Because once you’ve slain vanilla extract, the world is your essence. Or extract. Because you can pop any old thing in vodka and in its colourless, tasteless way, it’ll absorb colours and flavours and scents. Because, when in doubt, pickle it. Or liqueur it. And because it’s worked so well with coconut, mango and dare I say agbalumo…you know this will be awesome. We’re still in search of the name of this fruit. The sellers in Port Harcourt call this Local Strawberries and so today, that’s what I’m sticking with. At first, I thought it was Jabuticaba, of Brazil, but...
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 to stop right here, right now lest I drizzle tears of despair upon the page. Instead, I shall talk about a kind of cookie, albeit a ‘hard’ one – Kpokpogari. Think flattened clumps of grated, dried cassava enjoyed salted, with groundnuts, coconut, fish and even...
The Croissantwaf’fly
The Croissantwaf’fly. Or the Croffle as my daughter likes to call it. Waffled croissant in the divine shape of a butterfly. From store-bought, kinda old, out-of-the-freezer croissants. I am partial to butterflies. Love ‘em. The transformation from egg to chrysalis to beautiful. The fluttering and strength in delicate wings, the ability to soar high, to be beauty, to dare. I love accidents of beauty too. Like these Croissantwaf’fly, made one morning at past 7 am. I wanted to make a quick brekkie for the son. The croissants were old yet I wanted them warm, refreshed. I squashed the thought of the...
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 to taste, except this time, one isn’t dunking strips in a chili salt, one is rubbing mango slices and setting them upon a lightly oiled hot grill pan. Each side cooks undisturbed for a minute or two, so the grill lines form. I served mine...
Santifood Co: Yogurt & Granola
Nothing floors me more than a thoughtful gift. I get emotional. Last week, I got a private message on Instagram. From an ‘instafriend’ – @santifoodco, whose yogurt and granola I’d been longing. She’d sent me a goody bag from Abuja through a friend. I was touched. A bit emotional. It feels so awesome to be in someone’s thoughts and not even know it. To be the receiver of love and gifts. What good there is in this life. Still. In spite of all the madness. I got two tubs of greek yogurt and some delicious honey granola. A tub of...
Easy Weeknight Dinners – Vegetable Medley
If you want a nice side for dinner or alternatives to ‘starches’ and carbs, medleys are an excellent option. They can be steamed, sauteed or baked. To be honest, you can’t really go wrong – all it requires is knowing which combos you like/ work well and going for it. I prefer baked/ sauteed medleys for the simple reason that roasting draws out the sweetness of vegetables, not to mention it frees up my stovetop for the other accompaniments. Some of my favourite combinations involve potatoes, carrots and onions. I like the balance of sweet and starchy. One key thing...
Spice: Nutmeg
From journeys to Dubai souks, to cupboards in my kitchen, many spices are resident in my kitchen. From nutmeg to saffron and fragrant tea mixes, full of rose and jasmine. There are the thickest shavings of dried garlic, carob pods that hold ‘frozen’ glistening pools of flavor, dried galingale – I’ve never seen that before, accustomed as I am to the bright yellow rhizomes of Turmeric and the wrinkled slices of dried ginger– ever present in my Zobo, for the warm, back-of the throat-heat it brings. There’s nutmeg in its shell, rich, dark, shiny. This is how I see it...
Mango & Passion Fruit Eton Mess
Layers. Last of the season’s mangoes. Fruit. Cream. Whipped gently with sugar. Meringues. Fruit puree. Lime. Done. Got that?
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 or dried, there are a few suggestions to produce a tasty pot. Considering that fish cooks in a short time, infusing the soup with flavour, from pepper soup spices and also from the fish is a balancing act, one though that is important. Here are...