Teff Love: Adventures in Vegan Ethiopian Cooking

by Kittee Berns

Why wait for a trip to your favorite Ethiopian restaurant? Import the delicious flavors of Ethiopia right to your own kitchen! Kittee Berns has demystified this cuisine so you can savor authentic Ethiopian food without ever leaving home. Discover how to source and use the tantalizing seasonings and savory ingredients that are the foundation of these unique dishes.

Kittee introduces the holy trinity of Ethiopian cooking: a berbere spice blend, injera (the fermented sourdough staple), and ye qimem zeyet, a veganized clarified butter. Armed with these basics, you'll be ready to dazzle your family and friends with many of the popular dishes found on veggie combo platters in restaurants all over North America. From saucy wots, spicy stews, and succulent stir-fries to traditional injera-based dishes and fusion foods that blend these unique seasonings into a range of family favorites, fans of this cuisine will be thrilled. Recipes are almost entirely gluten- and soy-free, or can be made so with easy adaptions.

You'll also find tips on tools and equipment to time-saving techniques and menu suggestions. Just pull up a mesob (a traditional woven stand or basket), perch your platter on top, and get ready to party Ethiopian style!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Vegan, Africa

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Kittee Berns has been an ethical vegan for over 30 years and a gluten-free vegan since 2008. She has over 13 years of experience in the natural foods industry. In 2011 Kittee released Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food, a cook-zine showcasing popular Ethiopian recipes. Kittee currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

To sum up in three words: Not Enough Pictures. What is a cookbook without a lot of pictures? It's either a collection of recipes that you are meant to follow or food-writing. This is both but not inspiring in either genre. I've only eaten Ethiopian food a couple of times, both at the Abyssinia in Cricklewood. I was a lot less than impressed and the second time went to fill up at the ubiquitous Nando's down the road.

The bread, injera, is a thick, spongy pancake with a sour taste and a texture like ... a thick, cold pancake. I think it might be a taste you acquire. With time. The food was very highly seasoned. And it seemed to me that the heavy sauces and spices were more to disguise the flavour of the food item than to enhance it. Maybe food way back when had to travel great distances and was not always fresh? Whatever, it is the very opposite of Middle Eastern cuisine which I love. Lebanese, Israeli, Palestinian food is all based on very fresh produce and small amounts of proteins.

The book didn't discuss Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee from Ethiopia. I wonder if it isn't considered vegan? The coffee berries are eaten and digested by civets. People pick the beans out of the civet shit and process them into coffee for people with much more money than sense to drink.

Something unusual about Ethiopian food is that the majority religion is Ethiopian Orthodox (as Haile Selassie, god of the Rastafarians was) and in Ethiopia they have more than 200 fast days a year, two a week plus special days.. They fast from morning until late afternoon and then eat only vegan produce. This makes the cuisine an ideal resource for interesting and unusual vegetarian dishes. Unfortunately, nothing much in the book tempted or even really interested me.

[Mesfin Hailemariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of its kind masterpiece that will bridge the gap between Ethiopian cooking and the western world, heralding the new Ethiopia that will from now on be known for its exotic plant based delicious food rather than for its lack of food.

[Molly Frisinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so much great information about Ethiopian food. What all the ingredients are and where to find them. What does "wot' or "alicha" mean. I have had maybe ten recipes from the book so far, and all have been great. The directions were straightforward. My favorites were ye'tikil gomen be'karot (stewed cabbage with carrots), shehan ful (fava beans), ye'bedergan wot (roasted eggplant in spicy sauce), and peanut milk (really!). And I want to put berbere paste in everything now.

You will have to buy lots of new spices, probably even if you have a well-stocked spice rack. You should make some of the spice bases like berbere paste (though the book provides easier alternatives). But extra work is to be expected if you're going to cook a new foreign cuisine.

[Claudia Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethiopian food is my favorite and has lots of vegan options to begin with but this focuses in on the vegan with recipes for every dish I love and every traditional dish I’ve never heard of, dividing sections into foundations, breakfast, Kay wot (spicy red sauce and stew), shiro (smooth legume-based sauces), cooked vegetables, injera based dishes, etc... it’s some of the healthiest and most mouth watering food on the planet but hard to replicate especially the sauces and the bread so this picture- enhanced book is exactly what I’ve always needed on my vegan recipe book shelf. I’d happily throw out ten other books to make room for this one.

[jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most used cook books I own. I've made at least 20 recipes from this and all are delicious, economical, and healthy. My favorites are the Ethiopian style lasagna and the injera. This is a great book if your in the mood for something a bit different. All recipes are 100% vegan!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic cookbook. I planned ahead, made my injera starter and the went on to make a huge Ethiopian feast for my family. I made six different things plus injera. Everything turned out fantastic. Thanks Kittee!

