First pancakes. And the First pancake problem. First pancakes often turn out weird. Bad. Annoying and fit only for the bin. I learnt that many years ago. If you think you’re the only one prone to bad first pancakes, well…you aren’t. The internet is littered with complaints and tales of composting first pancakes. Google has about 30,600,000 results produced in a mere 0.43 seconds. This people is a global problem, from Lagos to LA. I’ve been fine for the last year or two till recently when I decided to use my crepe pan which had been in some box or the other....
How to Clean Periwinkles
Periwinkle. Of a colour, flower, herb and mollusk. Blue of the sea, these are. And a pain to clean if you don’t know what and how. I often wonder if the colour is blue because it is copper-rich, like some species of crabs but…I dunno. They sport a rubbery flat disc of a tongue that I didn’t realise one had to take off. The first time I cooked with them, I was horrified – they are the most irritating things to hit the tongue when you’re enjoying a bowl of whatever soup. A few years later though, I became an...
Mango Yogurt Parfait
Because mango puree, yogurt and granola make an awesome trio. I experimented in two ways: Take one – I layered the elements starting with the mango puree, then unsweetened yogurt and topped with the granola Take two – I stirred the yogurt into the mango puree and topped with granola Preferred? Take one. Because it looks nicer. And because the contrast in flavour between the mango and yogurt works better – the mangoes taste fruitier and richer in Take one. In Take two, the mango flavour is quite subtle – not the way to go if you’re looking to enjoy...
Gifts of Granola
I love jars and glass pots. I collect them, from yogurt ones to Bonne Maman, Weck pots, Mason Jars and the list goes on. I love gifts. Of food. Of utensils. Or life and love. These two pots of granola, a wonderful gift from P which made its way from New York without incident are wonderful. Let me just say they are awesome. P is such a darling – she made two jars: one with nuts and the other without, in case we suffered from nut allergies. We haven’t stopped snacking on them since we arrived – everyone, from family to...
Farofa (Toasted Garri) with Dambun Nama
Garri, good for more than drinking and making into ‘Eba’. Garri, excellent for crusting and crumbing. And for toasting too. If you go to any self-respecting churrasco house with the stars and stripes of Brasilia, expect to be served farofa. Churrasco (Portuguese: [ʃuˈʁasku], Spanish: [tʃuˈrasko]) is a Portuguese and Spanish term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a prominent feature in the cuisine of Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries; Wikipedia This dish of pan fried garri, manioc, cassava is the equivalent of Morocco’s couscous. Fried in butter,...
Colours of The New Nigerian Kitchen
Celebrating Nigerian Cuisine…because it’s worth it. I often plan my posts – what I’m going to write about and how and when. This was unplanned. A spontaneous outburst and celebration. Yesterday, I sat in my kitchen, eating baked plantains stuffed with cheese and drinking Zobo, while mangoes were close by and I was awed, floored. Everything looked so beautiful. Was beautiful. Is beautiful. It made me think of all the bashing Nigerian cuisine has gotten. Made me smile really because you are not what you’re called till you accept it. A people are what they eat and drink and believe....
Mango & Chia Seed Pudding
I love chia seeds in bakes and in the famed chia seed pudding. Chia seed pudding plays on the unique gelling quality of the seeds when soaked in liquid – they form a thick, tapioca-like mix that makes a paplike nutty pudding. This combination works a treat – mango puree with a delightful homemade coconut milk chia seed pudding. What you need? Mango puree. Tick Coconut milk. Tick. Homemade or store-bought. Time. Tick. All of 20 minutes. Wow factor? 100%. [wpurp-searchable-recipe]Mango & Chia Seed Pudding – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
How to Peel a Mango
The best way? Depends. On what? How ripe the mango is. Unripe and just-ripe mangoes are easy to strip of the skin with a vegetable peeler. This minimises the amount of flesh/ pulp discarded with green skin. Ripe ones are a whole other story. They give when you peel. I find some varieties yield to the vegetable peeler and others to the knife. If opting for the knife, ensure yours is small and sharp. I prefer the smoothness of flat blades to serrated. Either way, this is how to peel a mango. Wash it and grip firmly in hand for mangoes...
New Discoveries: Amazon Kitchen Shorts
As part of Amazon’s Video Shorts. And please, don’t get it twisted – this isn’t about cooking lingerie and the like :). Yes, it’s nine months since Amazon, my favourite online store launched it’s Video Shorts program – think of it as YouTube for Amazon. Yes, that’s the same amount of time it takes to conceive and deliver babies – if they’re single births and full term PS: Twins typically don’t stay the full nine months). And no, I’m not a doctor yet. Or ever. I stumbled on the video shorts late one night in March. I wanted to get a spiralizer and...