Saratoga foodies to toast ‘masterpiece’ of a book at SPAC
Ozos Sokoh, author of ‘Chop Chop,’ will watch her boldly flavorful Nigerian recipes come alive Saturday at SPAC – and there are (a few!) tickets left.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Saratoga’s foodies will gather at SPAC this Saturday for a night to remember, this time around the vibrant, flavorful foods of Nigeria. The woman of honor: Ozos Sokoh, who will see the cuisine and traditions from her book Chop Chop come alive during a colorful evening of food, music and story-telling.
“She spent 10 years working on this cookbook, and it’s an absolute masterpiece,” says Pam Abrams, a culinary consultant for CulinaryArts@SPAC and one of the event’s producers. “It’s a deep dive into the food of her childhood, and it’s beautiful and also interesting and new. I’m betting that this cuisine will be new for many of the people in the audience.”
The main event, of course, is the food, for which SPAC has engaged the services of Albany’s Keobi restaurant, known for its authentic and vibrant Nigerian dishes. (Think smoky beef, textured stews, fragrant rice — spicy, sweet, bitter; this is a culture that thrives on diversity of flavors.) Owners Obinna and Kelechi Nwagboso have been working directly with Sokoh to curate an authentic, celebratory Saturday night party that kicks off at 5 p.m.
“The foods of this community are a little bit outside of what we normally offer. so there will be many things to learn,” Abrams says. “There’ll be interesting geographical, political and cultural tidbits in the conversation, as well as new foods and new ways of cooking familiar foods that I hope will make for an entertaining evening.”
There’s even an Afrobeat DJ, DJ Pentiwaa, and a popular vendor from Jazz Fest who will be selling items such as soaps and jewelry to take home from the shop Nine Steps Away from Africa. After dinner, guests will join WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke for a lively conversation with Sokoh for a future broadcast on WAMC’s The Roundtable.
“Food people are some of the most creative people I know,” Abrams says. “I’m grateful to SPAC for providing a stage for them to perform.”
For more information for Saturday’s event and to buy tickets, visit spac.org.
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