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for bringing the tasty goodness of Ethipopian cooking to the home kitchen. Kittee's recipes are delicious to eat, beautiful to look at, and her instructions make them accessible to cooks wanting to do Ethiopian at home, regardless of cooking skill level. She gives a good intro on the basics of Ethiopian food - customs, cooking & eating, ingredients & where to find them, utensils, techniques, substitutions, and pronunciation. Recipes are titled in traditional terms, with English translations, and listed both ways in the easy to follow index. Index lists recipes by ingredients, making it easy to choose recipes based on what's at hand.
Favorite recipes cooked so far:
Injera (essential, since it is used for serving food on & scooping food with)
Beets & potatoes in a mild sauce, collard greens mixed with soft cheese(who knew?), Ethiopian style Mac n cheese(Mac n cheese, Okay?), garlic jojos(potatoes), red lentils in mild sauce, split peas in sauce & potatoes, carrots & cauliflower in spicy sauce.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest... this was the only cookbook at the library that had an injera recipe, and I reluctantly checked it out because I needed a little guidance. However, last night I made a fantastic dinner based on Kittee's obviously well-researched recipes. I guess that one thing I would have loved to know is where she learned all that she knows. What books inspired her? Who taught her? I think because I just had finished Heirloom Kitchen, I was really itching for more of a cultural and emotional context for this book. Anyway, I can highly recommend Kittee's recipes for Injera, Berbere Paste, Ye'qimem zeyet, Ye'misser sambusas be'ruz (I only made the filling, and used ground beef instead of lentils) and Ye'zelbo gomen be'karot.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kittee Berns really knows her way around a plate of injera. I love a good cookbook that shows the secrets behind restaurant food I normally only get to eat once in a while. Recipes are accessible, thrifty, and tasty, too.

[Roma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, love dit boek. Ik had het meteen moeten kopen toen ik verhuisde uit Utrecht en geen Ethiopisch restaurant meer om de hoek had. Eindelijk ontdekt hoe je mijn lievelingsgerecht maakt :)
Het is een struggle als je alle ethiopische titels wilt lezen, de taal is echt afwijkend, maar het went. Heb een heerlijk Ethiopisch weekend gehad met sambusa taart, rood stoofpotje van gele linzen, romig stoofpotje witte bonen, gestoofde kool, en gecheat met bulgur want nog niet aangedurfd om injera te maken, die uitdaging bewaar ik nog even. De peulvruchten stoofpotjes zijn wel echt perfect slowcooker recepten, misir wot wordt denk een wekelijks gelukmomentje!

[DC]

I'm not sure how to rate this book. The recipes seem clear and delicious and achievable. I always prefer for a cook book to include an image of all the finished things - preferably in close proximity to the recipe. Mostly, though, this book makes me a bit uncomfortable because it's profiting from Ethiopian culture and the author is not Ethiopian. There's also something about the tone of the book that smacks of exoticism and is a bit icky in a way I find difficult to describe.

[Pam McCratic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve got spices in my cabinet now that I didn’t even know existed—but once I ate Ethiopian food at a cozy spot in Ardmore, I had to try making it at home. The flavors were unforgettable—warm, complex, and totally addictive. I had to order a few spices online, but it was so worth it. The smell alone while cooking is incredible, and dinner feels like a little adventure every time. Plus, it makes my wife incredibly happy!

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun introduction to the world of vegan Ethiopian cooking. I prefer photos of dishes with the recipes, rather than grouped together, but I like how the author shows you how to serve the dishes in the photos provided.

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Ethiopian food. Very delighted to have read this book. Teff Love goes way beyond the typical Ethiopian fare offered in restaurants and its all vegan! Definitely expands my repetoire and I've bought copies for my friends.

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still tracking down berbere. Once fall arrives it's going to be all Ethiopian all the time.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't had time to make the bread but the rest of the food is so good!

[Angie Kennedy]

I got this through ILL and was a lot less enthusiastic about it after it arrived. It looks like there's a good variety of recipes, but no one else in my house will eat it, so I didn't finish it.

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible and delicious. Recipes taste exactly like what I’ve had at Ethiopian restaurants.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teff is new to me and I'm enjoying learning how to use it.

[Marjorie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made many very delicious recipes from this book.

[Justin]

Seems pretty good but a lot of the recipes have turmeric and tomatoes which are problematic for me

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay look if you don't know about Kittee and her extensive love for vegan cooking and history of awesome cookzines or her recipe websites or her killer vegan cakes or just generally what a sweetheart she is, you don't have to keep missing out because now she has actual legit books in print! Her Teff Love is a great vegan cookbook and a great intro to Ethiopian cooking with detailed information on how to get started.

All vegan, soy and gluten are easy to avoid.

[Richard Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful cookbook. The author takes you through the essential techniques and ingredients required to make Ethiopian dishes and, unlike too many cookbooks, these are simple to accomplish and easy to find.
And the results are very, very tasty!

[Wallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the recipes look good to me, I'm not sure my family will really eat many of these recipes.