African American And Indian Peanut Soup Collaboration.

You know I've thought for some time about cultures that share foods and their sources, like plants, together. I first heard of peanut soup in high school in the cookbook "Yes, You May Have The Recipe" by Maria Baker. Her version uses curry powder (make note of that fact for now). But then when I got The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American Book by Jeff Smith around 1990 (technically published in 1987) I read peanut soup has an interesting history.

Cream of peanut soup according to Smith was George Washington's favorite dish. This is interesting, because the African slaves brought peanuts over to the New World in the 16th century. And they make a peanut soup there, in West Africa I think. (I also just read online that peanuts are native to South America, probably Peru or Brazil, whatever that means. I guess their story is complicated.) Also, you know peanuts have another African American connection. George Washington Carver was fond of peanuts because he saw their potential to help struggling farmers in the South, particularly in addressing soil depletion and diversifying their income.

Anyways, peanuts aren't used too often in cuisine from India. But they sometimes are. Curry powder certainly is used in Indian cuisine. Someone should collaborate, maybe someone who is African American and someone who is Indian. And make a new recipe for a kind of African American/Indian peanut soup. Or maybe a cookbook with a lot of dishes that are hybrids from both cultures. And with the internet they could share their ebook or their recipes online for free.

Like I shared here once before, making peanut soup is very easy. The simple version is just Chicken and rice soup (vegan versions would be fine), peanut butter and something spicy. You are supposed to make the Chicken and rice soup from scratch, but I use canned.

I wonder if someone hasn't already tried this idea.