The African Cook Book. Menus are from the Tree Houses Restaurant of the Pavilion of Africa, New York World's Fair, 1964-65

New York: Harvest House, 1964. Small quarto in comb binding (25.5 x 18 cm.), 64 pages. Illustrated. Index. FIRST EDITION. A cookbook of regional African recipes by Bea Sandler, restaurant consultant and food magazine editor. An expanded edition was released in 1970 by World Publishing Co. with the contracted title African Cookbook and re-issued again in 1993. The introduction to the 1993 edition notes that “The first publication of this book was ... the first volume on African cooking to appear in this country or anywhere outside of Africa.” The second half of that statement was incorrect, but it was indeed the first published in the U.S. The cookbook originated with Sandler’s role in planning the menu for The Tree Houses Restaurant at the African Pavilion of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. Sandler writes in the preface that after being given this task, “to our amazement we could not find an African cook book published in America,” though they were able to turn up a couple of volumes published in Africa, after which “we embarked on a long and complex testing program. We invited people who had been in Africa to participate in the testings and to advise us on the final selection of menu items.” Each chapter of the book “is designed to give you a complete luncheon or dinner as you would get it at the African Pavilion.” For instance, one chapter provides a complete “Couscous Menu” consisting of Groundnut Soup, Couscous Mauritania, a salad, and Mango-Banana Sundae. Other recipes in the book include “Tree House” Chutney, Curry of Beef Kenya, Chicken Moamba, Foo-Foo, and Nigerian Pancakes, as well as six recipes for alcoholic cocktails, including Paw-Paw Paradise and Tanganika Tonic. The lower portion of each page prints a description of one of the countries featured at the pavilion. Sandler went on to travel extensively around Africa, compiling recipes for her 1970 edition of this cookbook. This original World's Fair publication is very uncommon. One small pencil annotation to margin, otherwise internally clean and sound. Photographically illustrated covers are lightly rubbed, and with some bumping to corners, otherwise fine. [Not in Tipton-Martin's The Jemima Code].