I think it is a terrific idea to plan your meals during Ramadan – not only does it help with stocking your pantry, it ensures you have healthy, nourishing meals planned. If I hadn’t spoken with Hauwa of Casa Kuluwaz though, I wouldn’t have understood the need to plan. Of the two ‘meals’,Iftar is much ‘celebrated’....
Category: Nigerian Cuisine
Friday Cocktails: Zobo – Red Wine Cooler
This, like sangria and mulled wine. At once festive, Christmassy, of celebration. And all the consequence of a leftover bottle of red, and some leftover cinnamon sugar. I cooked both together for a syrup and topped up with zobo and ice. Recipes {Zobo} {Sugar Syrups – for lemon/ orange, use strips of skin} Red wine....
Gbena yei – Kpokpogari with Fresh Fish Pepper Soup
All I can think of in this weather is my bed. Sleeping in it. Morning, noon and night. Waking up to cuddles and soup. Forget pots of tea and freshly-baked cookies. Love and soup are errthang. Err single thang. Sigh. There’s something about rainy season that brings out the romantic in me. But I’m going...
Grilled Mangoes
Because I had one ‘apple’ mango left. Not my favourite but nice to try. These mangoes remind me of the light apple flavour with a hint of pineapple. It was still firm – a requirement I think for mmaintaining integrity and not turning to mush during cooking. It starts off simply – salt and pepper...
How to Make Fish Pepper Soup
Winter and spring flee cooler climes, bringing warmth in their stead and we, here in Nigeria embrace the cool wetness of our rainy season. We celebrate corn, ube and days tucked in bed. We welcome steaming bowls of pepper soup, of fish, chicken and the like. Fish pepper soup, for life on the coast. Fresh...
In Season/ Rainy Season
This is the season of waking up to storms – skies thick with grey and streaked with silver. Thunder, lightening, all are part of the rainy season. I need to equip myself well – ditch blue flannel blankets for tartan ones. Find good books to bury my head in, not necessarily buy but dig up...
The End. Of Mango Season
The season’s coming to an end. At least for the variety of mangoes I hold dear. They are going fast out of season. The mangoes are smaller, softer. Fewer trays are out. Stacked high before, they are now plateaus. I’m holding on hard. Its slipping away fast. I’m doing everything I can to keep it...
Sunday Lunch – Scent Leaf Soup
One of the things I love the most about scent leaves is the fragrance and aroma when bruised – fresh, clean and citrusy. I’m from Edo state where Egusi is king. I’ve heard that there’s a soup, black soup is its name but I’ve never had it babe. One week day I came home from...
Friday Cocktails: Nostalgic for Green Sands Shandy
If you were born in 19 whatever, you mightn’t have the foggiest idea about Green Sands Shandy. My Lord, it was the height of refreshment. Do you remember it? In its green bottle? It is what we drank when we graduated from Maltina and Chapman. And today and forever, it is the measure of the...