I go through phases where I ponder the meaning of life. What and why we’re here. If human beings are really human. Just how much meanness there is and the like. Then I walk in the door of the Philly Homebrew Outlet on 1447 N American Street, right on the corner with a United States of America flag on the door and I believe what I do most of the time – that human beings are kind and loving, wanting the best for themselves and others. I want to experiment with homemade wines, starting with Agbalumo. New York couldn’t deliver...
Destination Philadelphia
We arrive in Philly, not by pre-destination but by looking at a map at almost midnight Monday. The plan was to go to DC, but the train fares shocked me into a new decision. I wasn’t about to spend a thousand dollars on a two day trip…just for train fares. I did say I wanted to be spontaneous a few years ago, didn’t I? On Google maps, the next major thing to appear was Philadelphia. Oh cream cheese I thought. Nice. Train fare, reasonable at three hundred plus. Time from Penn station? One hour twenty minutes. The absolute clincher...
Home-brew Shops in Manhattan, Or Not
I used to love New York but that’s waning. I used to think New York city was infallible – can you use that with a place? The ability to stay above failure, rise about mistakes, never be wrong? I believed once that everything, absolutely everything I needed I could find in Manhattan. Like wine-making supplies. Like when I decided that I wanted to learn to make wine at home that it would give me more than the books I needed. That I wouldn’t have to go to the only celebrated home-brew shop on the corner of the Bowery and Chrystie,...
Eight (8) Non-Alcoholic Nigerian Drinks
…because we have more than Chapman, awesome as it is. We have Zobo, and Tsamiya, Kunnu and more. Isn’t it interesting that most of the drinks I’ve discovered are from the north of Nigeria. That kind of thrills me – most of them are recent discoveries and I’m now thinking of all sorts of combinations. Anyhoo, here is a collection of non-alcoholic drinks that will tease your palate. Chapman Typically made with alcoholic bitters, skip them, use non-alcoholic bitters or add a bit of grapefruit juice. Recipe Sugar cane juice, many ways A beautiful drink that’s as sweet as it is...
Nigerian Dessert Recipes for Easter & Beyond
It wasn’t till I was an adult that I realised we didn’t have a class of ‘Nigerian desserts’. Growing up, desserts in their elaborate western form weren’t our thing. We kept it simple and fresh. Mostly. We had fresh fruit salads and cakes, Ice cream and jelly and that was mostly it. It was enough then. When I moved abroad to Liverpool in 1997, I began to see how western meals were structured. English family friends I spent holidays with had 2 course meals for dinner most days. We had mains and finished with something sweet. Sometimes it was tea...
Beans & Plantain for Easter – Eight (8) Recipes
Beans features in many Good Friday menus…and so… I grew up having stewed beans on Wednesdays and Fridays, a tradition I haven’t been able to sustain in adulthood :). Regardless, here are 8 recipes to help you on your Good Friway. Akara Fancy beans for breakfast? Then make these fritters of ground beans. Can’t be bothered to peel the beans in the standard, tedious process? Look no further, my friend Ronke of 9jafoodie.com has got you covered. Recipe. I also love Ify’s recipe for Akara Shrimp is one of the most awesome things I’ve ever seen. I love it. Plantain Salad A...
Six (6) Sides & Salads for your Easter Menu, Nigerian Style
A follow-on to Good Friday recipes. First Fish, now sides and salads. To get started, read The Art of The Savoury Salad for ideas and recipes. Here’s the collection: Sauteed Greens Green/ Amaranth leaves are sauteed with smoky fish and vegetables to give a tasty result. Use spinach, kale or other greens for a similar result Recipe Herbed Mango Salad One of my favourite recipes with salad. Combine sliced mangoes with a simple scent leaf sauce and you’re in heaven. Recipes for Mango salads – simple and with nuts Garden Egg Salad A perfect way to serve up garden eggs and okwu-oji,...
Eight (8) Good Friday Recipes with Fish
Looking for ideas to celebrate Good Friday and Nigeria moving into a new phase of life? I’ve got you covered with an array of Fish recipes, from starters to entrees and a few sides to boot. From my award-winning Suya Swordfish recipe to a Catfish Ginger Curry, you’ll have enough ideas to whip up a simple but stunning dish. Enjoy. Appetizers Puff-Puff and Fish A classic Nigerian combination of fried dough – puff-puff and whitebait. Try it if you haven’t – it’s a revelation in combinations and a small chops staple. Recipe Pancake Blinis with Fish Easy to assemble tiny...
On Cookbook Browsing
Oh, cookbooks and cold weather. Blankets, apple pies and steaming mugs of spiced tea should be all the rage. It’s been cold in New York. Really cold. We’ve had rain and snow and chill. On days like this, there is no better place to hang out than a bookstore, especially a huge Barnes & Nobles. Especially with children. While they browsed the pre-teen aisles, I hugged the cookbook ones. I knew I wasn’t going to buy a single one because ‘everything is on the internet’. Well, not really. Because I have an insane amount of cookbooks which I haven’t cooked...