This week, many Americans are participating in Kwanzaa, the weeklong celebration of African American and pan-African culture. Tanya Holland, a chef, author and restaurateur who specializes in modern takes on beloved African American dishes, is often asked for recommendations of what to cook during this festive time – particularly for the sixth night of Kwanzaa – the Karamu, or feast, held on New Year's Eve.
Holland is known across the country for her many television appearances, including on Top Chef. Her modern spin on soul food classics is the topic of her most recent cookbook, California Soul.
Her advice is often very specific. To start, don't ask her to incorporate any summer stone fruits in a late December menu.
"I've had clients who have asked me to make a peach cobbler in December and I'm like, 'No, I'm not going to do it. I didn't put up any peaches!," she said, laughing.
Holland doesn't celebrate Kwanzaa herself, but she still sees the season as a chance to celebrate the entire African diaspora. One of the dishes that introduced her to the diverse foods of Africa via Kwanzaa is a quintessential dish from Senegal: chicken yassa, a braised chicken with onions and spices, which Holland called "really delicious."
Holland said that this season also offers a chance to bring out some soul food classics.
"We cook the food of our ancestors and focus on the ingredients that were brought from Africa like black-eyed peas, okra and the dishes that were just really humble and traditional. Collard greens, cornbread, yams. We always have those staples on our menu," she said.
She added that for African Americans, Kwanzaa also gives a chance to celebrate the diversity of the African American experience, family to family. "It's so different if your ancestors are from Mississippi versus Virginia versus Louisiana versus the Carolinas," she said, "as to whether you ate a lot of rice or potatoes or gumbo."
Since Kwanzaa is inspired by African harvest festivals, Holland said, it's a great time to make and share cozy, comforting dishes. If you don't eat meat, for example, lean into the earthy, savory flavors of mushrooms.
"They're such a great substitute for that rich, umami, just really satisfying flavor and texture," she said. "Some of them can be quite meaty, like maitakes. I love cooking them like a little steak!"
For meat eaters, Holland recommends braised meats for this time of year. "I will be cooking my North African Spiced Oxtails at the end of the week for a friend," she said.
That's an oxtail stew flavored with ras el hanout, which is a complex blend of rich spices that is a particular favorite in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Ras el hanout often includes cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, and rose petals – a combination that's pretty much guaranteed to warm you right up.
Holland said that Kwanzaa and other wintertime holidays are a great opportunity to create connection. While she was growing up, she recalled, her parents and five other couples – both Black and white – gathered regularly over the course of two decades to cook and sample new foods together.
"It really informed how I see the world and how I know the power of the table in bringing people together over food," Holland said. "My dad didn't really get abroad until his seventies. But they were exposed to different cultures, and exposed me to different cultures, through the menus they created."
And any opportunity to build kinship over food, Holland said, is one we all should take to heart – whether that's on a Kwanzaa table, or just gathering together on a cold winter's night.
This story was edited for broadcast and digital by Matteen Mokalla. The audio was mixed by Chloee Weiner.
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