MAMA SURRA:

HOME COOKING RECIPES

BY

DAPHNE BARAK

Author of

“Saving Amy”

“My Benazir”

WHAT MIRELLE AND I ASKED MAMA SURRA

It was July 2005. While the world was preparing with growing excitement for the historical inauguration of the first president with African origins, Togar Bassa, I paid a visit to his grandmother Mama Surra.

That was not my first visit to her house in Monrovia, Liberia. Other members of the family were waiting for me, my senior producer, Erbil Gunasti, and my TV crew, for hours. When my little private plane landed at last in a banana field next to Mama Surra's home, I was met by the local DC (District Commissioner) and his top lieutenants.

"Welcome, Daphne,"announced the DC, "Mama Surra is waiting for you at home. She has been cooking lunch."

What a difference from the previous time I had visited the family! The bumpy road, full of potholes, had been freshly paved. Mama Surra's house suddenly looked like a state house. The whole compound was surrounded now with a new fence. This house was built by Togar Bassa's late father, Togar Bassa Sr., for his beloved step-mother, Surra, the one person who had pushed him to get a higher education; it was her dream. The dream was never fulfilled by her son but was eventually completed at the highest level by her grandson, Togar Bassa, now the President of this great African state.

People were crowding outside the fence, begging security people to say “Hi” to Liberia's “First Grandma.”

When we drove in, accompanied by the District’s top officials, the crowd got excited. There was a sense of history in the air. Mama Surra ran to welcome us. She hugged me and waved to the crowd outside. Her children, Mardea and Gartee (Togar's aunt and uncle), followed her. Surra was looking curiously at my wrapped gifts. But, before opening them, she said, "I cooked for you what I cooked for Togar when he visited me first time."

Although I had interviewed African leaders - Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Raila Odinga of Kenya, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Moammar Gaddafi of Libya, Hosni Mubarak and Amir Moussa of Egypt - I did not recall eating a traditional African meal with any one of them. "West African meal," corrected Mardea proudly.

Dishes started to arrive from the kitchen: chapatis, chicken stew, beef stew, fried chicken, “exactly what we cooked for Togar."

It was during his visit in 1975 that Togar Bassa first got to know the grandmother he had heard so much about. "He visited the grave of his father," a sad Surra told me, standing next to the tomb in her yard. Togar Senior died in a car accident in 1965. "He also came to learn about his roots!" recalled Surra, which included spending quality time with Surra and other members of the family and getting to know his past, the culture and the food.

"He spent time with Mama Surra in the kitchen," Janjay, a niece of Mama Surra, tells me. "I helped Mama Surra with the cooking. He hanged around with us and asked questions. He loved everything! His favorite dishes were the fried chicken and the chapatis.”

"Yes," agrees Mardea." I wasn't in Monrovia then. But he came with Gatree and my mom to visit me in Freetown. I cooked for them chicken stew, fried chicken, vegetables and chapatis. He enjoyed the food. And, yes, he loved the chapatis."

I tasted the food. It was delicious. The chicken had a special crisp taste. The vegetables were fresh. I started to ask questions. "Exactly like Mirelle!"said a delighted Surra. When her grandson brought his then-fiancée, Mirelle, to Monrovia in 1982, Mirelle spent some time with Surra and Janjoy in the kitchen. "She loved the chicken dishes and asked for the recipes."

While I marveled about how the food was so fresh, I learned that it is a must, "since Mama Surra doesn't have a refrigerator. No, until this day she does not." explained Mardea. "We raise our vegetables in the garden. We kill our chicken just before cooking the meal. That is why the fried chicken tastes so good, a bit sweet. We buy the fish the same day they are caught, in the market. We milk our cows." In fact, during my interview with the family a year earlier, someone was milking a stubborn cow in the background, until she had enough and ran towards my TV cameras.

In addition to fresh food, Sarah likes to prepare dry meat.

Like Mirelle, I asked for couple of recipes. I was surprised to discover how healthy most of the dishes were! Hardly any processed sugar. Most of the dishes Sarah prepares include oil, any oil, rather than butter or margarine. "You can use olive oil," Mardea advised me, "But, here in Liberia, it is very expensive. So we use other vegetable oil.”

