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A Book Review of Baking Cakes in Kigali and an Awesome African Meal
by
The Crispy Cook
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,%20an%20enjoyable%20novel%20reminiscent%20of%20Alexander%20McCall%20Smith's%20Number%20One%20Ladies'%20Detective%20series.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20book%20is%20set%20in%20the%20Rwandan%20capitol%20of%20Kigali,%20a%20few%20years%20after%20the%20terrible%20genocide%20of%201994.%20The%20central%20heroine%20is%20Angel%20Tungaraza,%20a%20Tanzanian%20grandmother%20who%20is%20living%20in%20a%20high-rise%20apartment%20building%20that%20houses%20many%20other%20residents%20from%20other%20countries.%20Angel's%20husband%20Pius%20is%20a%20university%20professor%20and%20they%20are%20taking%20care%20of%20their%20three%20orphaned%20grandchildren.%20Angel%20also%20has%20a%20business%20as%20a%20fancy%20cake%20baker%20and%20is%20sought%20after%20for%20her%20vibrantly%20decorated%20confections%20for%20weddings,%20birthdays%20and%20other%20special%20celebrations.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20a%20lot%20of%20subplots%20and%20minor%20characters%20that%20weave%20into%20the%20novel%20and%20sometimes%20the%20social%20problems%20brought%20up%20in%20the%20narrative%20seem%20overwhelming,%20both%20in%20number%20and%20emotional%20content%20(female%20genital%20mutilation,%20grief,%20rape,%20AIDS),%20but%20I%20did%20savor%20this%20book%20(and%20am%20happy%20to%20note%20that%20there%20is%20a%20sequel,%20When%20Hoopoes%20Go%20to%20Heaven,%20published%20in%202013%20that%20I%20am%20eager%20to%20read).%20Parkin%20is%20a%20native%20of%20Zambia%20and%20was%20a%20counselor%20in%20Rwanda%20for%20two%20years%20after%20the%20genocide,%20so%20I%20felt%20that%20the%20subjects%20she%20brought%20up%20and%20dialogue%20rang%20true%20throughout%20the%20tale.%20Despite%20all%20the%20heavy%20content,%20the%20tone%20of%20the%20book%20is%20largely%20upbeat%20and%20hopeful,%20though%20certainly,%20the%20world%20has%20not%20taken%20the%20mantra%20%22never%20again%22%20to%20heart%20all%20around%20the%20globe,%20but%20particularly%20sad%20in%20the%20nearby%20Central%20African%20Republic.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAngel%20could%20be%20described%20as%20a%20busybody,%20as%20she%20actively%20works%20to%20resolve%20the%20different%20conflicts%20she%20encounters%20among%20her%20customers,%20neighbors%20and%20friends.%20Whenever%20she%20hears%20about%20an%20issue%20that%20she%20feels%20is%20wrong,%20she%20slowly%20removes%20her%20eyeglasses%20and%20gives%20them%20a%20good%20polish%20from%20the%20ever-present%20collection%20that%20resides%20in%20her%20brassiere.%20%22It%20was%20something%20that%20she%20found%20herself%20doing%20without%20thinking%20whenever%20she%20felt%20that%20someone%20could%20benefit%20from%20looking%20at%20things%20a%20little%20more%20clearly.%22%20(page%204)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAngel%20polishes%20her%20spectacles%20a%20lot%20in%20this%20book.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20found%20many%20enjoyable%20lines%20to%20quote.%20Here's%20a%20few%20that%20I%20found%20particularly%20wonderful:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%22Is%20a%20child's%20laughter%20not%20the%20roof%20of%20a%20house?%22%20(p.%2011)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%22In%20my%20house%20it's%20tea%20time%20all%20the%20time.%22%20(p.%2018)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%22When%20someone%20is%20unhappy,%20tea%20is%20like%20a%20mother's%20embrace.%22%20(p.%2093)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%22...[W]e%20say%20that%20a%20hoe%20cannot%20be%20damaged%20by%20a%20stone%20that%20is%20exposed.%22%20(p.%20246)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAt%20Cook%20the%20Books%20we%20read%20and%20review%20our%20featured%20books%20and%20then%20we%20cook%20up%20something%20inspired%20by%20our%20reading.%20I%20first%20thought%20that%20I%20would%20bake%20a%20cake%20like%20Angel,%20brightly%20and%20colorfully%20adorned.%20I%20did%20a%20little%20research%20on%20Imigongo,%20a%20native%20Rwandan%20art%20form%20in%20which%20wooden%20boards%20are%20painted%20with%20vivid%20geometric%20designs%20using...%20(wait%20for%20it.....)%20cow%20dung.%20I%20would,%20of%20course,%20have%20used%20an%20alternate%20frosting.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHowever,%20I%20decided%20to%20make%20a%20savory%20African%20treat%20instead%20and%20settled%20on%20Mchicha,%20a%20Tanzanian%20spinach%20and%20peanut%20stew,%20in%20honor%20of%20Angel's%20homeland.%20I%20found%20many%20recipes%20on%20the%20Internet%20and%20finally%20settled%20on%20this%20one,%20which%20I%20tinkered%20with%20to%20use%201%20(10.5%20oz.)%20package%20of%20frozen%20spinach%20($1)%20instead%20of%20the%202%20lbs.%20of%20fresh%20spinach%20($8).%20I%20also%20added%20in%20a%20handful%20of%20frozen%20peas.%20I%20wanted%20to%20serve%20my%20Mchicha%20over%20ugali,%20a%20stiff%20cornmeal%20mush%20(African%20polenta!),%20but%20was%20out%20of%20same,%20so%20served%20it%20over%20stewed%20red%20kidney%20beans%20instead.%20A%20very%20tasty%20meal%20to%20honor%20this%20satisfying%20book.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPlease%20join%20us%20over%20at%20Cook%20the%20Books%20after%20the%20January%2027th%20deadline%20for%20submissions%20to%20this%20round%20when%20our%20splendid%20CTB%20Host%20Deb%20of%20the%20awesome%20Hawaiian%20food%20blog,%20Kahakai%20Kitchen,%20will%20post%20a%20roundup%20of%20blog%20posts.%20After%20that,%20feel%20free%20to%20join%20our%20band%20of%20literary-loving%20cooks%20as%20we%20read%20Twain's%20Feast:%20Searching%20for%20America's%20Lost%20Foods%20in%20the%20Footsteps%20of%20Samuel%20Clemens,%20by%20Andrew%20Beahrs.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}