Djibouti: if you’re pronouncing the name of this African country right, English-speaking people will raise their eyebrows. Try it out – “dja booty.” The word has had endless inappropriate puns associated with it. But let’s move past the unusual name… to the unusual food situation. According to doctor’s without borders, less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the small, arid landscape can be farmed. As a result, most food is imported and expensive. I’ve read accounts of eggs costing seven dollars a dozen. Seven dollars! Meals are a blend of Middle Eastern, Somali, French, and other regional influences. Imagine slaughtering your own meat. Would you have the stomach for it? In Djibouti, the practice is fairly common – meat is purchased “living” and then, when feast day arrives, the animal is slaughtered and prepared. Lamb is particularly popular and is served in association with special holidays such as the Islamic one, Eid al-Adha. The national dish, called Skoudekharis, is a one pot dish of rice and includes generous portions of lamb [Recipe]. I found an incredible blog by the mom …
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This week we had a friend join us for our Global Table dinner. While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, I assure you – it is. You see, we aren’t really doing dinner parties any more. I could list all 97.5 reasons but I’d rather highlight the two most important reasons. 1. I don’t like to vacuum. It makes Ava (and my back) cry. 2. We cook during Ava’s nap. This means we’re subject to the whims of a 16 month old. Whether she sleeps 45 minutes or 3 hours, can make or break our… sanity… not to mention our eating schedule. If we even get to finish cooking! But. This week. We mixed things up. We took a risk. We had a friend over. Well, as you know, our kitchen is torn to shreds – the cabinets are being painted and new counters recently went in. Our glassware is on the TV armoire and liquor bottles are strewn about my sofa table. Some days it feels like I am living in a frat house. …
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Serves 6 This spicy one pot dish is a meal unto itself. If you have a band of merry-men coming over for dinner, serve them heaping spoonfuls of this hearty and wholesome rice and they’ll leave with full bellies and even merrier grins. While Riz au Gras is eaten throughout West Africa, 0ur version is from the Ivory Coast as taught me by Linda of Tropical Foodies. NOTE: You may cut down or omit the chili powder if you would like a mild dish. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped (or half a big one) 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 lb stew beef, cubed 2 cups white rice 4 cups water 1 1/2 cups tomato puree 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp chili powder (for medium heat) salt & pepper Method: Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot. When shimmering, add in two of my BFF’s – onion and garlic. Cook them until translucent and fragrant. Next, increase the heat to medium-high and add seasoned beef. There will be a sizzle as the meat …
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Serves 6 This elegant appetizer showcases creamy avocado and delicate shrimp. Your guests will never know it only took you a few minutes to throw together (make the shrimp salad an hour or two ahead – cut the avocados immediately before serving). Ingredients: 1/2 lb cooked & cooled shrimp (shelled) 1T ketchup 1T mayo 1/4 of a fresh lime, juice (or to taste) 3 avocados, halved and pitted Method: Cut shrimp into little pieces. Behold the little nuggets of shrimp goodness. A bit of ruby red ketchup for sweetness. And creamy white mayo for richness. That’s how they roll in the Ivory Coast. A splash of lime juice pulls all the flavors together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Spoon into avocado halves and serve on a pretty platter to pretty people. Preferably by the beach. With a smile. West African Shrimp in Avocado boats Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe This elegant appetizer showcases creamy avocado and delicate shrimp. Your guests will never know it only took …
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Serves 4 In the Ivory Coast, the people enjoy juicy, fresh fruit after their meals (if they eat dessert at all). Sweet mango and pineapple are common choices. Clearly, people of my own heart! Ingredients: 1 mango, cubed 1/2 a pineapple, cubed (or 1 20 ounce can of cubed pineapple) Method: First, slice up the mango. I’m going to show you how to cut a mango, step by step. There is a pit in the center, so cut with the flat side, being careful to stabilize the mango and not cut your fingers. Here’s the second side. Note my bizarroid finger stance. I am doing that so I don’t cut one off. I’m bracing my wrist on the cutting board. Next, take the pieces you just cut off and score … … in each direction, making a grid. Be sure not to cut through the skin. The grid pops open to reveal pretty cubes that can be cut or scraped off with spoon or knife. Mix with the pineapple which, I regret, is canned. Unfortunately, …
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1. The Ivory Coast is one of the greatest producers of cocoa beans in the world. Little known fact: Ava still hasn’t had any chocolate. Unless you count the one time I let her lick my spoon, from my ice cream. She’s just so sweet, she doesn’t need any added sugar! Just look… she came home from the hospital that way: 2. Staples of the Ivory Coast diet include grains – like rice and millet, and tubers – like cassava and yams. Ava’s staples include noodles and rice. But if she could, she’d eat a diet of pure chicken. All day, every day. In the beginning, Ava was a little more vocal about her needs: 3. I’m pretty sure motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Love it. Love her. Love life.
