At Long Last, New York Is Ready for Ethiopia - By Eric Asimov
The New York Times 2001
''... No other culture has come into the country to introduce new food,'' said Yeworkwoha Ephrem, whose restaurant, Ghenet, has drawn a steady stream of diners since she opened in NoLIta in 1998. ''We isolated ourselves culturally, and our food has not been infused by either European or Asian cuisines.''
Ms. Ephrem's success with Ghenet is strikingly different from her experience with her first restaurant, Sheba, which she opened on Hudson Street in 1979. Back then she had to settle for poor substitutes, like pancake flour to make injera. Americans were apprehensive about unfamiliar traditions, less willing to try new things. By 1984, Sheba had closed..." >>more
The Soul of a New Cuisine - By Lolis Eric Elie
Gourmet 2000
''The future of cooking, Marcus Samuelsson will tell you, is personal. Soon, we will stop boxing great chefs into narrow ghettos of national or ethnic cuisine. What will emerge is an era of "personal cuisine," he says, in which cooking will be defined by all of a chef's influences.
...Although Samuelsson has a personal agenda, this is a working trip for him as well. He feels that it's time to learn more about Ethiopian food. One of his traveling companions is Yeworkwoha "Workye" Ephrem, owner of Ghenet Restaurant in New York and his adviser on Ethiopian cuisine. Ephrem is taking him to meet a higher authority: her 81-year-old mother, Muluwork Asfaw. ..." >>more
The Nibbler: Spicing up a foodie gala - By Chris Sherman
St. Petersburg Times 2002
''... Perhaps the most sophisticated demonstration the uptown crowd got was berebere, the remarkable aromatic combination of cardamom, allspice and a variety of pepper, in lively doro wett chicken and lentils from Ethiopia. "Too many people don't see the flavor (in peppers). They want to sweat. That's not the point," said Yeworkwoha Ephrem, who started New York's first Ethiopian restaurant. "If I make something that is too spicy, I cannot be proud of it..." >>more
ETHIOPIA - NEW TOURIST DESTINATION
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Intro Marketing and Consulting started its campaign to promote Ethiopia as a tourist destination with an event that took place at the Ethiopian restaurant AXUM in Athens on June 18, with the support of the Consulate of Ethiopia in Greece and Ethiopian Airlines. After the crisis with Erythrea Ethiopia is entering a new peaceful phase and claims its share in the worldwide tourist market.
The country is a constant source of new experiences and full of surprises. The tourist can become familiar with ways of life from millions of years ago. Its natural beauty impresses the visitor from the minute he sets foot on the place, with its lakes on volcano craters, its savannahs, wildlife parks exquisite sights and historical sites that show the ancient history of Ethiopia, as it is one of the few African countries that was never a colony.
Consul General of Ethiopia, Mrs. Terina Armenaki-Kalogeropoulou, stressed the fact that Ethiopia is now ready to host more visitors and gave a picture of the tourism mobility for this year. Before the crisis in 1987 the number of tourists visiting Ethiopia amounted to 137.000, while it is expected that by the end of 2001, 120.000 tourists will have chosen Ethiopia as their destination, a record number for the country. She gave assurances that the Consulate will always be close to the people of Tourism and the Press.
Area Manager, Mr. Issayas Woldemariam also spoke on behalf of Ethiopian Airlines, mentioning that that the airline, which is one of the oldest airlines worldwide, can serve the visitors' needs through a highly developed network. The guests had the opportunity to get informed about the beauty of Ethiopia, the services provided and the infra-structures that are being developed.
It was a typical Ethiopian event with traditional music and dancing, where the guests had the chance to taste Ethiopian food and end their meal with the traditional coffee ritual. >>more
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