Black Eyed Pea Fritters
While in Burkina Faso, I spent some time in my mother’s village of Nouna, in the southwestern part of the country near the border with Mali. It was a very rewarding and entertaining time during which I got to know my extended family and partake in village activities. I particularly enjoyed helping my extended cousin prepare Tomsos, which she sold every afternoon in front of the house. Tomsos are black eyed pea fritters very similar in taste to the Northeastern Brazilian street food Acaraje. The name Acaraje is derived from the Nigerian Akara, which was brought to Brazil by West African slave. In fact, black eyed pea fritters are a very common West African street food that can be found from Cote d’Ivoire to Nigeria under various names such samsa, tomso, gawoo and akara. Continue reading Black Eyed Pea Fritters
By Raissa Nebie on July 8, 2010 | 0
Pure Unadulterated Lamb
Ouagadougou may not rank high on the list of top vacation spots, but when it comes to good meat, aficionados know to come here to get it. Farming is a big part of the economy and thus, the city boasts a multitude of roadside shacks that make use of the most rudimentary methods to create some of the most succulent meat specialties. The choices vary from grilled offals on a stick to whole animals roasted to perfection, enough to make Anthony Bourdain and Sandra Lee make out at a dinner table. Continue reading Pure Unadulterated Lamb
By Raissa Nebie on May 30, 2010 | 1
Braised Oxtail
I’m a big fan of oxtail. But every time I mention that I eat oxtail, I seem to get looks of surprise from my friends. If you’ve never had oxtail, you should give it a try before making a judgment. Oxtail is a bony and gelatinous, but very flavorful cut of meat that is best braised or stewed for hours. And though it is no longer as cheap as it used to be years ago, you can get some pretty good deals at Asian and Caribbean grocers. The recipe I’m sharing is a great way to warm up during the cold winter days. It requires very few ingredients and the oxtail cooks in its own juice, resulting in a very flavorful stew. Continue reading Braised Oxtail
By Raissa Nebie on January 11, 2010 | 7
Chicken Mqualli with Preserved Lemons and Olives
Remember the preserved lemons I made back in July? Well, it’s been over a month and they are now ready to be used. And what’s a better way to use Moroccan goodies than in a Moroccan dish? It took me a while to find a good Moroccan cookbook. All the ones I found before were too westernized for my taste. So when I went to Morocco last summer, I made it my goal to find an authentic Moroccan cookbook. I ended up buying La Cuisine Marocaine (Moroccan Cooking) by Latifa Bennani-Smires, highly recommended by all the locals I asked. Continue reading Chicken Mqualli with Preserved Lemons and Olives
By Raissa Nebie on August 14, 2009 | 1
Chicken Yassa, A Taste of the Senegambia Experience
Today’s post is kindly brought to you by a reader and friend from London, England. Please welcome our Afropean foodie friend Nana-Adwo N’dow as she shares one of her favorite west African dishes with us.
Yesterday, it rained… again! After so many years in the UK, this should not get to me, but I just could not help but think about when I last visited my family in Gambia. I was nicely greeted by ever-shining sun, beautiful scenery, relaxed pace of life and of course great food.
In an attempt to forget about the gloomy doomed weather, I thought to myself “if the Mountain will not come to the prophet, the prophet must go to the Mountain” and set out to make some Chicken Yassa. Before I go any further, I think it is of up most importance that I give you a short history lesson. Continue reading Chicken Yassa, A Taste of the Senegambia Experience
By Thrifty Gourmet on July 28, 2009 | 0
