I have a list fetish. I feed it in my ever-present notebook. Shopping lists, reading lists, lists of places to see, people to write to and on and on. When you combine both, you end up with a bucket list. Not for everything but for ‘big’ occasions. Like I had for my first New York trip. At the beginning, the ideas and thoughts flit about in your head, and then something happens, like in a game of cricket. The ideas get hurled towards you, some connect with a club, others go off base and in the end, someone, something emerges triumphant. Eat crack...
34 Meyer Lemons Sitting in a Box
There were 34 Meyer lemons sitting in two boxes There were 34 Meyer lemons sitting in two boxes And then 4 lemons went to the friend down the road then there were 30 Meyer lemons sitting in two boxes Then 2 went in a pie
Baking with Guinness: Four-Leaf Clover Rolls
If four-leaf clovers are the plants of luck Then four-leaf clover rolls are the breads of good fortune Full of Guinness goodness, and the nuttiness of dark rye Sweetened with maple, brown sugar Softened with milk and eggs These are the perfect celebration of Paddy (Paddy, a word in Nigeria which means friend) On his very own day Happy St Patrick’s day
The Preview to St Patrick’s Day: Guinness Caramel Sauce
Guinness on my mind. For I am seeking ‘things I have in common with….’ The Irish. You know, in honour of Paddy. And his day. And one of those things would be Guinness. (PS: Dark chocolate and coffee lovers will adore this sauce. More on that later) And Nigeria would be the first country outside Ireland and Great Britain to produce Guinness. As in to have a Guinness Brewery, as far back as the 1960s. 1963 to be exact. In fact, Nigerians consider the stout produced here as the best in the world for its peculiar taste and quality. Nigeria...
Nigeria’s Dry-Wet Season’s Produce: February/March
The first rains have begun, jerking me out of my bed in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. Windows are hurriedly shut while thunder pounds the skies with no desire to let up. This is Nigeria. And the rains are almost always knocking at the door. I’m not opposed for the rains bring goodness, by the basketful. Market stands teem with fresh, juicy fruit – everything from mangoes to oranges, soursop and more. Last week, I ate my first four mangoes. Back to back. No sitting around in idle worship. None of that. Just full, flavourful adoration. But this isn’t mango season alone....
Nigerian Peanut Butter (Okwu-Oji) with Grains of Paradise aka Alligator Pepper
I know a place inspired by a library book my 5-year old brought home: I know a place by Karen Ackerman I know a place where vanilla and cloves meet And embrace with warm, heady scents Where citrus and nuts mingle in a pungent dance Where ginger and cardamom, black pepper and coriander come alive I know a place where bumpy, gnarly shells hide pyramids of spice Where seeds, a warm red-brown colour cuddle together And give no inkling of the power that doth lie within A place that’s as bright, and sunny as can be I know...
Thanks Femme Lounge: 20 Nigerian Food Bloggers We Love
Interesting things happen every day. So began my Friday, last Friday. I was chatting online with a colleague about a shared responsibility we have, and when we were done, I left my desk to another building. On my return, I saw she’d sent me a link – I had absolutely no idea what it was but when I clicked on it, it was a pleasant surprise: a feature on Nigerian food bloggers. And yes, I featured. I’m not ‘totally’ crazy about recognition, but I find it pretty special to get Nigerian ‘press’! Thank you Femme Lounge. [wpurp-searchable-recipe]Thanks Femme Lounge: 20...
Technique: How to Bake Authentic French Bread, Pain a l’ Ancienne
I’ve been searching for the easiest way to turn out sticks of beautiful bread in the manner of le Francais. For I equate French breads with a gorgeous tan, exterior; a soft, chewy interior and well developed flavour. Pain a l’ Ancienne. Bread made in the ‘old-fashioned way’. t6p says: They might look like a true baguette but pain à l’ancienne is a very different type of bread. Real baguettes rely on adding a pâte fermentée (pre-ferment, or old dough) to enhance their flavour. This means making dough you let rise overnight the day before you bake. The final dough has the pâte...
Cooking & Baking with Tea: The Spice, And Drink
I’ve always loved tea, but never considered it more than a drink, hot or cold. Recently, that has changed. And two things have done that for me: a book – ‘The Art of Blending by Lior Lev Sercarz’ which has nothing to do with tea, and everything to do with spices and one man’s passion; and food52.com’s last contest ‘Your best recipe with Tea’. The Art of Blending was a book I won at the start of the year, on food52.com. Its all about spices, in unique combinations and used in a myriad of ways. And though there aren’t any...