion. So I stopped in Rogers Park Fruit Market, and as a result, I now have 1/2 pound of cowskin slowly defrosting in my refrigerator.

Happyeater, I think I can confirm that your idea of using it, as it, to make a coat wouldn't be a particularly good idea.

I may use it to make a rough approximation of an African stew this weekend, and I may save a bit to try and make cracklings.

I'll report back later with photos.

Jyoti, the dessert sounds amazing. How nice to spend some time with the owner. He seemed very interesting. What a great way to end the evening.

Nr706, I am so impressed by your commitment to culinary innovation. Please do not forget the pictures -- and description of your preparation and final taste -- of your cow skin stew. I really am looking forward to hearing about the results.

You'll also be happy to know that you really did not have time last night to buy trick or treat candy at Dulce Landia. There was a mob of people gathered outside the store when I walked past at 6:00.

I have little to add, but to thank all for coming. There was a ton of great conversation, and it wasn't even all about food!

As I mentioned to a couple of people last night, cow skin may have been an ingredient in the "Assorted Meat or Oxtail pepper soup" we had at Qaato on the first North-Clark-a-Thon, and I'm also fairly sure I got a square of it in the "Stew Beef Trim Flankie with Beer in Pot" that I had at Lao Sze Schuan on Sunday. (A successful guess-order from that menu, btw)

Regarding the mention of the coffee service, Sisay had mentioned that people had told him he should open for breakfast, and he said that he wouldn't serve a full breakfast menu, but perhaps something coffee oriented. I volunteered to round up folks here if he decides that he wants to try a test run...

I will admit that I was wishing to be just a bit more knocked out by the food, perhaps echoing happy_stomach's tone. Nothing was bad and several things were really pretty good, but I think there's a lot of room for technical improvement--not that I am qualified to judge african cooking technique. Definitely more spice would be quite welcome.

I abdicated picture-taking responsibility, but Josephine shot a few with my camera; I'll see if any came out, but there seemed to be lighting problems with or without flash...

Others have said it, but I'll say it again: Thanks. Joe.

I'm also glad that comradelaura's Mom could join us.

What I really enjoyed about this restaurant was the opportunity to have dishes from all over the continent. Some were more familiar than others, but all had complex, subtle, sophisticated spice combinations that were new to me. I love heat, but I didn't miss it at all. I appreciated the appetizer rolls quite a bit, as well as the sauce that came with them. I have to agree with the GP that the dried fruit chicken dish and the lentils were standouts. The owner seemed to really enjoy answering our questions and I have a feeling that there is a lot more to be learned from him on future visits.

The food, the warm and knowledgable owner, the pleasant atmosphere, and the location at the edge of Evanston, all make African Harambee a place where I can see myself as a regular.

Postscript: Parking is very easy there.

Inasmuch as some comments I once made about my lukewarm affection for Ethiopian food helped prompt Joe to set this up, I am indeed grateful for his willingness to set up this dinner and do all the legwork. I had promised to do so and simply forgotten. I am thankful for Joe's persistence. The company, as always, was excellent. I only wish I could have stayed longer and enjoyed more of the conversation (and the dessert!)

I, too, enjoyed the opportunity to sample dishes from throughout a vast, highly diverse, and largely (to me) unexplored continent. Although I have had much North African cuisine (from Egypt to Morocco) and some West African food too (largely, though not exclusively, Nigerian), I was eager to try what else might be available.

As with any such sampling, some dishes were more to my taste than others. I had expected, frankly, not to be too fond of East African cooking since I generally tend not to be too excited about Ethiopian. My favorite dish of the evening was the Piri Piri Nyamba, although I've forgotten where it is from. I also enjoyed the chicken stew with a peanut sauce and the South African dried fruit curry. I would happily repeat more of the dishes than I can successfully recall. It was also my first introduction to ugali, an East African corn-based starch, reminiscent of fufu or, perhaps, a very finely ground polenta.

Like Joe, I wish I had been a little more blown away by everything, but I definitely found a number of new dishes that I enjoyed. The owner and server were very kind and helpful and I wish them nothing but continued success--I truly hope they find and maintain a devoted audience.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Inasmuch as some commentsLike Joe, I wish I had been a little more blown away by everything, but I definitely found a number of new dishes that I enjoyed. The owner and server were very kind and helpful and I wish them nothing but continued success--I truly hope they find and maintain a devoted audience.

Why Gypsy Boy, this sounds like you might not be part of their audience again?

Sisay Abebe provided lunch today for members of my department (which I had suggested), and the meal was quite a success, and I hope that African Harambee will receive more customers as a result.

The issue with AH is partly that they attempt to cover the entire continent - from couscous to Peri Peri. It would be like opening a "European" restaurant. Ethiopian, Ghanaian and Senegalese cuisines are not interchangeable. Inevitably something gets lost. And the food at AH, while flavorful, lacks some of the hot or sour tastes of some African dishes. I think of it as "African food with training wheels." It is an excellent restaurant for friends who want a first taste of the various African cuisines. The space is very welcoming (despite some decorations, it feels like a suburban shopping center restaurant); it is clean and spacious and it has a lot of parking. And Sisay makes diners feel right at home. No, it is not Palace Gates, for example, but we need restaurants like this as an entry point for other restaurants with deeper roots in particular national and ethnic cuisines.

nr706 wrote:So I stopped in Rogers Park Fruit Market, and as a result, I now have 1/2 pound of cowskin slowly defrosting in my refrigerator.
...I may use it to make a rough approximation of an African stew this weekend, and I may save a bit to try and make cracklings.

I'll report back later with photos.

Um, I think you still owe us this report... is it possible that I missed it?

While I'm here, I'd been meaning to mention somewhere that African Harambee recently tuned the menu a little. There are now many more classic Ethiopian items, although most of the other African dishes remain, I think a couple were dropped and a couple new ones added. I'd guess there are 10-12 Ethiopian things and 10-12 from other parts of the continent. The yemisir watt, which is one of my benchmark Ethiopian dishes, was quite good.

They've also developed about half-a-dozen cocktail recipes, and the few that my friends and I tried were pretty good, especially the one which was garnished with a sweet, spicy pepper. (One mildly odd thing about the new menu is that there are several dishes which use the "SPP" pepper, and there is a little featurette blurb about it on the menu. It is probably the same as this peppadew pepper, although they don't use that name, so perhaps they have a different distributor or something.)

I really should have posted closer to this more recent visit, but in short, we had a good experience.

germuska wrote:

nr706 wrote:So I stopped in Rogers Park Fruit Market, and as a result, I now have 1/2 pound of cowskin slowly defrosting in my refrigerator.
...I may use it to make a rough approximation of an African stew this weekend, and I may save a bit to try and make cracklings.

I'll report back later with photos.

Um, I think you still owe us this report... is it possible that I missed it?

Damn - Joe, you're a tough task-master. I can barely remember what I made for dinner last night (Salmon, lightly marinated in soy and chipotle vinegar, with roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes), much less what I made a year ago.

As is common with most politicians these days, I promised something (pix in this case), and didn't deliver. However, I do remember defrosting the cow skin, and adding it to a basic beef braise. The gelatin from the skin added an amazingly silkiness to the sauce, and the remainder of the skins had a pleasantly chewy texture.

Probably belongs under "Shopping and Cooking," but I'll recommend adding a little cowskin to any long-cooked beef stew.