‘I was personally very relieved when I realized that you can complete a project by dropping it. That’s how I completed learning to cook and learning German, becoming a good skier, and a list of other things too long to recite’, Arriana Huffington of The Huffington Post And that’s how I will complete learning to make home-made chocolate from scratch with cocoa beans. By abandoning it. Thank you Arriana. —–00000—– Its the season for many things. Rain, tomatoes and transition. Summer to Autumn, wet to wetter. Transitions can be hard but I want to see them as twilight periods, the...
La Boite a Epice, and Lior Lev Sercarz
Something Old fragrant trails & paths of old paved by silk, saffron and peppercorns Something New The alchemy of touch and taste, to produce memories, nostalgia (salt on cheeks), feeling, moment, heart Something Borrowed From spice racks, the world’s own, seeds, nuts and berries are drawn. Old familiars: nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla. And new ones too: Orchidea root Something Blue Lior Lev Sercarz’s lab coat —–00000—– Who says certain rhymes can only be applied to ‘reason’. Like marriage rhymes for brides. Move that over and fit the shoe where its needed. I stare at him and he stares right back, across...
My Favourite Pies, Potholders and More
Pandowdy See this pie – its a gorgeous skillet bake with a nicely ‘gridded’ top crust. Meet my version of the pandowdy. An Apple & Rhubarb pandowdy. – thick with flavour and scented with citrus. Sweet, with hints of tart, nicely wrapped in a flaky crust. I met this pandowdy fellow a mere week ago – there she graced the cover of peach and blueberry filling. I knew I just had to make my own.
On Pie: Baked and Dreamt of
I may not have le cordon blue or any ribbon at all proclaiming me master pie maker but I am determined to raise my children on pie, with pie and knowing pie. My childhood was satisfactory, thank you very much. Even without pie as we know it. All that pielessness is being addressed, corrected. I’ll have you know that I’ve baked more sweet pies in the last 6 months than I have in the entire preceding decades, thanks to 3 great women – Antonia James, a food52er who introduced me to ‘Humble Pie’ and its author Anne Dimock, who motivated...
The ‘Forgotten’ Groundnut Pyramids of Nigeria
The past may hold treasures, still remembered but the future is bound in hope, in belief and in the knowledge that with life, all things are possible. Did you know our pyramids? The Nigerian pyramids? Where you even aware that once upon a time we had them? My daughter said ‘Mama, is that a postcard from when we went to the pyramids in Egypt?’ ‘No, it isn’t. These are pyramids that used to exist in Nigeria, made of sacks of groundnuts.’ Peanuts to y’all I know. Groundnuts to us. For they come…from the ground. Wikipedia: Peanuts are known by many other...
America Runs on Dunkin’
America runs on Dunkin’. And so do some Nigerians. Daughter #2 is considering buying a Dunkin Donuts franchise, and bringing it home. I’ve explained to her the meaning of the word…..as I consider her alternative – working for DD, as a not too progressive suggestion. She’ll overdose on the donuts, and spend every penny she earns eating the habit.
Dining at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute
All that’s left for us to do is to have breakfast at ‘La Patisserie’. I fully intend to make that happen this very morning. Or tomorrow, just before we do the return leg to our road trip. The Culinary institute, the first culinary institute I’ve come close to is on a historic street close to the Niagara Falls State Park. It has three ‘eateries’, run by students of the institute. They say: Visitors to NFCI can enjoy Savor, a student run fine dining restaurant with an in-kitchen chef’s table, open hearth oven and exhibition style cooking; an ice sculpting lab, The Wine Boutique,...
Niagara Falls/The American Side
We take a road trip. Our all American holiday. Our car is small, our dreams big. To see Niagara Falls. We drive down what must be old Indian trails. Rivers and lakes. Town of big flats. Susaquehanna. And more.
I want to live in New York!!!
I’m desperate to live in New York City. To sit on a wooden bench and watch life travel by. Actually in Brooklyn.