A home full of guests was how we planned this holiday - friends from Houston would pot sunshine and Texas steaks, stuffing them in bulging blue Samsonite cases, while friends from Nigeria would come armed with Kilishi (Nigerian beef jerky) and peppered plantain chips; we, in the Netherlands would provide the snow, sleighs and bells.
Foodie Christmas Gifts
It wasn’t that long ago that I discovered that the spice, Paprika, especially the Spanish sort had various blends – from dulce (sweet and mild) to agridulce (bittersweet and medium hot) to picante (hot), depending on the type of peppers used (round or long), whether the seeds are removed, and how they are processed. And then we planned our holiday to Barcelona.
The Daring Cooks December 2010 Challenge: Poaching to Perfection with Momofuku’s Slow-Poached Eggs!
I am smitten. With David Chang and his recipes, from pig to pork to bacon and dashi; ramen, crack pie, miso butter and pork fat.
How to make Pithiviers
‘Children of Nowadays’, as we Nigerians would say, exasperated or marveling at some stroke of childhood genius…or not. Sometimes, hand on large African hips, an adult finger would point back at child… inquiring and seeking confirmation.
Apple and Cobnut (Fresh hazelnut) Cake
Welcome to my winter wonderland. After two years, my brolly wants to become a parachute, lured by the attraction of stormy weather, when autumn’s golden leaves slowly dance, passing the baton on to pretty bare branches and gusts of snow.
Churros and Chocolate
Globalisation. My seven year old daughter knows all about it and we had to go to Barcelona for her to let us know. This is the same daughter who asked, ‘Papa, why is everything made in China?’ And yes, he responded. Right or wrong. As a parent, I’ve learnt the hard way, not to promise my children anything till I’m pretty sure it can happen. So days out, specific meals to cook and even a commitment to read a book on a certain Monday evening of the week just might not work out. Work, life, other incidents interrupt and punctuate...
International Incident Salt Party – How To Make Finishing Salts
‘Help waiter, there’s too much salt in my eggs’. I want to send it back to the kitchen. To me. For I’m the cook, serving and waiting upon myself!
The Daring Cooks Soufflé: Rising to the Challenge
I have many habits – good and bad. Some I’ve stemmed with age, like tearing recipes out of magazines. I don’t do that anymore. Well, I shouldn’t do that anymore and I don’t except when I come across a stack of mags with recipes I know the ‘owner’ would never cook. Take my sister, K for instance – she loves to cook and eat but in moderation, especially the cooking part. Now when I visited her in her new flat in Glasgow a few weeks ago, we spent the weekend talking food, I made a couple of lemon cakes for...
Yogurt in Paris, Damsons in Autumn
It’s a strange and wonderful life when all a girl thinks of in Paris is yogurt. Pots. Because the French are up there with the Greeks and Turks in making super delicious, thick-set yogurt as this young lady (me) found out recently. In my fine opinion, they beat all the competition primarily because of the fine receptacles the said dairy comes in, arguably the finest glass and glazed terracotta pots ‘moi’ has ever seen. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, Carolyn Jung of Food Gal says: See that creamy, dreamy yogurt above? (She shows a photo) People...