Which wasn’t very coconutty to be honest. Thing was, I wanted to make a cake without using dairy…and so replaced the yogurt with coconut cream. Except the beautiful cream with its sweet fragrance didn’t bake itself complete with the fragrance. I’m getting increasingly annoyed with coconut milk. I find the fragrance and flavour disappear in baked and friend goods…I might have to resort to ‘coconut powder’ in an attempt at preservation. Still, this cake was nice. The winner for me though were the dainty decorations on top. I baked it in a tart tin, one without a loose bottom. I made...
‘Epapa’ (Mokey Kola) Relish & Garlicky Snails
When I first discovered Epapa – Monkey Kola/ Cola, I was intrigued by its crisp crunch – part water chestnut, part carrot and its vegetal flavour, a cross between fresh green peas and young carrots. And then one night, with a wealth of it, I decided to make a relish of it. I blitzed pieces of Epapa with coconut, cilantro, scent leaves, ginger, garlic, chili, sugar, salt…Essentially the scent leaf dip sans water and oil. It was chopped and salad and sauce and fresh and crunch and everything at once. Enjoyed with Nigerian-French (:) snails – sauteed like for the snail salad, but...
Nigerian Sautéed Snail Salad
Because you can do more with Nigerian land snails than eat them and make Jollof. Because the peculiar chewy, crunchy texture lends itself to moreTo being sautéed in sweet butter and garlic and young scent leaves. Like strewn atop a bed of greens and herbs. Simple to assemble. And delicious. Think fresh and crunchy, chewy and spice, soft and juicy and all things nice. And here are a few tips you might need: Prepping snails for recipes Cooking snails for use in a recipe How to chiffonade herbs And yes, there is another ‘snail exploration’ coming up – think baked. You,...
Best-ever Puff-Puff Party
Last weekend, I had a puff-puff party. It was the best puff-puff party I’d ever had. Been to. The only one too :). Anchored by the fact that my puff-puff game had improved considerably in a week of making it three times, and a comment J, my daughter made about said fried dough, I gathered a veritable force of ten plus ladies to feast. I love the idea of exploring one ingredient or dish, be it Agbalumo or Mango, and in this case puff-puff. And what better way to discover borders and combinations than celebrating the very thing. On the subject of...
Kitchen Hack – Dambu from Kilishi
When life gives you too much Kilishi; make Dambu. Kilishi is a sun-dried product of, by early Fulani, Hausa tribesmen, created as a means of preserving meat in the absence of refrigeration. All because once upon a day, I craved Dambu Nama but had only Kilishi. And my food processor. And my A game, obviously. Are you familiar with Dambu? Of meat, chicken, fish…but spiced, boiled, shredded and deep fried. The result is cotton candy of meat which swells as you chew. Now Kilishi is made in a different way, being pounded and then sun dried…but still, shredding in the...
How to Make Drying Racks
Ages ago, I used to make handmade paper. In my mum’s blender in our backyard in Warri. The same blender that pureed our tomatoes and onions for stew. The very same one. When my children were old enough to learn about recycling, we made screens for scooping and drying our sheets of pink and lilac paper, formed from soaked offcuts of red and white card, purple and blue and other shades. Recently, I discovered the racks double very well as ‘drying racks’. Ordinarily, I would have used cheesecloth to cover things when I put them out in the sun but...
Grilled Burrata – Meyer Lemon Flatbread
Who would have thought I had so many Meyer lemons in my possession and was this quiet. Remember when? Remember when I talked non-stop about Meyer lemons for weeks and months, totally smitten. Well, there, goes to show. From New York and Wholefoods I brought back a dozen lemons. For the last month, they’ve turned orange in the crisper drawer as I’ve twiddled my thumbs and wondered what exactly to do with them. Till, in my daily or is it weekly email from Bon Apetit which I always have a quick look at, was this recipe for Grilled Naan with...
In Season: Pepperfruit
Its been two weeks or three even since I spotted pepperfruit, ‘shaded’ in small piles of green and red, set on the corner of a busy street on the Marina. The Lagos Marina. I’m heading to a buka lunch with my besto, D who is visiting from Port Harcourt. I spot this ‘mama’, seated on a low stool in front of the most beautiful church in Lagos – The Cathedral Church of Christ with its grey and light and architecture from the 19th century. Pepperfruit, one of my favourite ‘fruits’ ever for its scent and juice. I knew it was...
Mangoes with Chili Salt
I love mangoes and their varied character. To me, the mango is itself in so many ways – sweet and sour and tart. Just like it’s seed. Gnawing on one, I often find myself licking the core of a mango with a puzzled look as I navigate the compass of flavours, flossing my teeth on fibres that look the same yet aren’t. Some are rich and sweet, not in a toothaching manner but blossomy, pleasant. And then there’s sour. So sour my tongue recoils. Before we hit tart. Sharp. Fresh. Awakening. I like that the mango is celebrated in so...