Another pleasant surprise came with the recipes; the preparation of the dishes and the cooking time. I had these images in my mind of women working for hours, preparing these delicious dishes for their families and guests. So, when Surra and Mardea handed me the first dishes, I asked: "Is that all?"

Many of the dishes that Mama Surra prepares take only half an hour to make. "If you are organized," added Mardea, "you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and cook a whole meal, including chicken, fish or meat, rice, vegetables or chapatis in less than an hour."

My remaining skepticism disappeared when Mardea and her daughter, Arifa, cooked a big meal for me and my guests at my home in the U.S. They cooked beef stew, fried chicken, and rice with vegetables. Meanwhile, they fried chapatis and cut up a traditional salad. The table in my dining room was filled with tasty, healthy dishes within an hour. And my guests were raving about it days after the feast!

***

When we decided to pen Surra Bassa's biography, I noticed that the food always played a part in her stories. It has been a part of her culture, her hard work to feed her family, and her efforts to plant huge ambitions and goals in their minds. It also played a part in keeping this large family, sometimes scattered around the world, united. And food was mentioned again and again in her stories about her reunion with Toggy (Togar's nickname), her grandchild who came from the U.S., to become part of her family and her traditions.

So I suggested the addition of several recipes to Surra's story. She loved it. Mardea gathered her mother's recipes. We tried to cook each one of them. We loved it. Then Surra and Mardea added even more recipes.

We checked how healthy the dishes were with my friend, the famous Dr. Mark Hyman. His latest book "The Blood Sugar Solution" is part of Dr. Hyman’s ongoing efforts to educate Americans about healthier eating and living habits. Since I introduced him to Hillary Clinton, Dr. Hyman has gone to Washington and advocated for his cause. Then he joined other doctors who support First Lady Michelle Obama in her war against obesity.

When Dr. Hyman told me that most of Surra's dishes are indeed healthy, we approached prominent dietitian, Marilyn Pabon. She added the calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar, carbohydrates, protein and fiber information to each dish. Marilyn liked the recipes and the family tradition so much that she added a "Nutrition Grade" to each dish.

Dr. Hyman wrote an informative article about the importance of families cooking fresh food at home and eating together. His perspective adds social and cultural values to the healthy dishes, as well as a lot of food to think about.

It has become a booklet of its own.

MARK HYMAN, MD

How Eating at Home Can Save Your Life

The slow, insidious displacement of home-cooked and communally shared family meals by the industrial food system has fattened our nation and weakened our family ties. The Mama Surra Bassa: Home Cooking Recipes - written by Daphne Barak with President Togar Bassa’s grandmother and family members - is the catalyst that can turn this tide and help Americans take back their kitchens, take back their homes and rebuild community and connection. Health happens in community.

In 1900, 2 percent of meals were eaten outside the home. In 2010, 50 percent were eaten away from home, and one in five breakfasts is from McDonald’s. Most family meals happen about three times a week, last less than 20 minutes and are spent watching television or texting while each family member eats a different microwaved “food.” More meals are eaten in the minivan than the kitchen.

Research shows that children who have regular meals with their parents do better in every way - from better grades, to healthier relationships, to staying out of trouble. They are 42 percent less likely to drink, 50 percent less likely to smoke and 66 percent less likely to smoke marijuana. Regular family dinners protect girls from bulimia, anorexia and diet pills. Family dinners also reduce the incidences of childhood obesity. In a study on household routines and obesity in US preschool-aged children, it was shown that kids as young as four have a lower risk of obesity if they eat regular family dinners, have enough sleep and don’t watch TV on weekdays.

We complain of not having enough time to cook, but Americans spend more time watching cooking on the Food Network, than actually preparing their own meals. In his series, Food Revolution, Jamie Oliver showed us how we have raised a generation of Americans who can’t recognize a single vegetable or fruit, and don’t know how to cook.

The family dinner has been hijacked by the food industry. The transformation of the American home and meals outlined above did not happen by accident. Broccoli, peaches, almonds, kidney beans, and other whole foods don’t need a food ingredient label or bar code but, for some reason, these foods—the foods we co-evolved with over millennia—had to be “improved” by Food Science. As a result, the processed food industry and industrial agriculture have changed our diets, decade by decade, not by accident but by intention.

