…or Twelve (12) Shades of Jollof Rice. Jollof rice in the simplest terms is a beacon for West African cuisine. Texturally, it’s half way between the separate, not mushy grains of a pilaf and the ‘sauced’ creaminess of a risotto. Here are twelve (12) takes from classic to not. 1. Classic: Nigeria & Along the coast of West Africa […]
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Part 3: The Fundamentals of Jollof Rice
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Part 2: #Jollofgate – In Defense Of Our Traditions
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Part 1: A Short History of Jollof Rice
Jollof, definitions Noun. Verb. of a red, spiced rice dish loved in every city and town ‘South of the Sahara’ and along the coast of West Africa. Synonyms: Djolof, Benachim (Gambia); Thiéboudienne (Senegal) to cook in a red, tomato-based sauce: ‘Jollof beans’ – a one pot dish of beans cooked in a rich tomato sauce. West African-speak. denoting […]
Harmattan – the season of dry and dusty, of conjunctivitis and freshly pressed mosquitoes (is this just at my end?) Of orange fruit and vegetables – carrots, agbalumo, oranges and tangerines. This season past, I noticed a few things – the regular fruits on display, but a little bit more as well…Read on. In Season: […]
Hi and welcome to the new look ‘Kitchen Butterfly’ site! First of all, apologies for being away for so long. We’ve been cooking something exciting for you…and now it’s done – hope you like it. After five + years, it was time for a re-organisation. So, whats new? The new look KB site is powered by a new, […]
Here are five delicious dips from Arabic/ Levant Cuisine 1. Hummus The standard bearer, and vanilla essence of Arabian dips. It is made from boiled chickpeas, pureed and flavoured with tahini- sesame seed paste, olive oil, lemon juice. Variations range from chunky to smooth, made with freshly boiled or tinned chickpeas, served simply or elaborately with olive oil and […]
Part of the appeal of going to a new place, any new place for me is the food :). Dubai was really interesting because I didn’t try any hardcore Emirati dishes. I had lots of Lebanese and Turkish and others though. Putting that to one side, I got the chance to try a variety of […]
A few nights ago, Lara took me to Barracuda – a popular fish restaurant in Jumeirah 3, Dubai. It is owned by an Egyptian and is established on the concept of ‘selecting’ your own seafood. It reminds me very much of selecting catfish in some Nigerian restaurants, popularly known as Point & Kill. Except in this […]
The last cups are poured slowly, sipped with dreamy eyes. Eyes glazed with memories of mornings and glasses of juice – mostly orange, memories of heat at noon and refreshing drinks, full of muddled mint and ice. Holidays for me are mostly about the unhurried cups of tea at dawn, the fresh juices I down […]
The best pita bread is pillowy, soft, sweet and served warm. Thank you Jedoudna, for all I’d ever known about pita bread has gone to pot. A few days ago, we strolled down ‘The Walk’, seeking where we might feast. At Jedoudna – a Lebanese establishment, we were served basket after basket of the most delicious pita […]
Dear Lord, Thank you for 2014 – the year in which I survived more than accomplished. No need for long stories. Thank you Lord for 2015. I wish you all the very best for the new year ahead, Love & Peace, Ozoz
The best thing for me about a holiday, any holiday is the drinking of leisurely cups of tea. And for me, quite frankly, the tea culture in the Middle East, Gulf states and North Africa is unrivaled. Except by the Chinese perhaps but this isn’t a discourse on who does it better – this is […]
