My Guide to Food – Exploring and Mapping intersections between Nigerian Cuisine and Foods of the World
Eid Mubarak, with my first-ever Crepe cake, perfect for crowd-feasting. Talk about resounding successes. Twenty (20) (in my case imperfect but delicious) layers of crepes with alternate layers of rich chocolate mousse and a salted caramel one, finished with a semi-sweet ganache and crushed candied pecans. What a mouthful. A delicious mouthful. Also known as […]
Here, fresh dates edify the palate in a chicken stew. Thankfully. So one evening, I was making a stew in my best cast iron pot from South Africa – my Bush Baby. As I often do, I looked through the fridge to see what could go in, in a kitchen-sink kind of way…and saw the […]
My first taste of fresh dates left the taste of disappointment heavy on my tongue, my lips. It was the first time I’d tried them. Seen them close-up, so when I saw them on an enamel tray in Lagos traffic, I ‘dived’ for a bag. At N200. These fresh dates were yellow with light brown freckles, […]
Kuka, the green powder ground from dried baobab leaves reminds me of Japanese Matcha. Bright and earthy, it commonly features as an ingredient in Dan Wake where it is combined with bean flour and shaped into dumplings. Served with a pepper sauce, I can imagine the texture of chewy cut by the spice, so monotony […]
I am a collector of many things, chief amongst which are kitchen utensils. Since I discovered the Indians have something called a Coconut scraper, I’ve scoured every Indian store in Nigeria and even attempted to do same in Dubai, to no avail. Enter Kalustyan’s on my March trip to New York…and see what I procured […]
Three things – Rice, stew, toppings. Easy for even the most fearful of cooks to accomplish. One needs a wide dish ’cause this feeds a crowd. Could feed a crowd. Make enough rice. Make sure it’s steaming hot. Make a pot of Groundnut stew. Don’t fight with anyone, so keep it to yourself. Hide it […]
These don’t need no introduction or explanation. Take fresh groundnuts, in season – add sugar and spice (fresh ginger, cardamom, 5-spice) and boil away. I promise, you’ll want to bathe, sleep and wrap yourself in the fragrance of the liquid and the taste. We enjoyed this on a Saturday night, with tall glasses of Coca-cola […]
My advice on tomatoes may test ye, o virtuous cook for who fresh is best. Stay with me. Yes, it is the season of fresh corn and African butter pears, Ube; African walnuts, fresh dates, mosquitoes, sugar ants, guinea fowl eggs, yellow pepper and soursop. The season of rain storms and cottton wool clouds, of sunrise and sunsets, […]
A lot of the beauty in photography is being able to translate the touch and feel, and sometimes taste from multi-dimensions to 2 or 3-D. This photo is one of my favourites ever. It features coals heating up on a stove-top burner, in preparation for ‘cold-smoking‘, a technique of infusing food with smoky flavours without […]
Hi. My name is Ozoz. I’m a Nigerian food explorer who’s on a quest – to find and share the sweet, sweet nectar that’s food
