tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89499348520840539952024-03-13T12:32:20.455+01:00A Moveable Kitchencooking outside of the boxA Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-60874540662184438692015-11-29T16:56:00.001+01:002015-11-29T16:56:21.482+01:00Post-Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Muffins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After two years in Niger and another two in Jerusalem, I am back in the States for the next couple of years. It isn't 2016, yet, but I figure that major transitions in your life are good points at which to make new resolutions. Keeping up with this blog is one of mine for this domestic tour!<br />
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My diet and cooking habits change with each of my "homes." I try to only use what I can find in the stores wherever I am living. The U.S. has an amazing variety of ingredients, so I'm happy that I'll be able to keep up those culinary habits I picked up in Jerusalem, Niger, Morocco, and Japan.<br />
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Speaking of being thankful, we just celebrated our first Thanksgiving back in the States in five years. While I always celebrate my holidays wherever I am, there is something super special about being able to celebrate them in your homeland. For starters, my neighbors didn't look at me quizzically when I said "Happy Thanksgiving!"<br />
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I haven't hosted Thanksgiving in a long time. I had almost forgotten that the leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast are just as delicious and fun to prepare as the main event itself. On Friday, I made a nice batch of broth from the turkey carcass, giblets, neck, and vegetable scraps from side dish preparations. I measured it out into mason jars and froze it for later use. On Saturday I made a southwestern inspired turkey hash. And, today - Sunday - I am making pumpkin pie muffins.<br />
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My new house smells awesome.<br />
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This recipe is adapted from Ellie Krieger's <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Food-You-Crave-Luscious-Recipes-ebook/dp/B001U89KSY/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448811790&sr=1-4&keywords=ellie+krieger" target="_blank">The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life</a></u>. I've used it in Niger and Jerusalem, so I am pretty certain that you can make these muffins almost anywhere in the world. In Niger, I would buy chunks of fresh pumpkin at the market and cook it down until it was soft enough to use. You can substitute honey or maple syrup for the molasses. If you don't have all of the spices, just omit the one you don't have and increase the others a little. I imagine you could use minced candied or dried ginger if you don't have ground ginger. Nutmeg could be substituted with more clove, cinnamon, or allspice.<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar<br />
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses (or honey or maple syrup)<br />
1/4 cup canola oil (or olive oil)<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 cup solid-packed pumpkin<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
3/4 cup buttermilk (or measure out 3/4 milk squeeze in a little lemon and allow it to sour for while you prep the other ingredients)<br />
1/4 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds (If you're industrious, you would have seeds saved from Halloween pumpkin carving. I'm not, so I used pecan halves. You can omit the nuts if you want. They're just for decoration).<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Grease a muffin pan with room-temperature butter or oil.<br />
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.<br />
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In a large bowl, combine the sugar, molasses, oil, and one of the eggs. Add the other egg and whisk well. Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla.<br />
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Alternate stirring in half of the flour, then half of the buttermilk, then the remaining flour, and finally the rest of the buttermilk.<br />
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Once they're done, let the muffins cool on a wire rack for about 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the muffins to pop them out of the tin.<br />
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You can keep these in a sealed container for about 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-69847118383628820922014-12-05T18:40:00.001+01:002014-12-05T18:44:08.418+01:00From the Sahel to... the Holy Land!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a long time since my last post. But, I have an excuse. My husband, dog, and I packed up and moved away from Niger. We spent the better part of a year studying Hebrew and Arabic, and the last year getting to know our new home...<br />
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Jerusalem!<br />
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Now, I'm sure you are wondering why on earth it has taken me so long to come up with something to write about as the food in Jerusalem is amazingly varied, delicious, and famous. There are numerous cookbooks highlighting recipes from this region, like Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/dining/jerusalem-has-all-the-right-ingredients.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank"><u>Jerusalem</u></a>.<br />
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Well, that is exactly the problem. For someone who loves all kinds of cuisines and whose spice drawer is overflowing with re-purposed jam jars full of cumin, coriander, and za'atar, this place is heaven.<br />
