Food52.com has changed my life – for the better. I’ve learnt so much…here are a few nuggets of wisdom gleaned – lots of repetition perhaps but consider it reinforcement… Here are 10 recipes which have given me courage and hope. 1. Chocolate-Dump-It-All-Cake Lesson: Nothing is impossible. This cake has awesome converting abilities. Proclaimed chocolate cake haters have caved in, begged, pleaded for me to make this over and over and over again. This is my go to, a simple recipe that shows nothing is impossible. Bake it, put your own spin on it and watch it captivate mouths and bellies. Recipe...
Sunday Lunch: Okwuru Ugba (Ugba-Okro Soup)
I first read about Okwuru Ugba – a soup of okro and ugba in a newspaper – The Sun, to be specific. The story went off on so many tangents, I quietly noted the name of the soup (which wasn’t consistent – sometimes Okwuru Ugba, other times Ukwuru Ugba), gently folded it and left. So rather than lunch the lawyer true to the ancient law took me to a late evening restaurant. I can report the experience was pure magic. The lady of the house served us oil bean cum okro soup or okwuru ugba, as connoisseurs call it. It was the...
Green-White-Green Recipes for Irish St-Patrick’s Day and Nigerian Independence Day (In October :)
Here are a few green-white-green recipes to set you on your merry October 1st menu way. Enjoy. Starters Deep Fried Green beans Scent Leaf Dip Ube’camole Scent leaf Blinis with fish Salads & Sides Sauteed Greens Grilled corn scent leaf coconut cream Garden Egg Salad and more Farofa Main Scent Leaf curry Pounded Yam and Okro Kuka Dumplings in Pepper soup Scent leaf pepper soup Seafood Okro Drinks Mint tea Scent leaf Mojito Cucumber mixers and more [wpurp-searchable-recipe]Green-White-Green Recipes for Your October 1st Menu – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
On Turning 55 & 55 Things To Celebrate About Nigerian Cuisine
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 Often mistaken for being ‘pepper hot’ when ‘spicy’ is right, because our food has more dimensions than one ‘pepper’ note The essentials are often fresh – tomatoes, onions, chilies, greens A variety of intriguing herbs and spices make for a rich pantry and flavourful food It is twinned...
Part 1: Cleaning & Caring for Wood
I treasure my chopping boards, especially my Aga Concept ones – yes, I’m playing favourites here. A key thing to remember is how to care for them – from cleaning to storing, so yes, here is Part 1 of a 2-Part series. Here’s my regimen: Daily/ each time I use: I wash my boards with soapy water after each use but ever so often, a good clean is essential. Monthly: I clean with salt & cut citrus (limes, lemon) and rub down with oil (Part 2) All you need – cut lemons, limes ( I use left-overs...
Smoky Prawn Jollof
Because….EVERYDAY is Jollof Rice Day. Super established. This was an attempt – a great one too, I might add – at approximating the beauty of seafood flavours in our beloved J Rice. While I deliberated, lobsters and crabs came up briefly but then, I did not want to make a seafood paella and so I remained with my prawns. As I’ve shared before, deriving seafood essence is easily done by way of prawn heads. Don’t ever throw them away. Here’s how you make this great Make prawn stock Sautee the heads with salt and other seasoning, then blitz with water. Strain...
Ofada – Ugba Palm Oil Jollof
The things you learn when finally, you decide on going down a certain path. About that rice That yes, you know Ofada rice is fermented as part of its processing, as part of what makes it highly sought after but you do not think it stinks to the high heavens. You did not know that it had a pungence thicker, more pungent than ogiri, the smelliest thing you’ve smelled, tasted, up there with your stinkiest blue cheese. But that the smell will do nothing to the taste. Will not deter, off-put, prevent pure pleasure from being had when you’re done cooking....
7 Things You Need To Know About Ofada Rice
1. The grains are striped with burgundy. 2. It is the blanket name for almost all locally produced rice. I think it needs ‘Protected Designation of Origin‘ status, so that only rice from Ofada, or processed the way it is, is called by that name. And yes, we might need a whole legal construct around food processing in this country. You’re welcome. 3. Because actually, it is named after a place, Ofada. A small community in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area in Ogun State 4. It has a peculiar flavour & taste, something ‘umami’ish’ about it. The best I’ve eaten was...
Ube African Purple Pear: Freestone & Clingstone
That lunch time, I strolled down Campos to buy what had become a lunchtime fave – boiled corn and Ube. Unfortunately, neither was ready so I bought some raw, uncooked Ube and brought it back to my office. Where I proceeded to ‘cook’ it by steeping in hot water. And then microwaving and then back in hot water. Ten minutes had elapsed and still my Ube were rock hard. The flesh which should have softened and turned to cream under the heat of boiling water hadn’t. This would repeat itself again over the weekend when the flesh of Ube would...