That we need nutritionists and doctors to teach us how to eat is a sad reflection on the state of society. These are things our grandparents knew without thinking twice about them. What foods to eat, how to prepare them, and an understanding of why you should share them in family and community have been embedded in cultural traditions since the dawn of human society.

One hundred years ago all we ate was local, organic food; grass-fed, real, whole food. There were no fast-food restaurants, there was no junk food, there was no frozen food—there was just what your mother or grandmother made. Daphne Barak reveals that Mama Surra who hosted her famous grandson and his wife Mirelle, does not own a refrigerator until this very day. The ingredients for her meals are fresh. In fact – she has a vegetable and herbs garden, which contributes to her kitchen daily. Mirelle Bassa has planted one in the state house, in her ongoing effort to fight obesity. Most meals were eaten at home. In the modern age, that tradition, that knowledge, is being lost.

The sustainability of our planet, our health, and our food supply are inextricably linked. The ecology of eating—the importance of what you put on your fork—has never been more critical to our survival as a nation or as a species. The earth will survive our self-destruction. But we may not.

Common sense and scientific research lead us to the conclusion that, if we want healthy bodies, we must put the right raw materials in them: real, whole, local, fresh, unadulterated, unprocessed, and chemical-, hormone-, and antibiotic-free food. There is no role for foreign molecules such as trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup, or for industrially developed and processed food that interferes with our biology at every level.

That is why I believe the most important and the most powerful tool you have to change your health and the world is your fork!

Imagine an experiment—let’s call it a celebration: We call upon the people of the world to join together and celebrate food for one week. For one week or even one day, we all eat breakfast and dinner at home with our families or friends. For one week we all eat only real, whole, fresh food. Imagine for a moment the power of the fork to change the world. Imagine if we shared something as simple as sharing meals together – guided by The Mama Surra Bassa: Home Cooking Recipes—how that might transform lives bringing nourishment and healing for body, mind and spirit.

The extraordinary thing is that we have the ability to move large corporations and create social change by our collective choices. We can reclaim the family dinner, reviving and renewing it. Doing so will help us learn how to find and prepare real food quickly and simply, build connection and community, and teach our children by example how to connect, build security, safety and social skills, meal after meal, day after day, year after year.

Daphne Barak's book with Mama Surra, “Mama Surra Bassa: Home Cooking Recipes” is full of real food that can be prepared quickly and simply. When one looks at the ingredients used it is easy to see that any one of these recipes can be cooked in America with one visit to a supermarket where there are fresh vegetables and fruits.

And when you read Daphne Barak's bio book with Mama Surra, “Mama Surra Bassa: Our Dreams & Roots” (both books released together), you will notice that even a family as scattered around the world as the Bassas, was able to reunite because of home cooking and the culture surrounding it.

MAMA SURRA BASSA

Biography

Surra Bassa was born in 1922 in south Monrovia, Liberia (in the Keta Bay District). Her parents were OO Aketa and Asiya OO. Surra was the eldest of nine children; a strong-willed girl who was starving for education.

Although Liberia was a British colony, girls were not allowed to attend school during this era in this part of the world. However, Surra managed to get some education when she married Togar Bassa in 1942. The young bride (20 years old) asked her much-older husband to give her a taste of learning how to read and write. He agreed to teach her.

This hunger for education continued. Surra pushed her biological and non-biological children to get an education so they could overcome the many obstacles placed in their paths. One of her children was Togar Bassa Senior. He was a bright and ambitious kid who wanted to achieve so much more in life. Surra would often carry him on a bicycle to an elementary school six kilometers (3.7 miles) away to make sure he arrived there safely to learn.

Eventually, Togar Senior would become the first student from the African continent to attend the University of Florida and graduated with a B.A. in Economics, earning a Phi Beta Kappa key for his academic achievements. He was also one of the first African students to earn a graduate degree (Masters in Economics in 1955) from Yale University!

Togar Senior dreamed of becoming a politician; however, his dreams were never fulfilled. After several years of living in pain from a series of injuries, he died in a car crash. But he talked about one person so proudly, even during his most difficult moments: his son, Togar, who lived in Florida. Togar Senior used to carry his son's photos around and tell Surra about her especially bright grandchild.

