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 pot of rice seasoned with tomatos, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic and ginger, then cooked with smoked ham and green beans. Traditionally served with hard-boiled eggs. Plantain Gingerbread Upside Down Cake Warm, sweet gingerbread cake – perfect for teatime, dessert, or anything in between. The plantain is arranged in concentric circles on top of ooey gooey brown sugar and butter. The cake makes a dazzling display at any holiday spread or potluck. Warm Mangoes with Cloves I prefer to cook for other people, but …
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 midst of all this wintery merriment, the time also came to explore the food of Liberia, a country on the coast of West Africa known for her hot, tropical weather. A place where, as Anthony Bourdain says, “a puff of air is an event.” I wondered, hope against hope, if there is some food Liberians might like that would be remotely “holiday” themed. I was in luck. For those of you who know a bit of Liberia’s history, perhaps this won’t seem so …
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 these lattes before nightfall, I need to make the tea within the next 45 minutes. Malky finally settles into my lap, purring. Too distracted to pet him, I pick up the phone. I stare at the black screen a moment, before waking it up and dialing. Two rings and he answers. “Keith,” I say, ” I need you to stop by the coffee shop on your way home. I ran out of time and it’s almost dark” “What do you need?” he asks. “A giant cup …
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 south. The best way to approximate Papa is by simply taking grits – the white ones – and make them a bit thicker than usual. When you’re done whisking, whisking, whisking, you’ll have a beautiful, scoopable papa – not unlike polenta in texture. It looks soft and mushy, but in fact, this papa is rather solid once cooled. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1/2 cup white grits 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups stock (your preference) salt Method: Bring stock to boil. Stream in grits, …
Read More
Today I’m partnering with your mother. It’s cold outside. Let’s all bundle up in our favorite fuzzy-wild-animal-looking hoodies. Let’s wear face masks and giant mittens. And let’s definitely eat our vegetables. Lots and lots of veggies. Today’s recipe is inspired by moroko, a dish enjoyed in the African country, Lesotho. Typically, Moroko is made with onions and greens, sauteed in oil with a bit of broth, not unlike the Kale (Sukuma Wiki) we made recently for Kenya. Moroko can be made with any dark greens you’d like, such as kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens. Optionally, beans or potatoes can be added. But I have a secret – the most wonderful mash around is when you add mustard greens to potatoes. And this mash, inspired by Lesotho, is what we’re serving up today. Turns out this is the mashed potatoes your mother always dreamed you would eat. Loaded with nutrients. And really, really green. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped finely 3 fairly large russet potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed stock, as needed – I used …
Read More
Friends, it’s time. Let’s have a tea party. Cabin fever is setting in. Bring out your favorite dishes and your fancy hats. Shake things up. Wear those shoes you never wear and paint your fingernails red, red, red. Or, if you’d rather, we can do it in our PJ’s, fuzzy slippers and robes.* As for what we’ll drink? I haven’t been this excited about a new tea since I had my first “London Fog” which, for the uninitiated, is Earl Grey tea made with half steamed milk. (It literally makes my toes curl). Today, however, I bring you something even more fantastic – from the Southern hemisphere – the Red Rooibos Latte. Or the Red Love Latte, as I’ve come to call it. This is the hot drink of choice in the big-city coffee shops of Lesotho and South Africa. Of course they just call it a Red Rooibos Latte or Red Latte. I even like the idea of calling it a Rooibos Fog. The friendly baristas brew Rooibos tea very, very strong – they actually have …
Read More
Weeks like this make me really happy. First of all, I’m learning about a country I knew nothing about last week. Turns out I’m a big fan of Lesotho and today’s menu. Anything with steamed milk or potatoes is a near automatic win. And who wouldn’t want to drink tea and eat papa in their pj’s? Second of all, my two year-old daughter is singing in her first ever musical performance (ahhhh). I’m not sure my heart can take it; the cuteness is going to be ridiculous. Third of all, I get to travel back to Estonia to make gingerbread cookies for the party after said performance. This is simply the most wonderful time of year. That being said, let’s eat Lesotho. What sounds good to you?* Red Rooibos Latte [Recipe] Double-strength Red Rooibos tea, topped off with steamed milk, honey and cinnamon. It’ll make you sing. Papa [Recipe] While this is what Ava calls Keith, we aren’t serving him up for dinner. No, in this instance, papa is more like the grits of Lesotho. The staple is eaten on it’s …
