I have reasons to be thankful, even if I am a desperado. Desperate to be American, in part…..purely to eat Turkey, or Turducken. Ok….we’ll have to settle on chicken. I am thankful for food on our table. Simple, fancy, tasty and homemade. Eaten with people to love. That I love. Thanksgiving on the third Sunday in November.
Lunch on Homegrown Nigerian Quails
‘Af’ago k’eyin aparo, ohun oju wa l’oju ri (Yoruba language)’ ‘He who packs pheasants egg with the local bird cage (made with a mesh of raffia palms, and having large holes), will find what he has been searching for. Translation: The man who doesn’t listen to advice will lose out for the bird cage referred to in the proverb has large holes, so if they are used for small eggs, they likely are to fall through the openings and get broken/lost! I am easy to surprise, I know. It means I delight easily in little known treasures, in new discoveries, that I’m...
Cook Naija: Pitanga Cherry Dessert
In most parts of the world, the leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter and it’s a fresh 14 degrees or so. Pumpkins and all things orange, russet and gold are the rage. Desserts too are the norm – pumpkin pies and apple tarts, custards, puddings and heartwarming eats. In Nigeria, some leaves are turning but the days stay the same. There are no falling temperatures, only rain…and bucket loads of it. And dessert is…..well, not a common third course at the family table. The fruits develop and ripen quickly, only 3 weeks after the flowers open. In Brazil, the plants bloom in September and fruits ripen in October; they...
November 2012: ‘Made in Nigeria’ – In My Kitchen
This post is inspired by Celia (of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) who does a monthly feature called ‘In My Kitchen’. Join the fun! Click on the link to visit Celia’s blog: Fig Jam and Lime Cordial ——♥♥♥—— Proudly ‘Made in Nigeria’. Like my 5-year old son who was ‘Made in Nigeria, Born in Holland’! You might have heard that ‘Made in Nigeria’ stuff is no good. I am guilty of thinking it many a time myself. You might have heard that ‘Made in Nigeria’ speaks to questionable quality. You might not be wrong on some levels, in describing certain...
Cook Naija: Gizdodo or Gizzards & Dodo
Nose to tail isn’t a passing fad in Nigeria, or a new culinary trend – it has and always will be a part of our food culture, of our heritage. It isn’t the offspring of one parent – poverty, but it was born of necessity, of sustainability, of wasting not and thus wanting not. It is embroidered in our cuisine and our history. Unusual ‘meats’ are not occasional guests at the table, reserved for private showings. No way, they live, breathe and feature in the daily drama that is life in Nigeria. In fact, daily life is a small thing,...
Pull-Apart Bread, Three Ways
I could extol the virtues of this loaves If I thought they needed my help I would sing high praises From the top of a mountain And do a one-legged jig But they need no assistance Call it a version Of the Cinnamon roll The Sticky Bun Chocolate Orange whirls All deconstructed No knives needed to slice a loaf Just eager hands Pulling off slice after slice after slice of deliciousness Sometimes, less (talk) is more
Fresh Ginger, Three Ways: Confit, Jam, Candy
Some realizations hit you in the still of the night – those grey hairs don’t just mean you’re getting old, they mean you have earned the right. To stand up for yourself. To say no. To be happy how you choose to be. Some realizations take you by surprise, my 9-year old is writing with a ball point, my 7-year old no longer cries when she gets up in the morning to prepare for school, my 5-year old is in his second year at school and can read. My kids are all grown/I will soon be an empty nester :-). Some realizations...
Home air quality guides
Do Air Purifiers like the winix wac9500 Work? Before we discuss if you should get an air purifier for your home, it’s best if we first tackle the question about if air purifiers really work or not. This is mainly due to poor ventilation, chemicals contained in household cleaners, mold spores, bacteria and allergens that get tracked inside. The way in which a air purifier works is by stripping the air of these bad airborne contaminants. The majority of air purifiers work in one of two ways: Using a HEPA filter, which sucks in particles and traps them so they...
Galette de Pérouges
A lemon-caster sugar topped galette de Pérouges Some call in armchair travel. I, on the other hand, think ‘travelling by plate’ or ‘belly travel’ is far more endearing, more involved, more inclusive and accessible, more embracing…of history, culture, cuisine, people. Through cookbooks, dining in cultural spaces, Food TV channels, street conversations, and more. This time my stomach’s compass points to France, the dial swinging around to the quaint, hilltop, cobble-stoned village of ‘Pérouges’. Pronounced ‘pay roojh’. Pérouges has been declared by the French government as “one of the most beautiful villages in France.”