Traditions

Merry Christmas & A Happy 2012

Christmas wishes & Happy 2012

Dear friends, readers, strangers and loved ones. Thank you for the wonders that 2011 held for me – the loss of a friend, a country move, lots of food and still intense passion about cooking and learning and sharing.

I feel blessed to be me, surrounded by a world of amazing people – you. Every single one of you made and make a difference, every kind word soothed my aching soul, every shared remembrance filled me with joy. Thank you.

I haven’t been a diligent blog reader as in the past. I still love you.

In 2012, I have plans of starting of a monthly ‘Cook Naija tour’, where I introduce one recipe from my beloved country and we experiment with it. At the moment, the details are sketchy. I’m off on holiday to Ghana, the first time I’m visiting an African country apart from Nigeria. I am excited. However, I will not be taking my laptop and so will not be blogging…meaning my proposed Cook Naija thing may not happen till February.

Regardless, I hope to do more with my love and passion for food in 2012.

Here’s to lots of love, laughter, peace and joy to you and yours, I hope you continue to find fulfillment and comfort in knowing that there are ties that bind us all – they are as strong as family bonds and as full of promise as we desire.

With love X X X

‘Simmer & Stir’ Christmas Cake

No corny statements about how quickly Christmas has come this year.No, none. Only cake. A fruit cake. The likes of which I’ve never made before. Dreamt of making….yes but one of those dreams which die hard and early.

I grew up with Fruitcakes every Christmas, lovingly made by Mrs O, a friend of my mum’s. A master baker, she would start her preparations months before the cakes were delivered, gratefully received and devoured.

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Slices of cake don't come more perfect than this, do they?

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Reasons to Believe: Celebrating Sinterklaas in Nigeria

What are memories made of?
Fragments of colored glass, perfect for life’s grand mosaic
Pieces of patterned cloth for the patchwork quilt of our earth journeys
And thick threads, for the tapestries we weave of the world

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Nigerian Small Chops: Puff-Puff & Fish

Welcome to 2011: “Sometimes it’s easier to act your self into a new way of thinking, than it is to think your self into a new way of acting.” {Jo Berry, author}.

Small chops in Nigeria are all the rage – tiny, tasty bites of jazzed-up traditional recipes, served at parties of every sort. Think of them as the ‘tropical’ version of Hors D’Oeuvres: Dundunfried yam, cooked in a mixture of hot oil and sprinklings of water, Mosa – mashed plantain fritters, Chinese style spring rolls, king prawns, puff-puff and fish, peppered snails and many more dishes.

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The first time I tasted the combination of puff-puff, round fried balls of nutmeg-scented dough and crisp fried whitebait at a friend’s wedding in Lagos when I was fresh out of university, headstrong and single, I was pleasantly surprised – they went together like a sweet-savoury house on fire. Strange pairing but one I think which can be likened to a fishy sandwich on some European coast, or perhaps a Bajan fish cake, even if deconstructed, lessy fishy and much more tasty.

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Welcome to 2011!

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Foodie Christmas Gifts

It wasn’t that long ago that I discovered that the spice, Paprika, especially the Spanish sort had various blends – from dulce (sweet and mild) to agridulce (bittersweet and medium hot) to picante (hot), depending on the type of peppers used (round or long), whether the seeds are removed, and how they are processed. And then we planned our holiday to Barcelona.

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On being 1: How to become a blogger

Kitchen Butterfly is 1! One! I (roman numeral).

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Actually, a bit older than one is she. He. It.

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The Princess and the Pinecone – Camping Tips for Beginners

And despite my university camping trips to the Cordillera Cantábrica, I’ll have to describe myself as a greenhorn when it comes to camping. I wasn’t going to put a lot of trust in my teenage experiences,  fueled by youth and confidence – university students and mothers sit in two different camps, not to mention separated by years and a steady decline in outdoor adventure. The Ozoz then and now are worlds apart, especially when it calls for putting up a tent!

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Koninginnedag 2010

Yesterday was Queen’s day.

I sold no macarons, or cookies, or anything for that matter.

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Dutch Queen’s Day Macarons

God created the world
But the Dutch created Holland (Descartes or Voltaire, I can’t find out for sure who!)

Of course I have my own saying to add…..

God created the world,
But Ladurée  and Pierre Hermé  ‘created’ Macarons (This is all me!)

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