Read More
If you’d like to go Lesotho, there’s only one way. Through South Africa. If you have trouble imagining what I mean, visualize the yolk of an egg. Now squish it a little and set it way over to the right. That’s Lesotho. Inside of South Africa. Despite being entirely surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho asserts her presence in a big way – by being the world’s tallest country. The entire country is 3,281 ft (or more) above sea level, which is more than any other country in the world. But what about the food? Let’s start with the city. If, as the sun grandly rises on a frosty winter morning, you decide to slip into a local coffee shop, you can warm yourself with a big, red latte, made with extra-strong rooibos tea (aptly nicknamed red espresso) [Recipe]. Rooibos is grown in this part of the world, making a red latte (and cappuccino etc) a very local specialty. Once you’ve walked around a bit and worked up an appetite, you can slip into a restaurant and have any number …
Read More
THE SCENE “Look Ava,” I said, “You can pick up the meat with your bread – it’s called chaaa-paaa-teeee.” Ava laughed. Then, without blinking, she screwed her face up tight and cried. Then she laughed. Then she threw her head back and tried to squirm out of her high chair. Ava was tired. Really tired. “Watch how mamma does,” I continued, trying to stay upbeat. I tore a piece of the still warm chapati and used it to pinch a small piece of meat between my fingers. Trying to look nonchalant, I offered it to her. “No!” she wailed. I popped it into my mouth and offered her some plain stewed beef instead. She continued to wail without stopping until her little face was beet red. Keith went and shut the windows. On his way back, he scooped her up and gave her a bear hug. Then they sat together, in his seat. Thank goodness. She loves sitting in his lap when she’s tired. On napless days it’s often the only way she’ll eat. But even on …
Read More
I firmly believe flatbread has magical qualities. It can revive dull dinner conversation during that gaping time when the food seems like it’ll never be ready. And, when the meal finally arrives, flatbread is there to happily house any number of visitors, including stews, sandwich fillings, spreads, dips, and cheeses. It can even make a grouchy baby happy again. I’m into it. Are you with me? Here’s the short of it: I go to my happy place when presented with a steaming stack of warm, buttery flatbread. Today we’re celebrating Chapati – a thin, wheaty flatbread much adored in Kenya (with roots in Indian cuisine). Like the other flatbreads we’ve done so far on this Adventure (pita bread, naan, corn tortillas, chinese pancakes, injera, and laxoox), chapati brings on my mega smile. Those who make chapati daily – and there are plenty of such people in Kenya, not to mention India – they can zip out dozens of dinnerplate-sized specimens in mere minutes, rolling one while another cooks. They make the chapati so fast that even the first one …
Read More
Serves 4 Hello, sky. Have you been outside lately? It’s amazing. The sky wants to swallow me up into a great big smile. Go ahead – check it out – take a look. See if it does the same thing to you, too. And the coolest part? That same sky you’re looking at – I’m looking at it, too. We’re all looking at it. Together. Over here, in Oklahoma-land, we’re tiptoeing into fall. I know because I recently felt the first chill of winter – the one that hits you upon walking outside in flip flops and a t-shirt. The chill that sends you straight back into the house for sneakers and a coat, even though you’re already ten minutes late. In this sudden shift, memories of Oklahoma’s outrageously scorching summer already seem vague and distant – replaced by fresh, cool air. And here’s the deal: I can’t stop eating stews. Today’s meaty stewed goodness greets us all the way from Kenya. It’s all about hearty love and fall flavor. Or fall love and hearty flavor. Or …
Read More
Makes 1/4 cup seasoned salt for lots of corn goodness. Can you squeeze a lime? Can you smash chili peppers into a mini mound of salt? Can you grill corn? This is one of those recipes that you make on a day, much like today, when you want to prepare something impressive, but you can’t be bothered to do very much. We owe it to the lovely people of Kenya: take a walk down their bustling streets and you’ll likely find vendors selling roasted corn rolled in a spicy blend of chili, fresh lime juice and salt. The corn is cooked until deeply roasted. It’s for real good. Ingredients: corn on the cob 1/4 cup rock salt 2 small chilies, sliced or more to taste lime juice (about 1/2 lime juiced, or to taste) Method: Let’s head to Nairobi, where – certainly – inspiration will strike. The beautiful thing about this recipe? Everything is to taste. I ground 2 sliced chili peppers into 1/4 cup rock salt… Then squeezed in the juice of half a …
Read More
