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 sweating over a hot Barbie for hours. I keep a bag of lump charcoal for this and other purposes. Charcoal is a light, black residue, consisting of carbon and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal...
Sunday Lunch: Asala-Scent Leaf Soup
Yes, a soup made from the African walnut, known as Asala in Yoruba. Because the beautiful crunch and divine nuttiness must be experienced in one lifetime. The first time I used Asala in a recipe, it was a dip I made – a variation of my scent leaf one. It was beautiful. The characteristic bitterness one experiences after eating it and drinking water (back-to-back) disappears. Instead one is left with a creamy nuttiness that begs exploration. I remember Funke saying when I shared the post on Instagram, that her grandmother made and ‘Egusi-style‘ soup with it. That got me all...
Prawn Head Pepper Soup
There are many lessons a girl learns from her mother – how to use prawn heads is arguably one of the best of them. You might scoff and say ‘really’? And I might smile back gently and say ‘Yes, really’. See flavour is not to be underrated, and if like me, you’d rather derive yours naturally, this is one way. One way to distill the essence of the sea and put it in a dish. And you might learn a few things in the process. Like Don’t throw the heads of your shrimps or prawns away – ever Rinse the heads...
Kitchen Butterfly Featured on BuzzFeed
Fam, we made it – Nigerian cuisine and its beloved dishes done gone global. And yes, KB, Kitchen Butterfly was featured with several mentions. Woo hoo. All this thanks to Bim, Culture editor at BuzzfeedUK, who wrote ‘23 Nigerian Foods The World Should Know & Love‘. At No 1 is the beloved Jollof Rice and at 23 – Afang stew, a leafy green stew popular in Nigeria’s south. {Read about it: All you need to know about Jollof – history, culture, essentials, recipes and an around the world in 12} In between there’s Akara, Dodo, Snails, Banga, Peppersoup {Pepper soup recipes...
Five (5) Delicious Dips in ‘Arabian’ Cuisine
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 paprika for colour. I like it. very much. Recipe: Tried & tested by myself
Pick The Perfect Kitchen Furniture
Your living room is arguably one of the most, if not the most, important spaces in your home. It’s often the first room guests encounter upon entering, and it’s probably where you and your family spend the majority of your time together. For these reasons, it’s crucial to put your own stamp on this living space. You want your living room to reflect you and your personality. Therefore, it’s advisable to plan the space to achieve the look and feel that’s most important to you. Your living room should be a place of comfort, where you can be happy to...
Foods to Break Your Fast
After a long period of not eating, it is best to break your fast with light and healthy foods that get your energy levels up. One suggestion is to have a small plate of fruits or food, go to prayer and then have a more nutritious Iftar meal. Here are 10 things you can eat to keep your energy up: Dates Recommended because the Prophet Muhammad ate dates to break his fast. These tiny fruits are nutritious, a great source of dietary fibre and can be eaten on their own, with nuts, or enjoyed in various forms of date caramel. Watermelon Watermelon...
Moghrabieh Salad
Legume & grain salads are perfect for Ramadan meals. Cook up a huge pot of beans, grains and use it in a variety of soups and salads, combined with simple dressings and vegetables. Take one is this salad, take two is a soup using much the same ingredients. I particularly like this salad for the complex citrus flavours running through it – kumquats, nicely chopped up; some preserved meyer lemon zest, rinsed and mushed up with ease and some fresh lemon juice. {The Art of The Savoury Salad} The dressing combines olive oil, plain date caramel and a few other ingredients...
Suya – Sesame Ma’Salad
Suya and masa to be honest is a no-brainer for they hold court together, very often. I would simply have called this a suya-masa salad were it not my daughter, of croffle vs croissantwaf’fly fame who christened it Ma’Salad, and so it is. You can purchase all the elements from your nearest ‘Glover court‘, mix and match or go the actual whole hog and rustle up your own. I like the combination of flavours and textures – the masa bites work like croutons – heftier without being stodgy. The spiced meat is chewy against the soft of the rice pancake and the sauces – sweet,...