AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni (A Cookbook)

African cuisine is infused with Californian culture to create delicious, unique meals in this beautiful fusion cookbook.

Kiano Moju was born to a Kenyan mother and a Nigerian father and raised in California. While she spent her summer breaks in Kenya, her home in the states during the school year held African house parties where Nigerian jollof rice, moin moin (steamed bean cakes), roasted chicken legs, and plantains were a common part of life. On weekends and special occasions, they would make Kenyan dishes like samosas, sauteed collard greens, barbecued meat, and other favorites from her childhood including Ethiopian and Eritrean recipes. As Kiano says, “Californian cuisine embraces the flavors of its immigrant communities while celebrating the state’s agriculture and the flavors of fresh produce,” and that’s the concept behind her cooking.

AfriCali is not a traditional cookbook, but rather one inspired by the delicious meals Kiano has experienced in life. The recipes are unfussy but dedicated to flavor including:

Peri Peri ButterHerby HarissaLentil NuggetsCherry Tomato KachumbariKijani Seafood PilauChicken and Okra Wet FryBerbere Braised Short RibsCoconut and Cardamom MandaziGarlic Butter ChaposPili Pili Pineapple Margarita

The gorgeous food photography as well as photos from the author’s travels in Africa make this a cookbook like no other. Dive in and enjoy the delicious, unique meals that the whole family will love.

About the Author

Kiano Moju is a Kenyan/Nigerian American author, recipe developer, producer, director, and video host. Kiano’s culinary identity draws on her Kenyan and Nigerian heritage, her upbringing in the melting pot of California, and her travels abroad. Until 2019, she was a creative video producer at BuzzFeed’s food video vertical, Tasty, where she amassed over 100 million cumulative video views in recipe content. After departing from BuzzFeed, Kiano set her sights on starting her own media company, which led her to launch a nonprofit organization called The Jikoni Recipe Archive. It celebrates the rich cuisine of Africa and across its diaspora by documenting the legacy of traditional and modern cooks, while amplifying its vibrant food culture. Kiano also opened her own production company in Los Angeles called Jikoni Studios. Since opening, Kiano has produced cooking videos for the Food Network, Tastemade, and the USDA, to name a few. Kiano lives in Los Angeles, California.