This would be Nigerian pesto if there ever was such a thing. Take scent leaves and coconut and aromatics, season and combine with crushed, toasted egusi seeds. Have it with abacha. Think of that as the pasta of our nation :). Add some fish. And you’re good to go. I’ve been thinking of ingredients which could...
The Art of The Savoury Salad
I love salads. What a lame beginning. I’m unsure of myself here. Today. On my own blog. I can’t believe its been three months since I was here last. Sigh, life is happening even as we speak. And still, I love salads. And I’m here. Showing up on the page. Talking about the wonders...
Nigeria’s Rainy Season Produce: October
Seasons come and seasons go, and fruits remain the same. They appear, fruits with multiple harvest seasons.
Nigeria’s Wet Season Produce: May/June
I can’t call it summer here, for it is always warm in Nigeria and mostly sunny. What I can say is the rains are here. In full force and my frustrations rise to a head about this time. Every year. Apparently, I do not learn. If I did things would be different. For I know...
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...
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...
Nigeria’s Dry Season’s Produce: January/February
Some day soon, I’ll have a record that’s complete. I’ll know exactly when to lie in wait for mangoes, buy the best pineapples and feast on Ube, with corn. This is the start of that catalogue. The Nigerian climate, like most tropical countries consists of seasons, rainy and dry. Obviously, there are differences from north to...
A Possible History of Nigerian Small Chops [In Their Present Form]
Or The Evolution of Nigerian Small Chops. And how Indian Samosas and Chinese Spring Rolls became Nigerian Small Chops Essentials. Foodways and food mapping are amongst the things I love about food – all the things that lie on and beyond the plate, somewhat unseen but present, shaping, defining the plate. These fascinate me. Like small...
From Ugep With Love: Yedem’blong or Okana w. Kola Nut
Have you ever eaten kola nut with a pepper sauce? No? Me neither…till now. And I have to thank Carol of Bread & Baskets for this introduction. A few weeks ago, I toasted some Nigerian calabash nutmeg, Ehuru and shared a photo on instagram. Wofai sent me a message saying that where she was from – Ugep...