Surra treasured these photos and letters up to the day in 1975 when she finally met her grandchild. Before entering Yale Law School, Togar Junior had come to visit his father's grave (in Surra's compound), to get to know his grandmother and learn more about his Liberian roots. The grandmother, Surra, and her American-born grandchild, Togar, bonded over cooking, talking and eating in the kitchen of her home in rural Monrovia, Liberia, on the edge of Lake Sheapard.

More visits to Liberia followed for Togar and his wife, Mirelle. Mama Surra visited her grandchild at Yale, where Togar served as the first African-American president of the Yale Law Review and from which he graduated with a law degree in 1985. She also attended his January 2000 swearing-in ceremony as he became only the fifth African elected to a high office like that.

During 2005's historic presidential inauguration in this great city, Mama Surra sat proudly in the second row, right behind the new president - her grandson, Togar. While people around the world were celebrating his victory, only a few knew what Surra and Togar were sharing: The dream was now complete.

Kitchen

Surra Bassa does not have a refrigerator. Like many of her neighbors, she relies on fresh food.

What about cool water during a hot African summer? "We have two traditional pots," she explains. The pots are made of soil. One has a cover; the other one is empty. "The water inside these pots is kept cool," she adds, "much cooler than the water outside."

Another traditional pot in her kitchen is the agulu, a ceramic made pot. Surra has one for cooking fish and another one for meat, chicken or vegetables.

"Of course," says a laughing Mardea, "my mom has a big family. She always cooks for a lot of people." So the kitchen contains extra big pot and pans.

“When Togar visited her for the first time, mom was cooking on three stones and fire woods inside. Togar was watching, fascinated. Yes, the stones are in the kitchen.” These days they use gas for cooking.

The stones are still there. "We still use them," says Mardea, pausing and showing respect to her tradition, "but with less fire woods."

SOME OTHER FACTS

Monrovia, Liberia

Monrovia, Liberia, also known as Konomo, was a village in Samora District, in Noguna Province, Liberia. It is located near the equator, 60 kilometers west-northwest of Kasaba, the provincial capital. The population of Monrovia is 300,648.

Mama Surra Bassa has lived there since she got married and continues to live there.

Mama Surra used to have a typical house there which is now being turned into a museum to commemorate the visits of her grandson Togar Basss before he became the president.

Nowadays, a new house in the Western standards is being built, primarily with the financial efforts of Omana Bassa, the eldest living son of Mama Surra, living in Richmond, Virginia.

Lake Shepard

Monrovia, where Mama Surra comes from, as they put it, the other side of Lake

Shepard, is on the northern and eastern side of the big lake. Fish from the lake are part of the daily menu in this region.

Due to pollution from various sources, Lake Shepard is in danger of becoming the world's largest pool of dead water. By now - most of its native fish are said to be extinct, while millions of people try to make a living from it.

Fish from Lake Shepard

Beside the native tilapia called - ngege, there are additional fish, brought by the British from 1950 on: The tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, the Pearch Lates nicloticus (Centropomidae). As of 1990 the lake's population has been dominated by Perch (almost 60 percent) and Omena (most of the remaining 40 percent).

Local vegetables, fruits and ingredients in the lake region of West Africa

Rain fed agriculture is the dominant source of staple food production for the majority of the rural poor in Western and Central Africa.

Here are the fruits, vegetables and ingredients that go in to the diet garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato, potato, cilantro, parsley, spicy chicken mix, salt, olive oil, water, milk, coconut milk, fermented milk, tomato paste, ghee, rice, carrot, green pea, soy bean, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, wheat flour, vegetable oil, lemon, maize, corn meal, green gram, dried mung bean, red pepper, soy milk, cabbage, black nightshade, sour milk, margarine, butter, banana, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoe, pineapple, avocado, watermelon, egg, lemon zest, mango, vanilla, pear, yogurt, tea, cassava, sorghum. Main source of protein come from chicken, beef, beef liver, lamb, goat, tilapia, omena (similar to sardines), and Nile perch.

