Serves 2-4 I love this easy, no-nonsense, super healthy side dish from Botswana. Simply steam spinach in its own juices until all the vegetables are soft. If you’d like to leave the tomatoes a little firmer, add them half way through cooking. Ingredients: 1 lb baby spinach 1 large onion, sliced thinly 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 green pepper, sliced thinly oil salt pepper Method: 1. Add all ingredients to a large skillet or wok. Cover and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft. Serve hot. The thinner the onion, the quicker it will cook and become tender. Look how pretty – you can see the knife through the onion! 🙂 ‘ Bostwanan Stewed Spinach Greens Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe I love this easy, no-nonsense, super healthy side dish from Botswana. Simply steam spinach in its own juices until all the vegetables are soft. If you’d like to leave the tomatoes a little firmer, add them half way through cooking. CourseSides …
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Today I thought I’d share a PBS clip and then one from the funny British car show, “Top Gear,” in Botswana. There are seven parts to this video out on youtube, and I would highly recommend them, if you enjoy this first segment. They go over the salt flats, through the kalahari, and then the Okavango Delta.
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Aren’t Friday’s are just … the best? A day of completion – the week’s end – on the eve of renewal! I hope your Friday is wonderful. For a little entertainment, check out these factoids about Botswana… On the dry side… Two thirds of Botswana is covered by the sands of the Kalahari desert. In these parched areas, a variety of wild melon supply water and nutrition to inhabitants. Vegetables are often salted and dried for preservation. The marama bean, encased in a hard shell and high in protein and oil, is one of the most important sources of nutrition in the Kalahari. When roasted the rich, soft, nutty flavor is a cross between cashew and chestnut. On the wet side… Botswana is home to the sprawling Okavango Delta (also nicknamed the Okavango Swamp), the largest inland delta in the world (17,000 square miles). This area is a critical supplier of water to Botswana and neighboring countries. Okavango is home to big game safaris, where visitors can observe zebras, buffalo, giraffe, lions, and wildebeest. I love …
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Yes, you read that right… loofah. I had no idea that when I began eating food from all around the world, I would end up running across loofah. Turns out, in Botswana, as well as many, many other countries, Loofah is common eats. The more I read about it, the more I realize that Loofah is not so “exotic” as I originally thought. Whoa, now. Before you run off to your bathroom to slice and dice and cook up your loofah, let me explain. When I say loofah is common eats, I don’t mean the dry, hay colored, scratchy, back and callous scrubber… like the one you have next to your bathtub: I don’t think any amount of steaming, boiling, frying, or beating could make those loofahs tender. They come from the old, crusty loofah plant, the one that’s toughened up with age. What they actually eat is the tender, young loofah. When picked fresh, the green loofah plant is slightly softer than a cucumber and slightly crispier than a zucchini. When cooked, the flavor is mild …
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Although simple in preparation, our Botswana Global Table relies on the freshest produce and meat, as well as gentle, slow cooking for fantastic depth of flavor. PS. Ava turned one on the 4th! Happy Birthday, Ava! Stewed Beef (Seswaa) [Recipe] Slow-cooked beef with just water, onion, salt, and pepper. The meat is often pounded to make a fine texture and flour can be added to thicken the stew into a gravy. Stewed Spinach Greens [Recipe] Spinach cooked slowly with onion, tomato, bell pepper, and water. Cornmeal Pap [Recipe] Cornmeal pap reminds me of soft polenta. This African staple is eaten with most meals in Botswana. Watermelon Slices Watermelon is thought to have originated in Botswana, in the Kalahari Desert. Rooibos Tea This popular tea is enjoyed throughout southern Africa. Serve with fresh lemon slices and honey. NOTE: I found several brands of Rooibos Tea at my local Whole Foods.
