Over the holidays, I got so many vinegars to add to my growing collection. I now have bottles of Mango, Lime, Palm, Cane Sugar, Champagne, Sherry and others…so much so I’m beginning to think of setting up a rack. The mango vinegar inspired me to try a version with Agbalumo. My thinking is that some of the flavour would be extracted and I could use it in gastriques, vinaigrettes and marinades. We’ll see. This recipe is easy peasy pie. Essentially, you get some flesh ready. Combine it with vinegar, and you’re good to go. I say we’ll see because it’ll...
Nine (9) Awesome Bake Sale Recipes
Here’s what I baked for the Book & Bake Sale Banana bread Brownies, two ways – chocolate chip & white chocolate – pecan Chocolate chip cookies Glazed Lemon Cakes Chocolate cup cakes with 2 types of ganache (white chocolate mint and a regular milk chocolate) Rice Krispie treats Popcorn cake tray bake Chocolate cake crumble with M & Ms and candy in the mix Apple Cakes To drink: Zobo punch Apple ‘mojitos’ Water I paced myself and began baking 3 days before. 3 Days to the Bake Sale Zobo: I made the Zobo, after which I froze it in a number of containers. ...
Preparing for a Book & Bake Sale
Two weeks ago I organised a Book & Bake Sale. Why? It was two-fold – the intersection between having too many books and not enough shelves, and the desire to do contribute to a Blanket Drive organised by a friend of mine, Modupe for internally displaced people in Yola, north of Nigeria. Modupe wanted to collect 3000 blankets. I got courage and energy from the fact that this was for a good cause. Often, we want to do something to help the dire plight of those in need but lack the avenues to do so. Thanks to what we did, she...
In Season, In Season – Mangoes…
…are in season and I am stoked. Mangoes are in season across oceans and continents, from India to Pakistan, Australia to Nigeria. How fragrantly we’re joined. For me, the first fruits of the season are always eaten out of hand. We spend the first week or so re-acquainting ourselves with the familiar scents, part-ambrosia, part ‘tropical’, the delight that is the mango. This morning, I went to the market planning on buying lots of Agbalumo (cherries) but what should I see? Mangoes. I squealed in delight (can you squeal any other way), asking, panting, barely able to line up coherent...
Family Favourites: Sauteed Peppers
Eat the rainbow, soft and sweet. And all it involves is a simple wash, cut, slice and dice. Sauteed peppers are amazing. Cooked low and slow, they transform into soft and juicy nuggets of flavour, simply cooked in olive oil and salt. After making this 3 times in one week, I know we’re hooked and it’ll become one of our staples. Like pancakes. To prepare, I wash the peppers and make a clean slice off the head Top Tip: An easy way to remove the cluster of seeds in bell peppers is to slice the head off, remove the seeds and rinse the...
Re-imagining Nigerian Cuisine: Cassava Chips
The truth is when I happen upon a new ingredient, I like to explore as much as I can. So I’ve done the soup and the salad and this time, it’s the deep-fried chips. I figured that would work better than roasted but that’ll be explored as well. Here, I deep-fried the chips for a few minutes till golden. And seasoned with salt, chili and black pepper. And simply served with scent leaf sauce which is so dopeeeeeeeeeee. That recipe is coming soon. And? Hmmm, not the best turn out. Edible but… not crispy, crunchy. The thing is, the cassava...
Re-imagining Nigerian Cuisine: Cassava Chips & Coconut Soup
With my huge batch of cooked cassava chips, I wondered what else I could do. I considered making Aipim, a traditional Brazilian cake – dense, moist and apparently delicious. We, after all share histories of food and more with them. However, I wasn’t sure my cassava was of the right texture, as it was in chunky chips as opposed to grated and so I decided to venture down a different path. That of a quick broth, flavoured with coconut and herbs, in which the chips got poached and then finished with a squirt of lime juice and crushed, roasted groundnuts. Yum....
Re-imagining Nigerian Cuisine: Cassava & Coconut Salad
My obsession with re-imagining Nigerian cuisine often begins with street food. The end? Dishes with de- and re-constructed ingredients, new techniques applied to familiar flavours and more. Last August, I discovered cooked cassava shreds/ chips, also called Bobozi, Mbrakasi in the east and south of Nigeria. This popular street snack is sold with chunks of fresh coconut. This version sold on the street consists of thin, long strips, created using a peculiar shredder/ grater. When my sister shared some of hers with me, I was fascinated by the taste – bland to be honest, and the texture – somewhat soft yet chewy with a hint of...
Stove-top Smoked Fish
I love the fact that I can smoke fish anything at home, with tea, or coals or with an incense mix my sister brought back from Dubai for me yonks ago and long before my trip. It’s a fairly simple process with no special equipment required. All you need are: Smoking mix – homemade or store-bought Foil paper Preferred – a rack Pot/ Pan with a lid which fits snugly Before you begin, ensure you do this in a well-ventilated area Step 1: Prep the ‘meat’ – fish, chicken, tofu are all game I used fresh fish in this recipe –...