Updated 3rd June 2022 Yes, mango fever is here, stalls decorated with baskets of green and orange, red-blushed, and almost tan fruit in varieties from Cotonou to Ogbomosho. For a long time, I paid no heed to the varieties of mangoes in fruit stalls and on the streets for I’ve only ever liked one variety […]
Month: April 2015
Allergic to Coconut Oil?
For the last two days, I’ve suffered a terrible sore throat. Ever since I had a certain chia seed pudding with salted caramel coconut milk. See, I’ve occasional suffered from an itchy throat after eating coconut and tiger nuts. At first, I was puzzled – this was beyond the slight itch and so I turned […]
The New Nigerian Chapman, with Zobo & Orijin
There’s a new drink in town – Orijin and I’m a fan. Orijin…a diminutive of Orijinal, a riff on the word Original. The first time I tried it, there was a steaming bowl of catfish peppersoup set before me at an open-air bush bar type o’ place. We sat on wooden chairs, the moon high […]
#SundayRice: Smoky Peppered Snail Jollof Rice
Eaten on a Tuesday and Wednesday. And repeated again today, on a Sunday. And also a short discourse on how ideas are formed – one of the most intriguing things ever. How are synaptic connections made that generate so much possibility? I was on my way home a few days ago when I drove past […]
Tropical Icepops/ Lollies
There’s heat that makes you want to breathe in the frozen air from a deep freezer and burn your tongue licking it’s walls. There’s heat that leaves you understanding the phrase ‘beads of sweat’. You form them like crystals, drop by drop and soak everything with out. There’s heat that let’s you know who the […]
A Collection of Vinegars
I didn’t realise I had a ‘collection’ till I brought back four bottles of vinegar from Dubai in January – Cane, Palm, Mango and Lime. It was the Mango that captivated me on the aisle at Carrefour. Set amongst the woody sheen of balsamic, the red and golden of wine vinegars and the milky white […]
Cassava & Shaki Suya Hash
I love making hash – great for combining starches, meat, vegetables and sauce, all in one pan. I employed my cassava chunks in this recipes, along with suya of tripe – shaki to Nigerians. I got the ‘book’ shaki, known as Bible. Manifold. Onigbawe, in Yoruba. For the ‘pages’ it has. I love how expressive […]
An Ode To The ‘Real’ Chocolate Chip Cookie
You might think you know what a chocolate chip cookie is And that’s fine But just for the record Just for clarity’s sake…and peace too Let me tell you what it’s not A chocolate chip cookie is not Crunchy or crumbly all the way through Therefore it isn’t Maryland Or any other brand that does […]
The Anatomy of Cassava
I’ve eaten cassava products all my life but I’d never tasted the cooked/ boiled tuber till last weekend. It is an interesting combination of starchy and chewy and a taste that isn’t as distinctive as I expected. What it looks like Think long tubers, about 20 – 30cm with tough brown skins bearing some resemblance […]