Plantain is a starchy ‘fruit’ that’s used throughout its various stages of ripeness. Through its colour gradients, from green to black, the sweetness and texture change. It’s important to say that in Nigerian cooking, most traditional applications and preparation of plantain are savory from appetizer to mains and sides so even when sweet ripe plantains...
I grew up eating plantains as an essential part of my Nigerian diet and I find it fascinating to experiment with them. I’ve tried chocolate-filled gnocchi and Plantano Frito tortillas for nouveau cuisine, and traditional Nigerian steamed pudding. And so when I read about bacon-wrapped plantains at Cynthia’s of Taste of Home, its fate was...
Plantain has been bringing joy to homes in Nigeria since the amalgamation of the North and South poles. That’s how deep I believe it. This saying isn’t any truer as Nigerian artiste Timaya testified to in his 2011 hit single “Plantain Boy”. You should listen to it if you haven’t. [youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15gzJf8_P3Y”] The ease with...
Rafiat gives insight to what the state of the planet might be like if plantain goes extinct. Can’t, shouldn’t, won’t – lots to think about, hilariously too. Thank you, Rafiat – read and enjoy people. I can’t picture myself living in a world without plantain. It’s unimaginable and possibly cannot happen. Before I proceed, I’ll...
There are interesting concepts in places and languages that express cultural acceptance, that touch on home and identity. Like aplatanado (male), aplatanada (female). In Cuba and The Dominican Republic, it’s a term that describes someone who has become ‘one of us’ – aplatanado or aplatanada. At the root of it is the word, platanos, of...
I loved everything about Tolu’s piece – the concept and association of home. And her poetry, her short exploration of home – a video in which a variety of people share what home means to them – is full of taste memories and is only 3: 39 minutes. Thank you, Tolu for your beautiful contribution,...
One thing you should know is that there are ‘unspoken rules’ for cuts depending on what you’re having, in Nigerian cuisine. So I did you the good deed of sharing them. Because in the coming days, you’ll read all about plantain and love for it and how and what not. This is to equip you....
The Concept This concept is about my love for Brazil and the beautiful combination of palm oil and coconut milk which at first glance sounds weird but then, when cooked is so delightful in a moqueca. Moqueca (IPA: [moˈkɛkɐ] or IPA: [muˈkɛkɐ] depending on the dialect, also spelled muqueca) is a Brazilian recipe based on salt water fish stew, tomatoes, onions, garlic and coriander. It is slowly cooked in a terra...
In honour of World Diabetes day 2016, on the 14th of November, I’ve decided to share recipes with my current favourite veg – courgettes, zucchini. Cooking courgettes is relatively easy – season, saute, grill, or whatever you like. It doesn’t take very long to cook and works well with a variety of seasoning. For dinner,...