Makes about 2 cups Raw seeds give Egusi sauce grassy flavor and a little bit of texture. The sauce is popular in central Africa, and can be served over vegetables, meats, and fish. Ingredients: 1 small onion 1 tomato 1 chili pepper (I used a poblano from my garden, but you can go as spicy as you want with this recipe) salt red chili powder, to taste 1 1/2 cups ground egusi 1/2 cup water (or as needed) Method: Hunt down some ground melon seeds. I found these at our local African market. Latino stores have pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, which are an acceptable substitute. In a food processor, add tomato… Coarsely chopped onion … And a chili pepper. I left the poblano on the plant long enough that it turned red. The extra time on the plant made it sweeter 🙂 Puree everything together… Add it to a small pot with the egusi… Some salt and pepper… And water… Things don’t look so tasty here… but as the water mixes in, things smooth out. …
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Serves 4 Hot, sweet, syrupy Grandpères served with two scoops of cold vanilla ice cream. Genius. And we have generations of Canadians to thank for keeping this age-old recipe alive. You can eat this for breakfast or dessert. Or a midnight snack. Ingredients: For the dumplings: 2 – 2 1/4 cups flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt 3 Tbsp butter 3/4 cup whole milk For the cooking liquid: 2 cups maple syrup 1 1/2 cups water Method: In a large bowl, mix together flour… … start with two cups and add more if you need to. Stir in the baking powder… A scoop of cinnamon (or Sin as my mom likes to call it) Whisk together with a pinch of salt. Can you see Keith? Now add some buttery goodness. Cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. Stop when the butter is pea-sized. Next comes the milk. Mix it together until it forms a loose mass, like wet bread dough. Add water to a pot… make it a …
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On shopping day, I browsed the bulk bins, hoping against hope that I could find the real thing – Canadian Lake Wild Rice – here, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As I scanned past basmati, jasmine and wild rice blends, my eye caught something shiny and jet black. I didn’t even have to read the label to know I was in business. The long grains gave themselves away. They look like a pile of runway models in sleek black dresses. Canadian wild rice is all together a different plant than American wild rice. In fact, the long, spindly needles are more related to wild grass than rice. Canadians have dubbed their special grain Canadian Lake Wild rice, a beautiful and apt description of the rice’s growing environment, where the grains billow above the waters. Recipe (Serves 2-3) Making Canadian Wild Rice is easier than almost any rice I can think of. Just remember my tips about hot dog buns and popcorn. Confused? You won’t be. Keep reading! Ingredients: 1 cup wild rice (rinsed and checked for debris) 3 …
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Serves 3 Fried fish is a common food around the world. At its best this dish is crispy with a moist, flaky interior. The secret to great fried fish is to preheat the oil completely before adding the fish. Also, dredging the fish in a little flour ensures a golden, crispy surface. You can use any fish, just watch the thickness – thin pieces will cook up in a flash. Ingredients: 3 fish fillets (we used catfish) 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt Method: In a large plate, stir together flour, pepper, and salt. Dip fish into the flour, lightly coating both sides. Shake off excess. Heat up enough oil to come up the sides of the pan about 1/4″ When hot (your flame should be around medium/medium-high), add fish. You can test to see if its ready by dripping a tiny drop of water in the pan. If it sizzles, it is ready. I love the sound of sizzling oil. Cook on each side until golden brown. Drain over paper towels to remove …
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Serves 4 Sweet and tropical, our recipe is inspired by Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue. His version adds sugar and other goodies to the coconut milk basting liquid. Our corn on the cob is a little simpler – basted straight up with plain coconut milk. The creamy coconut milk gives corn a mild tropical flavor – perfect for a summertime barbecue. Serve with extra coconut milk on the side, for those who like to slather on extra coconut goodness. Ingredients: 1 small can of coconut milk (the size of tomato paste cans) 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed salt pepper Method: Husk corn and remove all those pesky silk fibers. Brush liberally with coconut milk (stir up the coconut milk, sometimes the thick coconut milk settles to the bottom of the can) Season with lots of salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill. And cook until done. As promised, I had Keith cook these. He got them extra toasty which was really, really good. But I’m a big believer in crusty bits of …
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Makes 6 pickled limes Pickled limes add a sharp citrus kick to recipes. As the rind softens, it releases a bitter note than permeates throughout the lime. The insides break down as they set in the salted water, so the texture becomes rather mushy. Use a sharp knife when slicing to preserve the beautiful lime shape. Cambodian pickled limes are easy to make but take a little time – you’ll probably need start two weeks ahead. Hot and sunny temperatures are necessary to dry out the limes quickly. When we made them, temperatures were floating around 104 (with a heat index of 111F). I may have set a world record for time to dry out six limes. Two days! NOTE: You could also use small key limes for this recipe. Special thanks to Karen Coates of Rambling Spoon whose post Ode to a Grandmother inspired this recipe. Ingredients: 6 limes water, as needed salt Method: Dry a bunch of clean, fresh limes in the sun. Rotate as needed to get all sides dry. I put …
