#PandemicPantry: A pantry set up to provide health, nutrition, sustenance during a situation/ period with constraints on movement for extended periods. I would never have imagined writing this, living through this, living in a time when the whole, entire world is gripped by the Coronavirus/ COVID-19. I’ve always wanted to write about the Nigerian pantry […]
Latest Posts
Daddy’s Palm Oil Stew
I haven’t had palm oil stew in such a long time – I think I forgot how easy it was to make – no stock required which reduces the cooking time by half. The meats used are often smoked or dried so that too contributes to the ease of prep. This is my dad’s ‘recipe’ […]
How to make Green Ofada Stew
This post is prompted by me seeing green tatashe in the market and remembering that they are the base for Green ofada sauce. Quite simply, Green Ofada sauce is a green pepper stew base fried in epo gbigba, palm oil which has been bleached. Red Ofada sauce is made with a red pepper stew base, […]
How to bleach palm oil
A big thank you to My Diasporan Kitchen, whose blog post was the perfect guide for this experiment. Here’s how to bleach palm oil: First, read the recipe on ‘how to’ very well. Though most Nigerians are conversant and confident with oil cooking, frying etc, it’s good to read the recipe, become familiar with the […]
Some Dried Peppers In Nigeria
Peppers are one of the most commonly preserved ingredients across Nigeria. Sun-dried, all sorts of peppers are available in super markets – whole, dried and also ground to what Nigerians call ‘dry pepper’. They go in spice blends, like yaji – a mix of defatted peanuts and spices, used in suya Here’s an attempt to […]
The Fresh Peppers of Nigeria
It is the season of rain, of corn and ube, of Ose Nsukka and green tatashe, of green rodo. It is the season of mud and wetness underfoot, of spicy broths and blankets, long naps on the couch, tall pots of tea, fiery stews chock full of salapore and yoyo – small, transparent fish; river […]
New Produce for Old Seasons
I’m a rainy day girl, anytime, any day, anywhere. Sometimes I think of rain – of the drizzly sort as light water from heaven, an excess of morning dew. This season has been one of new discoveries, albeit a few and I’m glad to share them with you, by the month. June Chio In June […]
Orange – Which Came First? The Fruit or the Colour?
It’s true. Forget everything you thought you knew! Oranges can be green, yellow, orange and shades in between. I raised three children on ‘orange’ oranges, dutifully bought from our local Albert Heijn in Wassenaar. They learnt to eat them quartered mostly and loved them. And then we moved to Nigeria, to green and almost sunshine […]
Finally Named: ‘Umilo/ Omilo’ is Cocoplum, Paradise Plum!
Do you remember these posts I wrote? Pepper Soup Spice Detective: Umilo/ Omilo But… and The Journey to Names and Provenance – Umilo & Gbafilo In both, I tried to find the botanical names for a specific peppersoup spice, umilo/ omilo. There were some conclusions but they were confusing. For instance, I found the supposed […]