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Today is a great day. While learning about the food of Botswana, I raised my eyebrows at least five times. I love days like that. Plus, I almost convinced my husband we were going to be eating worms. That’s right. Worms. You should have seen his face. The people of Botswana prize Mopane worms as a national specialty. This unusual delicacy is actually a caterpillar who earned its name by feeding on the local Mopane tree. The worms are eaten fresh, dried, or canned with tomato sauce or hot sauce. Most families are able to harvest them from the trees near their homes. Luckily we don’t have any Mopane worms in our backyard, so we won’t be eating any for this week’s Global Table. Keith is relieved, to say the least. I hope you’re not disappointed. Speaking of points… take a look at this thing! In general, meat is saved for special occasions, including beef, goat, and chicken. Preparation is simple – pieces of meat are slowly simmered with onion until very soft, then pounded into small …
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In my humble opinion, the highs and lows of life are equally worthy of a great meal. Highs are cause for pompous, celebratory food that leaps, dancing into your mouth, while lows beg for rich, fattening foods that slide in softly and ground you (and your belly). It is therefore fitting that this week of highs (seeing Anthony Bourdain live at the Tulsa PAC) and lows (a miserable husband with a giant kidney stone that just won’t pass) be acknowledged with a special feast. As chance would have it, Benin is perfectly suited to this split-personality of a week, with an interesting blend of celebratory food (crab and bananas in orange sauce) and rich food (pureed black-eyed peas and coconut rice). Enjoy! PS – I’m not sure what happened, but this week’s Global Table is in varying shades of cream and brown. Not very visually exciting, but the flavors were good all the same. Crabs from Benin (Crabe Beninoise) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish Crab is a real treat, classy enough for any …
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Serves 4 Benin’s Pureed Black-eyed peas are smooth and creamy thanks to peeling the beans. If you do not have the patience for peeling the beans, use a food mill or omit the step all-together. The resulting mash is rich and flavorful, but it looks a lot like mashed potatoes so you might give unsuspecting guests a heads-up. Ingredients: 2 cups dried black-eyed peas salt pepper 1 stick butter Method: 1. Soak beans overnight in cool water. Drain the beans and slip the skins off. For detailed explanation see Technique Thursday: Peeling Beans. 2. Cover beans with about an inch of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue simmering until tender. 4. Drain liquid off and puree. I used an immersion blender. You could use a ricer, food processor, blender, or a large mortar and pestle. 5. Throw in a stick of butter and beat it in with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look like thick mashed potatoes. Pureed Black-eyed Peas Votes: 0 Rating: 0 …
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Serves 4 This crab dish contains a classic Beninese combination: onion, pepper, and tomato. Please use fresh tomatoes… I only had canned and the flavor of the can totally takes over (in a bad way). I know, I know. I should have my blog taken away from me for doing it, but I forgot to buy fresh at the store. Just proof that I’m human 🙂 Ingredients: 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup diced tomato (I didn’t have fresh on hand so I had to use canned. I just chopped them a little finer) 1/2 serrano chili, minced (1 Tbsp of more mild jalepeno or even milder poblano can be substituted) 1/2 lb fresh lump crabmeat 3 medium eggs salt & pepper about 1/2 cup bread crumbs or gari Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add garlic, onion, tomato, chili pepper, crabmeat, egg, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl. 2. Spoon into 4 ramekins (these hold 3/4 cup ) (or clean crab shells, if you have access to them). 3. Sprinkle evenly with bread …
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Serves 2 Bananas in orange sauce is a fresh, summery way to use bananas as a dessert topping. When we made the Baked Brown Sugar Bananas for Antigua and Barbuda (made with brown sugar, rum and butter) I didn’t think they could be beat, but these west African bananas are totally different and just as yummy!! Ingredients: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional) 2 slightly under-ripe bananas NOTE: We used red bananas which are about 4 inches long, you can also use baby bananas or regular bananas. Method: 1. Heat orange juice, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a skillet for about 15 minutes on low (there should be small bubbles breaking the surface, but not quite a simmer). The orange juice will reduce and thicken into a syrup. 2. Peel bananas and add to syrup. Cook for a few minutes per side, making sure to warm through. 3. Serve immediately with ice cream, pound cake, or plain. Baby Bananas in Orange Sauce Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: …
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Serves 2-4 Found both in the Caribbean and parts of Africa, coconut rice is rich and fragrant. The strong flavor goes particularly well with grilled meats and spicy sauces. We even used some leftovers in an asian-style salad with spicy peanut dressing. NOTE: Wondering how to make plain rice? The technique is the same, just substitute water for coconut milk. Ingredients: 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup water 1 cup white rice salt & pepper Method: 1. Heat coconut milk and water and bring to boil over medium heat. 2. Add rice and seasoning. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 16 minutes. 3. Uncover and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve immediately. Coconut Rice Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Found both in the Caribbean and parts of Africa, coconut rice is rich and fragrant. The strong flavor goes particularly well with grilled meats and spicy sauces. We even used some leftovers in an Asian-style salad with spicy peanut dressing. Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeRice …
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The first three and a half minutes of this video tell the story of a couple who are engaged. In the story the man’s friend makes a pass on the woman. She refuses his advances and tells her fiancé what happened. The fiance then goes to confront him, but the friend says that he was just testing the woman’s fidelity. The singer says for us to judge for ourselves. Then the chorus says that the friendship is true. After 3’30 the people start dancing a really interesting local dance.
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