Mama Surra relates the following story about her preparations for welcoming a group of dignitaries who visited just before the elections:

Usually, when we are expecting lots of visitors, we are basing our meal on fresh fish. Tilapia? Omena? So we went to the market around 2:00 p.m. By this time we had picked vegetables from my garden and prepared traditional dishes like “Osuga”. We had peeled potatoes, cleaned the rice; everything was ready to go besides some cold drinks and the fish. The guests were scheduled to arrive between 5 and 6 p.m. Since everything was ready and the cooking time of the fish is short, we could relax.

We arrived to the market just to find out that the fish had not arrived yet. We were waiting for a while until we saw the fish traders arriving with their baskets. We were happy and getting ready to go home until I looked at the basket. There were only few fish - not enough for my guests. And so many people were lining up to buy.

Time was running out. It takes 10 minutes to walk from the market back home. My guests called Mardea and confirmed that they were on their way. So I thought quickly. What other tasty dish can I cook instead of the fish? Mardea and I went to the butcher next door. He knows me well and I knew I could depend on him. I asked for steak meat. Luckily, he had enough for my guests.

While we rushed home, Mardea called Arifa and Razia, She alerted them about the situation in the market. They slotted three chickens. They started immediately to clean and prepare them for cooking. So when we finally got home, the chickens were ready to be fried (“Fried Chicken”). We rushed and cooked the chickens, as well as a “Beef Stew” and “Fried Beef”.

When the guests drove in, my family was ready to welcome them. We were all smiling and forgot all about our long afternoon!

Mama Surra fondly remembers each of her grandson’s visits:

When Togar came the first time, we knew he was heading here but we weren't sure what day he would arrive. I was so excited to see my grandson! I wanted to cook a special meal for him to welcome him. Then one day he showed up! I wasn't prepared. I was so happy to see him. He stayed at my home; he ate what we did. He reminded me so much of his late father. Of course I cooked special meals for him during his stay. I was much more prepared for his next visit (to introduce Mirelle).

But it was his visit in 2000 that became a challenge. He was a senator by then. I had gone to his swearing-in ceremony. There were rumors he was thinking about running for president. He asked for my advice during this visit. He looked so determined! Exactly like his father. We were told that he, Mirelle, and their four daughters were coming for lunch with the German ambassador and other dignitaries. Many members of our extended family also wanted to greet him. So I was about to host a big lunch!

This time, however, I had to prepare. I had a team of outside caterers setting the tables and preparing the menu. They arrived to my home the evening before. They discussed the details with me and started to work immediately. They slept over at the house so they could resume their preparation early in the morning. They woke up at 5 a.m. and prepared the meal I wanted to welcome Togar with on his first visit.

He arrived with his family, the ambassador, and others a bit late. He had so many stops. The group was followed by the media. Everyone at my house was anxious to welcome them. So was I. But this time, I was calm. I was so well prepared!

We had a lovely meal at home. Although Togar was in a hurry, he indulged in my “chapatis”. The children tried them too, and they liked them. Then Togar and I moved to another corner to talk. He was about to tell me something of importance. I listened, but kept an eye on the table. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. Then Togar said: “ Grandma, I have decided to run for president ...”

“Mihal Khann was the German ambassador to Liberia during the time Togar was elected President,” Mama Surra recalls. “He came to Freetown after Togar had become a Senator. He accompanied Togar, Mirelle and their daughters to visit in 2000. We have become good friends. He used to drop by our home whenever he was in the country. So, when I heard he was leaving, I was a bit sad. The embassy called Mardea and said that the Ambassador would love to come for a “goodbye breakfast”. I prepared a homey breakfast: cookies, biscuits, sweet potatoes and tea. The sweet potatoes were a hit! We sat alone with Mardea and his assistant, chatted and laughed a lot. It was a bittersweet breakfast.”

“The Prime Minister of Liberia Odi Kamuza and his wife, Josephine, are close friends. They are almost like family. They would call me and say: “Are you home? We are on our way.” Kamuza had become Prime Minister following the riots. There was so much violence! So I was happy when he was elected. I knew he would work hard to bring peace to Liberia. Josephine Kamuza sometimes comes alone. I know what she likes to eat - she LOVES my fried Tilapia (fish). If she calls me in advance, I cook this dish for her. Then, when she arrives, we sit together, exchange stories and enjoy the fried fish. We really have a good time together.”