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Where to begin?! That has been my conundrum. I've also been distracted by the beautiful scenery and plethora of things to see and do...<br />
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Finally, tonight, I've decided to just start with what is cooking in my oven at this very moment.<br />
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Yes, the humble stuffed cabbage leaf.<br />
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It's not sexy looking, and it certainly doesn't scream Jerusalem. But, it was inspired by the organic veggie box I have been getting weekly for the past six months. <a href="http://chubeza.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">Chubeza</a> is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm located about 36 km west of Jerusalem. Every week, boxes bursting with whatever they have growing in their fields are packed up and ready for pick up or delivery.<br />
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Recently, cabbage has been making a regular appearance. Not being a huge fan of cabbage, I've been kind of at a loss for what to do with the cabbage heads waiting patiently in my fridge. So, I turned to Claudia Roden's, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Jewish-Food-Samarkand/dp/0394532589" target="_blank"><u>The Book of Jewish Food</u></a>, for inspiration. According to Roden, "Cabbage is the historic Ashkenazi vegetable" (p.161). People in Central and Eastern Europe prepare the leaves in various ways - stuffing them with meat being one of them.<br />
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Roden's recipe seemed a little lean to me, and I haven't had much luck baking uncooked rice, as she suggests, in vegetables before. So, I combined her recipe with another one from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Extending-Table-Community-Cookbook-Cookbooks/dp/0836192648" target="_blank"><u>Extending the Table</u></a>, a useful little cookbook my mom bought for me before my first move overseas. The resulting dish is surprisingly simple to prepare, light, yet filling, and the perfect combination of savory-meaty flavors that define good comfort food. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Stuffed Cabbage Leaves</b><br />
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12 large leaves from a medium to large head of cabbage<br />
1 medium onion, finely chopped<br />
olive oil<br />
1 lb (500 g) ground beef<br />
1 cup cooked rice<br />
1.5 teaspoons dried rosemary<br />
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano<br />
2 medium eggs, beaten<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
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3 cups finely chopped tomatoes, or 1 can tomato puree<br />
juice of 1 lemon<br />
2 Tablespoons sugar<br />
1/2 cup chicken stock<br />
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Remove the core of the cabbage by cutting a deep cone around the stem-end of the head.<br />
Immerse the whole head of cabbage in a large pot of salted, boiling water.<br />
Carefully remove the leaves one at a time as they begin to soften. I did this with two wooden spoons, placing the detached leaves in an empty bowl next to me.<br />
Next, prepare the filling by frying the onion and beef in about a Tablespoon of olive oil.<br />
When the meat begins to brown, season it with salt, pepper, the rosemary, and the oregano.<br />
Remove the meat from the heat and allow it to cool while you prepare the sauce.<br />
Combine the tomatoes, lemon, sugar, and chicken stock in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.<br />
Once the meat has cooled a little, mix in the eggs and the cooked rice.<br />
To stuff the leaves, lay one cabbage leaf on a plate.<br />
Put approximately 2 rounded Tablespoons of meat mixture on the leaf near the stem end.<br />
Fold the sides over the meat and roll the leaf up creating a little packet.<br />
Place the stuffed cabbage leaf in a rectangular baking dish, seam-side down.<br />
Continue with the rest of the leaves and meat mixture until the baking dish is full.<br />
The stuffed cabbage packets should be packed in fairly tightly.<br />
Next, pour the tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls.<br />
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350F/180C oven.<br />
Bake for about an hour and a half.<br />
I served the stuffed cabbage leaves with polenta and a balsamic and oil dressed salad, prepped by my hubby. <br />
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A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-33241038760137722052013-01-29T04:03:00.000+01:002013-01-29T04:03:52.958+01:00Grasshopper - It's What's for Dinner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Before you cook them, you have
to remove the wings. Like this."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My two friends and I looked at each
other, eyebrows raised, before grabbing a grasshopper from the large pile on my
dining table. We gingerly pinched off the delicate wings as our
teacher, Aishatou, had shown us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Grasshoppers are a popular snack food in
Niamey where you can buy them out of wheelbarrows on the outskirts of Katako
Marché. Though they are available year-round, the best time to eat the insect
is during the rainy season, when they
feast on green shoots breaking through the soil. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Do you eat grasshoppers
often?" inquired one of my friends as we continued to de-wing our dinner.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Oh all the time! But you, you
