The Ghana Cookbook. Fran Osseo-Asare

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      It is impossible to adequately acknowledge and thank everyone who has seriously contributed during this cookbook’s decades-long gestation and delivery without adding another hundred pages.

      Barbara and I are deeply indebted to our publisher, Hippocrene Books, and Priti Gress in particular, for sharing our vision.

      We are also grateful to those in Ghana who graciously taught me (Fran) in their kitchens, markets, homes, and offices. Several of you are mentioned by name in the book. I am especially grateful to my late sister-in-law Afua Eunice Osseo-Asare; the staff and students at Flair Catering (particularly those who taught me most directly: Grace Mantey [now Grace Freeman], Favour Anyomi [now Favour Osei-Mensah], Victoria Odoi, and Esther Sowah); as well as Barbara’s indispensable office secretary Rosaline Lamptey; and my guide and driver throughout northern Ghana, Abudulai Abubakari. We are also grateful to Comfort Awu Akor in Tamale and the staff at the Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies; Dorcas Nimbo in Bawku; the late Nana Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II for permission to take photographs at the Akuapem Amankrom Odwira and officials at the Ewe Hogbetsotso (Festival of Exodus) in the Volta Region as well; artist Katie Torda for the use of props from her gallery for several food photographs; other friends and colleagues in Ghana and the U.S. too numerous to list; my virtual supporters, especially fellow African food bloggers, via Betumiblog (you know who you are); the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) for its foresight and pre-contract travel grant; members of the Nittany Valley Writers Network; the TED Fellows community; and family and friends who cheered me on when the going got long and lonely. Again, you know who you are, but especially family members Kwadwo, DK, Masi, Abena, Samuel, Sylvia, Linda, and Patricia. New Leaf Initiative in State College and my creative colleagues provided the perfect place to nurture this work.

      I appreciate the enthusiastic support from interns, most notably in managing and helping with the massive recipe testing tasks. From Penn State: Katie Cochran, Morgan Cooper, and Danielle Dombeck, and from Georgia, culinary student Meisha D. Johnson. I also owe my faithful crew of recipe testers a debt of gratitude,