Eat your way around the world
THE SCENE: The first of two cakes. I walk up to her proudly. I carry the still-warm cake in my hands. The scent of cinnamon, and molasses fills the room. "What is it?" she asks, peering into the pan. "Gingerbread cake" I reply. "Ooh," she says. With a quick flourish I flip the cake over onto the platter. "Should we see what it looks like?" I ask. Her eyes grow wide. "Yeah!" she says. Dramatically, I raise the pan. "What is it?" she gasps, staring at the golden rings … [Read more...]
I'm that girl who orders the same thing over and over again at restaurants. I know - not what you'd expect from someone cooking the world. But I can't help it. I like knowing what to expect. Plus, there's nothing worse than wasting hard-earned money on a dish that I could possibly end up hating. After all, it's not like I can send the food back just because I don't like it. Now, to be fair, I'm a completely different person at home. Without the burden of outrageous restaurant bills, I'm a … [Read more...]
Welcome to my weakness. The mango. If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed I make a lot of recipes with this heavenly fruit. Quite possibly I've made more mango recipes than anything else. Everything about the mango is perfect. Sweet. Golden. Juicy. And, right now, totally in season. So, go find one (or five hundred). Rain or shine. Market in Liberia. Photo by Kipp Jones. In Liberia they like to chop them up and cook them with cloves. About four cloves will give the … [Read more...]
I'm not really a dessert person, so it's all the more surprising when I come across a recipe which makes me want to lock the doors, draw the curtains, and eat until every last crumb is gone. I mean, seriously. Plaintain Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake??! If this isn't the perfect holiday recipe, I don't know what is. And of all the places for it to come from... Denmark is known for gingerbread. Germany. Even the United States. But I was genuinely surprised to find gingerbread … [Read more...]
I did it. I made two desserts for Liberia. And I smiled the entire time. How could I not? I was in a good mood. Just look at this kid. Look at her. She's an angel for goodness sakes. Plus, I'm pretty sure angels only eat sweets. That's what she'd have me believe, anyway. As for the Jollof - we tried a vegan version and loved it so much that I put together this meat-lovers variation. What sounds good to you?* Smoked Ham & Green Bean Jollof This is big time comfort food. A large … [Read more...]
My feet might as well be jingle bells and my smiles made of gingerbread. I'm feeling the holiday spirit. I made cookies. There are parties to attend - dresses to wear - gløgg to drink. I even mailed out our holiday letter yesterday - one of my favorite traditions because it slows me down enough to reflect on the last year. Complete with family portrait, the entire project becomes a time stamp in an otherwise chaotic life, perfect to share with our dear family who all live so far away. In the … [Read more...]
THE SCENE I sink into the couch, tired from cooking all day. Malky makes tight circles on my lap, looking for a place to settle. I weigh my options. An entire espresso machine is out of the question. I only need to froth hot milk, for goodness sakes. No need to be extravagant. The clock ticks past 4:30 p.m. There isn't time to shop around for one of those fancy, battery-operated, milk-frothing wands either. The closest store is too far away. And, if I am going to get pictures of … [Read more...]
I find that Mr. Not-as-Picky, Keith - even with all his progress on the adventure - can still be rather fussy about food that looks soft and mushy. Especially if he has to eat it with his fingers. If you ask me, some of the best food is soft and mushy - mashed potatoes being the prime example. So I'll you what I told him. Papa, a stiff white porridge from Lesotho, is not that unusual. Especially if you eat grits for a living, which - apparently - many people do, here in the … [Read more...]
