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...
Ube. African Butter Pear What is it? Wikipedia described it as ‘an ellipsoidal drupe which varies in length from 4 to 12 cm.’ Known by many names from Ube (Igbo) to Safou (French), elemi (Yoruba), eben (Efik) and orumu (Benin), it appears its botanical name, Dacryodes edulis comes from the Greek word ‘dakruon‘ (a tear) and ‘edulis’ meaning edible. I...
In season – custard apple. This was a gift from my oldest daughter who has a best friend who has a grandmother with a custard apple tree in Lagos, Nigeria. Convoluted, this source? 🙂 They went on a visit and this was what they brought this back for me. This cousin to soursop. Oh my heart. That my children know...
Yesterday, my friend, @Shutupkecy asked me why New Yam was so expensive – a fact I had noted but rather silently. So, here we are? @Kitchnbutterfly oz why is yam now so expensive ?? can you make a blogpost about that? — Mr Dalloway (@ShutUpKecy) September 6, 2015 And then when I posted this on twitter,...
Road trips. Just like our mothers. Just like our fathers. I can’t count how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of a parent’s travels. How we’ve heard honking horns and have welcomed them back with some measure of joy, thanking them ever so kindly for not ruining Saturday night fever by returning halfway...
This is what you make when you have left over corn mix from making Sapala – you shallow-fry small pancakes because you’re too lazy to deep-fry. It is better for your health so you proceed. You serve it with steamed ube filled with Chili Beer sauce. Yes, I made boats of the ube by splitting them in half,...
Save the silk Stock the cobs Blanch the leaves Eat the corn {What to do with the whole corn} Because corn is in season. And because I tried it last year and told myself I would make it again. Similar to the Mexican tamale…Except tamales are made with masa – corn meal that’s treated with lime and...
The wheelbarrows are back, pushed by young men and full of short purple stems of Saccharum officinarum. I’m buying. I’m halving the trauma of peeling sugar cane by having them skinned and cut into segments on the streets. The Mallam uses transparent cellophane bags as gloves – his aim is to touch no part of...
I’m a fan of ‘whole food’ cooking – putting every part to good use. Enter, food52 and their ‘How to use a whole ear of corn‘ post. Here it goes: The Husks Nature has a way of creating its own vessels and corn husks, like banana leaves make great ‘containers’. I’ve ladled Ube’camole into fresh and...