Zoe Adjonyoh is a writer, chef and food justice activist on a mission to bring African food to the masses. As a mixed-race, queer woman born to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother who works at the intersections of food, culture, identity and politics, she is driven to create change in the food landscape. Through her online single-origin spice shop, teaching and cooking, Zoe seeks to inspire African food entrepreneurs, cooks and chefs from the continent and the diaspora. Zoe also founded the platform Black Book for Black and non-white people working within hospitality and food media. Her latest cookbook is Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen (Little, Brown and Company, 2021).
Zoe Adjonyoh’s Black-eyed Pea Fritters (Akara/Koose)
Cooking Tips:
1. Canola oil has been a revelation for salad dressings and light frying. It can also be cheaper than equivalent olive oil.
2. I buy organic, fresh root ginger and leave the skin on as I find that it gives a stronger flavor.
3. The secret to a good fried plantain is to use fruit at the correct stage of ripeness. This is when the plantain is mottled black but still yellow and firm, and as fleshy as the skin on the inside of your wrist.
