Sold out all the books at the Accra launch

I'm in the airport at Brussels waiting for the flight via Chicago back home to Pennsylvania. I have a few "free minutes" at the airport to let everyone know that, as expected, we had a joyous time on Thursday. I was awed by all the impressive number and rank of the hundreds who showed up. We ran out of our over 180 books and many folks pleaded with us to bring more to Ghana. The flowers, music, food, and presentation were up to Flair's standard of doing everything with "flair."

No time to go into details right now, but I thought folks might like to see a few photos from the launch. I'll be more specific when I have more time to reflect on the meaning and to share some of the comments we received. The media were also generous in their coverage with interviews before and also at the launch itself.

1 Day to go until the launch

I squeaked by the blizzard on the eastern U.S. by a few hours and made it safely to Ghana last Friday. I've been working with Barbara to coordinate the Ghana launch of The Ghana Cookbook, but she and her catering staff are handling the lion's share of the publicity and all of the food preparation. It looks to be a grand event.
 
I spent part of the day today at Flair, helping (just a little) with the behind-the-scenes work preparing for the launch on Thursday. That involved, among other things, pre-signing the almost 200 books that will be available there, getting my outfit adjusted (Barbara and I will wear matching outfits). Also, helping sort books and providing general moral support.

It should be a vibrant, lively day worthy of Ghana's culinary heritage. I'm very grateful for the opportunity Barbara and I have had to work together. A bit nervous about how it will play out, but mostly excited. Hard to believe it's actually happening, and the stir it's causing!
 
Here are a few pre-launch photos. We were interviewed for a brief segment to air the day of the launch, Jan. 28, at 8:30 a.m. Ghana time, on TV3. We're still wondering exactly how many folks will turn up. Stay tuned for more photos and a summary of the event.

Anyone who is interested in Ghana's cuisine and around tomorrow afternoon  (Jan. 28, 2016, 3:30 p.m. at Flair Catering), feel free to stop by. It's a rare chance to get books autographed by both authors.

 

TV demo, plantain chips and hibiscus iced tea

Had fun last week doing a brief demo and tasting for Central PA Live in Altoona with Anne Quinn Corr, featuring recipes from The Ghana Cookbook.

Where to buy The Ghana Cookbook in Accra?

Happy 2016! Several folks have asked where they can buy the book in Ghana. It is now available in Accra at  Wild Gecko, and also at  Vidya Bookstore in Osu. If you would like information about attending the upcoming book launch with Barbara Baëta and Fran Osseo-Asare in late January, please contact fran@betumi.com for more information.

We were pleased that Gourmand International announced in December that The Ghana Cookbook was the Gourmand World Cookbook award winner for Ghana, and is now entered in the Gourmand Best in the World competition for "Best African cuisine published outside of Africa," with winners to be announced in February. 

This is the year of The Ghana Cookbook! It has also already gone into its second printing. Try something new this year, or learn how to make a  favorite Ghanaian dish. There are over 140 to choose from.

An especially hearty "yɛdase" (we thank you) to all of you for your support, such as Poem van Landewijk and Elizabeth Dubes Vardon at Wild Gecko Handicrafts, pictured above, on the left and right, respectively.