Cooking instructor and a good friend, Durrain and I hosted a fundraising dinner for the Horn of Africa this past weekend. We cooked an African inspired dinner for about 50 people and invited neighbors, family and friends. The event was held at Durrain and Navaz’s clubhouse in Kennesaw, GA.
According to the news media 29,000 children under the age of 5 have perished in Somalia due to famine. We tried to make a small difference by getting-together in our communities, bringing people together through food and raising awareness of what mankind is facing in other parts of the world. We were able to raise over $800, all of which will go to OXFAM international for Somalia famine relief.
We took a moment of silence to honor the victims of September 11, 2011. Then a local Acapella group sang a few American patriotic songs, followed by cheerful notes. Between the singers and African music, we had entertainment throughout the evening!
The dinner was a delicious feast from all over Africa! A lot of people had never tried some of these dishes, so they were in for a real treat. We prepared Nigerian style okra, cabbage and potatoes; chichen kukupaka, Kenyan chicken curry in coconut sauce; Moroccan couscous with roasted vegetables. Durrain bought a whole baby goat with which she made an Ethopian stew called Doro Wett. She also made some Indian style biryani remembering those Indian settlers in Africa.
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Local African businesses also donated items for the event. Ledet Ethiopian restaurant in Atlanta made special stuffed Injera sandwiches and chicken Doro Wett. It was gone in no time! The Yeshi Food Mart in Clarkston contributed traditional bread and rolls of Injera, a spongy Ethiopian flat bread made with Teff flour. For dessert, we prepared a hearty Burundi peanut cake as well as sweet potato casserole. The kids enjoyed it with vanilla ice cream.
A big Thank You to everyone who attended the event and made a contribution, also to our sponsors Ledet Ethiopian restaurant and Yeshi Food Mart! If you missed it but would still like to make a contribution to the Somalia famine relief, please make a donation online.
