Jollof Masterclass at Jamie Oliver Cookery School
Cook with me in London plus a little emotion reflection
Welcome to COOK WITH LERATO! Letters for you with ravishing recipes, stories & a good dose of African magic. This is the free newsletter for all subscribers. If you haven’t joined our community, what are you waiting for? Click below to subscribe or upgrade to support us.
Dear flavour chaser and spice lover!
I have been in talks with Jamie Oliver Cookery School for over 3 years. And then earlier this year, Jamie announced Africana as his book of the month. Does it take 3 years to organise a cookery class? No! Does it take 3 years to be invited to cook in the spectacularly successful cookery school? Perhaps? It may have taken 3 years for us to proudly invite you to join me at the most popular cookery school in London, but it has also been over 6 or 7 years since launching African cookery classes in the U.K. It has taken many more gruelling and joyous years to be celebrated by the likes of Britain’s most popular chef and a worldwide phenomenon, to become a published author, to be represented and celebrated in mainstream spaces in media and television, to be blessed with your support as a member of our community. The significance of all of the above is never lost on me.
A clear vision & mission
If you are new to our community, you may not realise how intentional I am about my journey. Some have shared how happy they are for me since the release of Africana, referring to my cookbook as the gold star turning point in my career. My book is a giant gold star, yes, but only because of a lot of groundwork, experiences, growth and the community we have been building for many years. Without paying very close attention to food and cultural nuances as I was growing up, without years of travelling and learning from indigenes and mamas, from my mother and grand-ma to those of my friends and in the markets, without years of teaching cookery and learning how best to educate, inspire and serve you and my community, Africana would not be the book that it is. One with recipes you want to cook at home, and share with family and friends, one with great context and much hand holding, as if I am with you in your kitchen. One that goes deeper into the mind of the cook, pre-empting your thoughts and actions and offering tips to guide you as you travel through recipes. Without years of research, collecting stories, writing and mastering my art, I would not be able to confidently and successfully create such dynamic recipes that you love so much.
None of my milestones are coincidences or as a result of luck. I have worked for many years with specific goals in mind. To educate and inspire you to cook and celebrate African foods wherever you are in the world. To bring African cooking into mainstream consciousness in our homes and in the media. It has been a very difficult path, with moments I thought I was walking alone into an abyss. Sometimes, I achieve these goals in flying colours, and sometimes I don’t. Because of my passion and preparedness, sometimes these milestones can appear to happen instantaneously. Believe me, it has never been easy, and it still isn’t. It is quite magical thinking about how we got here, a story I am writing to share with you soon. In the meantime, please join me in person in London, Brighton or virtually to learn and share together.
If you are in London this October, do join me at Jamie Oliver Cookery School for my Jollof Masterclass. A fabulous feast with stories and recipes that will captivate and inspire you. We will be cooking my Senegalese 7 veg Jollof also known as the Gambian Jollof called Benachin. Jollof is originally from the Wolof tribe of Sene-Gambia. Senegal and Gambia share a border and used to be regarded as one people. Fascinating isn’t it? More to come in my letters to you and in our cookery class.
See links to upcoming classes below, and I cannot wait to see you, old friend, or new friend, together around the kitchen table.
Jollof Masterclass with Lerato
18th October 2023
Join us for this very special Jollof masterclass with chef, broadcaster and award-winning author Lerato Umah-Shaylor. Lerato will chat through some of her favourite recipes from her new book, Africana, before deep-diving into that beautiful dish, Jollof rice.
Cooking in pairs, you’ll create with her expert guidance:
Senegalese seven-veg Jollof rice
Poulet or aubergine Yassa
And, to complete the meal, you’ll be treated to a tasty serving of:
Strawberry & hibiscus ice cream, pre-made by Lerato herself
Spice Masterclass
Africana Virtual Masterclass
Starting on Sunday, 3rd of September 2023
Enjoy remarkable flavours from across the continent with heart-warming stories and recipes for inspired home cooking. From the comfort of your home, indulge in an immersive and entertaining cookery experience like no other, with old and new friends at our virtual table.
FREE COOKERY CLASS FOR PAID CLUB MEMBERS
As a paid club member, you support the publication of our newsletter and our growing village from across the world who help to create this piece of sunshine. To show gratitude, you are sent member treats from free classes, tickets to fabulous events, exclusive recipes and more. Write to cook@leratofoods.com to join the 3rd of September class for free.
Upcoming Recipe in your inbox
Crispy Halloumi with Cherry Tomatoes & Red Pepper Sauce ~ A recipe from Africana plus cook’s tips and swaps you won’t find in the book, and a fun video to see how I cook this dish. You don’t want to miss this!
Too good to miss! Catch up on previous letters.
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Please stop, jollof rice originated in Saint-Louis du Sénégal not Senegambia or the Wolof tribe of Gambia. Wolof are also to be found in Mauritania. In Senegal we call the dish thieboudienne because it did not originate in the Jollof empire but in Saint-Louis during the French presence. All countries surrounding Senegal including the Gambia cook thieboudienne/jollof rice the same way as Senegalese do, in other West African countries however the preparation differs hence the different names like riz au gras in francophone Africa or jollof rice in the English speaking countries. In Senegal we also call it benEchin which is the correct name. Gambians just took the Senegalese name of benEchin and transformed it into benAchin. Hope that helps.