Regarding the Egyptian foods, Nan, I would say, overall, it's a transition cuisine between the pure Mideastern/Turkish and the pure North African, with lot's of unique aspects of its own. Plus an overlay of other African influences. And you have to differentiate between the food of the cities, which is rich and luxuriously spiced, and that of the desert, which is simpler and more straightforward.
Interesting that you mention Greek influences. I've always considerd Greek food to also be a transitionary cuisine, between that of the Northern Med and the Mideast. With, of course, many unique aspects of its own.
Cathy: SubSaharan cuisines are very different from North African. For instance, to use your own example, okra is virtually unused in North Africa, except in Egypt.
There are several good books on the subject, and a great website, "The Congo Cookbook" (
Welcome to The Congo Cookbook - The Congo Cookbook (African recipes) www.congocookbook.com -) that delves into many of those cuisines.
One item you'll find mentioned frequently is pumpkin. What is meant, most of the time, is a small, white, very sweet pumpkin called calabrase. I have just arranged seed for it, from an Afrikaans friend, and will be growing it this year. But if you choose any of those recipes, butternut squash substitutes nicely.