To paraphrase Flannery O’Connor,* a good African cookbook is hard to find.
And so when such a book appears, the bubbly comes out and the music crescendos.
Senegal-born Chef Pierre Thiam wrote the first cookbook on Senegalese food, Yolele! Recipes from the Heart of Senegal, and ended up nominated for a prestigious IACP (International Association of Culinary professionals) award. Alas, this year someone else won, but that doesn’t really make much difference. As the chef said in an interview, his biggest goal was to get the book published.
Pierre Thiam explores flavorful foods of Senegal
The restaurateur's debut cookbook, 'Yolele! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal,' uncovers a vibrant cuisine that includes street food and traditional recipes.
"Yolele! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal," the recently published debut cookbook from Brooklyn chef and restaurateur Pierre Thiam, is a vibrant and compelling collection, and a terrific introduction to a less familiar cuisine.
Time Out New York
"The food at this romantic Senegalese restaurant is anything but: The kitchen puts a French twist on the indigenous treasures of Senegal. Beef and shrimp spring rolls come alive with a flamboyant sweet-chili garlic sauce; smoked-oyster rice harks back to the owner’s native Casamance region.
Critics' Pick, New York Magazine
"Nestled among brownstones on a side street of Clinton Hill, Le Grand Dakar emphasizes the global influence on Senegalese cuisine with a hip insouciance that makes it worth the venture. The warm-toned, high-windowed space is as comfortably uncluttered as the menu, and its scattering of African art and wood accents complement the comfy entrees and unpretentious side dishes. Don't be lulled, though—the cooking exhibits an understated panache. The succulent, squash-like baked plantain papillote, which spills decoratively out of its peel, is sweet enough to be dessert; in fact, it outshines the Paris Dakar, a serviceable apple-mango galette. A piquant, lemony confit of the lamb-rib yassa may have you gnawing the bone despite the meat's peak tenderness, while the grilled beef kafta (sans skewer) is graced with an elusive spiciness."
Prefer Pick, Village Voice
"More night club than restaurant, this Clinton Hill Senegalese regales you with African high life or American jazz while you eat in a room that can barely contain the band and six tables. The other evening we enjoyed a Cameroonian ensemble as we downed big plates of food barely reconstructed from its Senegalese originals: cheb, a sort of paella often called the national dish; mafe, chicken in rich peanut sauce that packs some heat; and caldou, a lemony porgy stew piled architecturally on the plate. Service is slow, but the food is damn good."
From Yolele to
Le Grand Dakar to … Julia Child?
His first cookbook ‘Yolele! Recipes from the heart of Senegal’ was recently nominated for the coveted Julia Child Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, making it to the final three out of 400 tomes.
WNYC Radio: Le Grand Dakar Film Maker Spike lee may have a love affair with Brooklyn in movies, but his dad Bill Lee has been a long time resident of the place. Last night the 80-year-old Lee led his band at Le Grand Dakar. The restaurant hosts music regularly on Tuesday nights. African food and Jazz were going strong and the small space was comfortable, but crowded as waiters, musicians, and restaurant goers filled the space.
Souléymane at Dakar restaurant in Brooklyn Souléymane Sy Savané interviews Pierre Thiem
at his restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.
285 Grand Ave(between Clifton Pl & Lafayette Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11238
