February’s Black History Month dinners explore intersection of plant history, cuisine
The cuisines of Africa and the African Diaspora span an extraordinary spectrum of culinary techniques and flavors. In celebration of Black History Month, Cornell Dining will host a series of themed dinners featuring many examples of that diversity.
A variety of cuisines originating from African countries, North America, and the Caribbean will be featured in dining rooms across campus, reflecting different cultures and their recipes beginning with a Sierra Leone themed dinner at Risley Dining on February 5th.
This year’s menu items include beef kabobs with sunbutter sauce and banana akara from Sierra Leone, Trinidadian salt fish and curry chicken, Jamaican oxtail stew and fried plantains, Somali Doolshe (cinnamon spice cake) and Maraq Fahfah (lamb and potato stew), and Kenyan Kuka Papa (creamy coconut chicken curry) and Sukuma Wiki (collard greens).
Cornell University’s Director of Black Student Empowerment in the Centers for Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging, Sharifa Wip, worked with members of Black Students United (BSU) in partnering with Cornell Dining to help plan the events, offering guidance on the menus, decor, and music for each themed dinner.
"Working here at Cornell has given me the opportunity to not only partner with student groups but also to learn more about cuisines from around the globe," says Chef BJ Wojtowicz, Cornell Dining's general manager for residential operations, "allowing me to gain a deeper appreciation for the unique flavors and traditions each cuisine offers."
Many of the variations we see across these cuisines are the result of plants that are native to each area, as well as plants that could be cultivated using the seeds of leftover slave ship provisions, according to “Seeds of Survival and Celebration: Plants and the Black Experience,” an exhibition hosted by Cornell Botanic Gardens.
The Black History Month Dinners:
Feb. 5 – Sierra Leone | Risley Dining
Feb. 11 – Trinidad | Morrison Dining
Feb. 12 – Jamaica | North Star Dining Room
Feb. 13 – Southern Soul Food | Jansen’s Dining Room at Hans Bethe House
Feb. 13 – Somalia | Becker House Dining Room
Feb. 20 – Haiti | Keeton House Dining Room
Feb. 20 – Nigeria | Rose House Dining Room
Feb. 20 – Kenya | Cook House Dining Room
Feb. 26 – Creole Soul Food | Okenshields
About Cornell Dining
Cornell Dining is consistently ranked in the Princeton Review's top ten for best campus food among all colleges and universities in the country! That high rating comes from customer surveys, and reflects Cornell Dining's commitment to serving high-quality foods that are healthy and creatively prepared with genuine care for a diverse community. Cornell Dining operates about 30 on-campus eateries -- which include residential dining rooms, cafés, coffeehouses, food courts, and convenience stores -- and serves more than 23,000 meals a day to members of the Cornell community. For more information, visit dining.cornell.edu.