Following the stories, recipes, memories, and traditions behind the Rooted2Gather cookbook.
This journal follows the heart of the Rooted2Gather cookbook — the stories, recipes, family memories, and traditions that are shaping it page by page. Here, I share the journey behind the cookbook, from treasured dishes and cultural inspiration to recipe testing, handwritten notes, and the memories carried to the table.
The heart of this cookbook begins with traditions passed from one generation to the next. Bibi’s knowledge and cooking traditions were carried forward through Mary and now continue through Mimi, connecting East Africa and America through food, memory, and family.
These recipes are more than instructions on a page. They are pieces of history, stories carried through kitchens and generations, and traditions given new life around today’s table.
African Farmers Market plays an important role in the Rooted2Gather cookbook journey by helping connect the recipes to authentic East African ingredients, flavors, and food traditions. Their ingredients are used as recipes are tested and developed, bringing another layer of cultural inspiration to the table.
African Farmers Market is also part of the cookbook’s path toward publication, helping this project grow from a collection of recipes and stories into a finished book that can be shared with others.
Every recipe has a journey before it reaches the final page. Here, I’ll share recipe testing, ingredient changes, handwritten notes, tasting feedback, cookbook artwork, and the little discoveries that happen along the way.
This cookbook began with more than recipes. It began with family, memories, traditions, and a desire to preserve the stories carried from one generation to the next. Rooted2Gather brings together the journey from Bibi to Mary to Mimi, East African-inspired dishes, treasured family favorites, and the ingredients and cultural connections that help bring each recipe to life.
Over the past few days, my kitchen has been filled with the smells, flavors, and little experiments that come with testing recipes for the Rooted2Gather cookbook. Some recipes worked beautifully from the start, while others needed a little adjusting along the way. That is part of this journey: learning, tasting, changing, and documenting each recipe before it reaches the final page.
This round of testing brought three cookies to my kitchen, each with its own flavor, texture, and story.
Orange Nankhatai Chocolate Nankhatai Asali Honey Cookies
Three Cookies, Three Different Experiences
Each of these cookies taught me something different. The Orange Nankhatai brought a bright citrus twist to a traditional-style cookie, while the Chocolate Nankhatai needed a little adjusting when the dough turned out drier than expected. A touch more plant-based butter and milk helped bring the dough together, and melted chocolate helped hold the colorful toppings in place.
The Asali Honey Cookies, made with cassava flour and honey, had their own unique texture and were a little drier than I expected. That is exactly why recipe testing matters. Every batch teaches me something that I can carry into the next one.
These aren't just cookies I'm baking. They're part of the process of building the Rooted2Gather cookbook one recipe, one adjustment, and one taste at a time.
Tomorrow, these cookies leave my kitchen and head to the Rooted2Gather tasting table! I’m excited to share them, hear everyone’s thoughts, and see which one becomes the favorite. The feedback from this tasting will become another part of the cookbook journey. 🌿🍪