The truth is, sometimes in spite of your best intentions, of your efforts, you will fail. Sometimes it’ll happen quietly. No one will see, no one will hear. It’ll be you and only you who know the depths of the letdown. Sometimes, you’ll do it spectacularly and the world will see and decide whether to laugh with you or mourn. Do you care? When it happens, what ever way, its okay to cry, to feel weak, to despair. Its perfectly fine to watch those lofty ambitions crash….to lowly depths. Honestly, it is. Its okay to have sweated through the preparation,...
The Anatomy of Agbalumo
This study was taken on, to find out the best way to remove the flesh of the agbalumo for preservation and processing. Typically, after a thorough washing, I press the top sides of my agbalumo around the stalk in to ‘break the fruit’. Out seeps a creamy sweet and tart juice that is rapidly licked. One drop on your whites though – like cashew juice – and you’ll have a stain you cannot remove… for life. Today, however, my objective is different. I leave the stalk in and proceed to investigating the decimation. The Skin I begin with a vegetable peeler...
Top Ten (10) Pancake Recipes
We’re a pancake loving family. We don’t go a week without them. Sometimes, a day. This Shrove Tuesday, I’m sharing some of our favourites: Fact: Did you know the Dutch NEVER eat pancake for breakfast?* *rolling my eyes, shaking my head*. However not? Well, that’s them. And lovers of The Netherlands or not, we have ours round the clock. With maple syrup, chocolate sauce, sugar, however. *As a rule 🙂 1. Red Velvet Pancake Mini-Muffins For dinner, I whipped up these Red Velvet Pancake Puffs, baked in mini muffin tins, all thanks to The Pioneer Woman. Since I discovered them...
The Art of the Fruit Bowl
I am crazy about fruit bowls. Everything about them. From colour to flavour. My go to is a 3-fruit combo of pineapple, apple and bananas. I top with pineapple just when I’m set to eat because pineapple makes the yogurt taste bitter if they mingle too long. I love a bit of creamy, a touch of sweet with crisp and crunchy, even a hint of tart. All fruit bowls I typically start of with a yogurt base. I favour plain/ natural unsweetened yogurt. Sometimes, I stir in oats – raw or toasted. You could add in granola chunks and seeds. Use...
The Benefits of Fermented Seeds – Une, Iru, Ogiri
Fermented foods have been part of global cuisines for many centuries when people fermented seeds and nuts by lacto-fermentation where lactic acid- a natural preservative worked to limit the effects of putrefying bacteria. Fermentation — an ancient technique that’s making a comeback — is a process that preserves food and infuses some edibles with gut-friendly bacteria, which bolster digestive and immune systems. In addition to being umami-rich, fermented foods are rich in live cultures – like probiotic yogurts – which help the immune system by introducing good, healthy bacteria. Growing up, I was accustomed to une (what we Igarra call iru) fermented locust beans, in...
Agbalumo, The New ‘Orange’
Down with a cold? The sort that most people get on the cusp of changing seasons, from harmattan to rainy? Don’t just reach for oranges, grab some agbalumo. Agbalumo? Yes, agbalumo. Rich in ascorbic acid – hence the tartness (thanks Tipu), more so than oranges – this is your rainy season fruit. The value of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α- tocopherol of C. albidum varieties were very high when compared with the recommended dietary allowances (RDA), their values exceeding the RDA of 75 and 90 mg/day of vitamin C for female and male respectively, and 15 mg/day of α-Tocopherol (Roth and...
‘Perfect Hostess’ Tips – Appetisers
The trick to being a good hostess is knowing when to buy and when to make, or bake. I love hosting parties…a great excuse to feast and try out newish recipes. I must admit though that good a hostess as I am, I’m far from glam. Sigh. I’m not likely to walk down any stairs looking like Marilyn. That would be Monroe, darling…complete with dress, kitten heels and nary a drop of sweat. Sigh again. Saying that, I am not bad at putting a meal together for most people. Except you’re Eghosa Imasuen and you’re looking for pounded yam at my table....
How to Poach Chicken Breasts
Or how to make the juiciest chicken breasts ever, all thanks to osmosis and gentle temperatures. Poaching is the art and science of cooking foods in a light liquid on low heat.Poached chicken breasts, often considered diet food takes on moistness and niceness untold from gentle cooking in a light broth, which itself becomes great stock. Brining and marinades generally work in the same way. This recipe is full of gifts. But why bother? Great texture – can be shredded or sliced It has great potential to take on a variety of delicious flavours It stays juicy Did I mention easy to prepare?...
Toasted Egusi Seeds
Snacks. For trail mix. Eating out of hand. Mixing in cookie dough. Or pie crust maybe? Bread even? I’ve always wanted to snack on Egusi seeds, as a lover of pumpkin seeds. Finally, I decided to try it and the end result is yum. Surprisingly. I think I had my mind on soup and creamy so this was an interesting discovery. I like trying out ingredients in new ways so applying ‘savoury’ ingredients to sweet, particularly. These are simply toasted in a frying pan, heated with a bit of oil, olive in my case, stirring constantly so they toast proper...