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Serves 4 If you can make this African bean dish a day ahead, please do. The sauce will thicken and coat every millimeter of the beans with chili and onion goodness. Great side dish for a party! Ingredients: 3 cups prepared red kidney beans (2 cans) 2 Tbsp red palm oil 1 onion, sliced 1 plantain, sliced salt 1 tsp chili powder 2 cups water Method: 1. Heat oil over medium heat, cook onion 2. Add beans, plantains, salt, and chili pepper. Cook for a minute. 3. Add water and simmer until plantains are cooked and about a 1/2 cup of liquid is left in the pan – 30 -45 min I chose a plantain with blackened skin. Unlike a banana, where darker skin indicates over-ripeness, blackened skin in a plantain indicates perfect sweetness with a little tooth – perfect for a short simmer. Always rinse canned beans. I bought “no salt added” to keep this dish low sodium. This photo flashes me back to spoonfuls of cod liver oil as a child. Luckily, red palm oil …
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Serves 2-3 Make this African dish with your favorite white fish. In Burundi, they use whole Ndagala or mukéké. The tomatoes and onion make a fresh, brothy sauce, while a pinch of fresh parsley enhances the flavor. Sometimes the fish is fried separately, then added to the sauce. I prefer the health benefits of gently steaming the fish over the sauce. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp red palm oil 1 lb fish (we used cod) 1 onion, chopped 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 habenero (whole or halved) 1 cup water Salt to taste Method: 1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Then add tomatoes, habenero, water, and salt. 2. Simmer, uncovered, about 15-30 minutes, until the tomatoes break down into a light, brothy sauce. If you prefer a more reduced sauce – or less, adjust time to your preferences. 3. Add fish, cover, and cook until done. This will depend on the thickness of your fish. Check to make sure the fish flakes easily to determine if done. Ours took about 15 minutes. Tomatoes …
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Pili-Pili (also called Piripiri) is the kind of hot sauce that puts hair on a man’s chest. And, possibly, even a woman’s. This basic African condiment was introduced by the Portuguese in the 1500’s. To give you an idea of how intense pili-pili is, imagine this true story: Positioned just outside the second room, where we would shake the president’s hand, sat a vast array of spicy delicacies, accompanied by bowls of pili-pili sauce for dipping. For the uninitiated, Pili-pili (pronounced “pee-lee pee-lee”) is a sauce made from a fiery pepper similar but more potent than a jalepeno. Crushed into an eye watering hot sauce, pili-pili is not for the weak and timid. The majority of assembled dignitaries, faint with hunger, attacked the assortment of peppery cocktail treats with gusto. However, immediately before their moment of glory with Mobutu [the president], most had mouths heartily stuffed with spicy finger foods laced with pili-pili – a deadly combination. Television cameras caught diplomat after diplomat walking the red carpet, mouths burning into a smile, and eyes watering. Far from emotional tears …
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Serves 4 Borasheht (or brochettes/kabobs) can be any sort of skewered meat. In our recipe, tender pieces of lamb are marinated in a spicy sauce. As you bite into the lamb, your mouth fills with a hint of cinnamon and garlic, mild tang from the vinegar, and a steady, creeping burn from the cayenne (about mild, on my scale). NOTE: If you would like some extra heat on the side, try our Kan Kan Kan spice blend, popular in Burkina Faso. Ingredients: 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cayenne 3 cloves garlic, crushed salt, to taste 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 1/2 lbs lamb meat, cubed for skewers Method: 1. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, salt, and vinegar. Have I told you recently how much I adore garlic? Salt not only adds flavor, but tenderizes the meat as well. Give everything a quick stir. No power equipment needed here! 2. Rub marinade all over the lamb pieces. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3 hours. Keith snuck this photo …
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Serves 4-6 Kyopolou melds roasted, sweet peppers, eggplant, and ripe tomatoes to make a dipping sensation. Serve with pita bread or alongside white fish. Be sure to prepare a day ahead (or at least several hours) so that the flavors can properly distribute. Otherwise the garlic will be too sharp and bitter. If you simply must serve this dish right away, use less garlic. Ingredients: 3 eggplants 4 red bell peppers 3 tomatoes (I used roma) 2-5 cloves garlic fresh parsley, to taste 1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar olive oil, as needed salt pepper Method: 1. Rinse and poke holes in the eggplant. This prevents unsightly explosions. 2. Roast eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes on a medium-low grill for about an hour, flipping once. You may also cook them at 350F in a conventional oven. NOTE: For a mellow garlic flavor, you may roast the cloves. Wrap in foil and remove when soft and sweet – about 30 minutes. Everything will get all wrinkly and charred. I know what you’re thinking. Looks like “ew.” I promise …
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