October 1st is in a few days – I have a plan 🙂 – to share musings and recipes and what Freedom means to me. Independence makes me think of Freedom..and food and Acaraje – the Nigerian export to Brazil via slave trade. Freedom is Cultural Exchange…in which some changes become celebrations of shared history. Cultures...
Looking for inspiration? Healthy? Clean? Vibrant? With Nigerian ingredients? Here are a few salads to get you on your way. They feature: seasonal produce ‘superfoods- like acha lots of fruits and vegetables Cassava & Coconut Salad Beans & Corn Salad with fresh coconut Warm Acha Salad Suya Sesame Masa Salad Plantain Imoyo Salad Plantain &...
In honour of our 55th year as an independent nation (for all intents and purposes) on the first of October, here are 55 things you should know about Nigerian cuisine, 55 things I’m celebrating. What is it like? How to describe it? An interesting melange that’s vibrant and flavourful with rich stews, sauces, fresh fruits and vegetables...
Your foremost primer to making the best starch ever :). Starch. Usi to my Isoko heritage. Of cassava, like corn starch. Smooth, almost satiny on the fingers. And yes, this is the self same starch for stiffening clothes. Combined with palm oil, heated till a stretchy mass is formed, this is one of my favourite things...
The mind wanders, not in defiance of boundaries but in search of meaning and truth. An exploration, not confined to history and culture and societal constructs. After all, the mind isn’t community, it is per person, per head, per brain to think and create and share. I’ve had Banga with ‘starches’ – pounded yam, garri, ‘starch’...
Now I know that my mum said ‘Never take food from strangers’ and all but when Nike offers you lunch, you sit down and eat. Don’t you? You don’t disobey your mother but you thank her silently for raising you well. For giving you the ability to make wise judgments – teaching you to know what to do...
Yes, a soup made from the African walnut, known as Asala in Yoruba. Because the beautiful crunch and divine nuttiness must be experienced in one lifetime. The first time I used Asala in a recipe, it was a dip I made – a variation of my scent leaf one. It was beautiful. The characteristic bitterness...
Ramadan Kareem to all my muslim friends, today, the 18th of June which is the official start of the 2015 Ramadan season. I’m still learning, but already I love the celebratory nature of Iftar, the evening meal and a daily feast typically with multiple courses :). Special thanks to Hauwa of Casa Kuluwaz for sharing...
All I can think of in this weather is my bed. Sleeping in it. Morning, noon and night. Waking up to cuddles and soup. Forget pots of tea and freshly-baked cookies. Love and soup are errthang. Err single thang. Sigh. There’s something about rainy season that brings out the romantic in me. But I’m going...