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Serves 4 We almost had another epic fail on our hands. Thankfully, however, Linda of Tropical Foodies saved the day. The end result? Creamy, smoky, turkey goodness. Read on to learn the critical lesson I learned about how to cook with melon seeds. Tulsa Shopping Connection: melon seeds are available in Tulsa at Ebute Metta Tropical Market. Pumpkin seeds are in the bulk section of Whole Foods. Ingredients: oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 smoked turkey thigh (available by the meat counter), cut into pieces 1/2 cup melon or pumpkin seeds 1 cup water plus 1/2 cup 1/2 cup tomato puree Method: We get things started by heating up oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook onions … … and garlic, until fragrant and soft. Meanwhile, take one smoked turkey thigh. Which are giant, by the way – especially if you’re only used to dealing with chicken thighs. Using a sharp knife, cut it into chunks. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it helps if they are roughly the same …
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You’re not going to believe this. While we’ve been on this Adventure for 9 months and cooked 41 countries – a fairly significant chunk of time and cooking, if you ask me – somehow, some way, we still haven’t made turkey. No wonder it has been so cold lately. All of Tulsa is being punished for my omission. Well, this week, we’re shaking things up. I’m finally making a turkey dish. Thank you, Côte d’Ivoire, for giving me the impetus and snapping me out of my lack-of-turkey-dom. It was a bleak time, but I am happy we’re all moving on. Frankly, it’s just in time. If you haven’t heard, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Avocado Boats filled with Shrimp Salad (Avocat Crevette) [Recipe] Buttery green avocado overflowing with luscious shrimp salad. A gorgeous, healthy starter in under ten minutes. Smoked Turkey with Egusi Sauce (Ground Melon or Pumpkin Seeds) [Recipe] A smoked turkey thigh simmered in a creamy melon seed sauce. A splash of tomato puree turns this dish a lovely pink hue. Perfect for a …
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Last week a gal named Linda emailed me. Turns out she’s from the Ivory Coast and an alum from Wesleyan University, my alma mater. Get this – she wanted to know if she could share some of her favorite recipes from back home with me. Oh happy day! In case you’re wondering, my answer is always “yes”! The more authentic dishes we can sample from actual locals, the more fun this Adventure will be! Thanks to Linda (and a few of her friends), this week’s Global Table is going to be especially grand! From skyscrapers, to mud huts with thatched roofs, the Ivory Coast has it all. This west African country is deeply imbued with French food and culture. In fact, French is still the national language. Over the phone, Linda shared details about her country with me, trailing along a beautiful, thick accent that reflects this history. I’ll be honest. Thanksgiving has been on my mind, so I begged Linda for some ideas. Linda didn’t disappoint. She tells me that there is a dish that …
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NOTE: This is the MMR for three countries: Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo. We had some grand plans, Mr. Picky and I. We were going places. Specifically, to a new house. Actually, it was built in the 1960’s. But it would have been new to us, once we bought it. The house we’re in is from the 50’s, so this one seemed light years newer. As with any home, there was good and bad. The good? A quiet retreat on Lake Keystone with lake views and private access to the water. The bad? The house was incredibly far from any sort of international markets. Nam Hai would have been a 45 minute ordeal. Even getting a gallon of milk would have been a 10 minute car ride – minimum. And that’s not even to a grocery store. That’s simply to the gas station. Shopping trips would have been epic, really. Unfortunately the deal fell through. I’ve been trying to find the silver lining in all this. Just yesterday, as I walked to …
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Serves 4 Steaming fish in banana leaves – extremely common in Africa – results in a light, healthy dish. Liboke is a congolese word (in the Lingala dialect) for packets of food cooked in banana leaves. Ingredients: 4 fish fillets (I used tilapia, you can use any white fish you like) 4 banana leaves (or sheets of aluminum foil) 1/2 onion, thinly sliced 1-2 tomatoes, thinly sliced lemon juice, to taste salt cayenne pepper Method: First, prepare the banana leaves. Trim off the tough side of the leaf. Then run the leaf quickly over a flame to soften it and make it more pliable. When it changes from dull to shiny, it is soft enough. Next, assemble the liboke. First the onions. Then, a few tomato slices. Jewl red and just as juicy. A pristine fillet of fish. No square, pressed fish here! Sprinkle with a bit of cayenne, if you dare! Or just a bit of lemon juice. Once you have everything in there, fold up the leaf like a burrito. Top down. Then, …
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Serves 4 This traditional African dish combines peanut butter with goat, two of the most common ingredients in many parts of the continent, especially west and central Africa. Hot peppers and cayenne add kick. Ingredients: 1 lb goat meat, cubed 1/2 onion, sliced thinly 1 poblano pepper, sliced thinly 4 12″x12″ banana leaves (or sheets of aluminum foil) For the Sauce: 3/4 cup peanut butter 1 Tbsp bouillon 1/2 tsp cayenne water, as needed (I used 5 Tbsp) Method: Cube up some goat meat. The butcher cut me two pieces from the leg, with little bone. Next, mix up the ingredients for the sauce. First up – peanut butter. I open the jar, and my husband comes running. He loves the stuff. Some bouillon powder. Cayenne, for heat. Feel free to omit this or use less… but I hope you don’t. Finally, add water and mix all the ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms. I used about 5 tablespoons. Next, add in the meat. And onions. Make sure you slice them as thinly as …
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