The way to the heart is, proverbially, through the stomach. We are aiming at both places in our upcoming "From the African Table" series, a multi-day collaboration involving writers, photographers, filmmakers and storytellers that is publishing across the USA TODAY Network this week online and next week in print. There will — we hope — be enough mouth-watering pictures of Caribbean jerk chicken, West African Jollof rice, and South Carolina Hoppin’ John to satisfy the most ravenous foodie — along with tales, tutorials and how-to videos that will inspire you to get back in the kitchen and cook up a storm. But there’s something else we hope.