shouldn't eat too many. You're not used to them, so you might get a stomach
ache," replied our teacher.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I wondered to myself if "grasshopper
belly" couldn't be attributed to the use of insecticides. Each year, swarms of locusts (the migratory phase of grasshoppers) come down from Algeria and Libya in the North. Typically, the size of these swarms is kept in check by the use of pesticides. However, a representative from the <i>Centre national de lutte antiacridienne</i> (National Center for Locust Control) assured me that it is not these locusts that are gathered for consumption.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The grasshoppers for sale at Katako Marché are brought in almost year-round by villagers who sweep them up very early in the morning when the insects are too cold to move very much. At home, they boil the grasshoppers in a large cauldron full of salt-water. Afterwards, the insects are laid out to dry in the sun before being taken to market.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once we had a neat pile of grasshopper
heads and thoraxes, we moved into the kitchen. Our teacher's recipe involved
sautéing the insects with onions, hot peppers, and spices until fragrant and
crispy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"You'll know if the grasshoppers are
bad by the way they smell when you fry them," said Aishatou over the loud,
spluttery popping sounds coming from the pan. An earthy, piquant smell that
stung the inside of my nose filled the kitchen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"So, do these smell like good
ones?" I asked.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Oh, yes. You bought some very
nice ones. The eyes are clear and shiny, and they smell lovely, don't
they?"</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"They smell like nothing I've
ever smelled before," I said laughing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"Of course! But I'm sure you
are going to like these," said our teacher as she piled the well-cooked grasshoppers on a plate for us to share.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I have to admit that the final product looked pretty appetizing - as far as grasshoppers for dinner goes. Aishatou served the browned morsels with fresh tomatoes, onion, and a sprinkling of minced tonkoteo peppers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Sitting around my dining table, my friends and I each took a warm grasshopper, silently wished each other luck, and popped them in our mouths. I braced myself for a crunchy, then squishy sensation based on a previous experience eating barbequed crickets at my grandmother's house. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how crispy and flavorful the grasshoppers were. It was a lot like eating spice-rubbed Pringles potato chips. They just sort of dissolved into feathery nothingness once you crunched through the brittle body.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Although I can't say that once I leave Niger I will have cravings for sautéed grasshoppers, I do know that if push comes to shove, I'll know how to turn those garden pests into something palatable!</span></div>
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A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-57749473816741380652012-10-01T13:04:00.002+01:002012-10-01T14:07:23.842+01:00Corsica, France: A WWOOFer's Paradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sitting beneath the shade of some old olive trees, munching on freshly made <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/lortulinu-yogurt-cake.html">yogurt cake</a>, Anni, the organic farmer I was staying with as a WWOOfer (a volunteer with <a href="http://www.wwoof.org/">World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms</a>) asked me, "So why did you choose Corsica?"<br />
<br />
I paused and thought of this scene from the previous week when I was just a plain old tourist careening down narrow roads with my husband in our rented Hyundai:<br />
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<br />
Corsica is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, situated west of Italy and southeast of France. The sapphire blue water of the eleven kilometer Strait of Bonifacio separates it from Sardinia - its Italian cousin to the south. With abundant fresh water, fertile soil, and numerous vantage points across the ocean, the island has been a location worth defending since Mesolithic times. I would argue that its stunning coastal scenery...<br />
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...and porky inhabitants might also have something to do with its appeal.<br />
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<br />
Scenery and food. Those were definitely at the top of our list of reasons to visit Corsica. My husband was mostly interested in discovering the best coastlines for swimming and exploring tide pools...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mAktUCYf4iE/UGWbrJcNpRI/AAAAAAAAAVY/6zjDjtG2dEQ/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mAktUCYf4iE/UGWbrJcNpRI/AAAAAAAAAVY/6zjDjtG2dEQ/s640/IMG_0659.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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...as well as tasting Corsica's little-known wines made from indigenous grape varieties like <a href="http://www.vindefrance-cepages.org/en/encyclopedie-des-cepages-de-france-nielluccio-26">Nielluccio</a>, <a href="http://www.winetravelguides.com/Guides/France/Corsica/Southern-Corsica/Grapes">Sciaccarello</a>, and <a href="http://www.vindefrance-cepages.org/en/encyclopedie-des-cepages-de-france-vermentino-35#titre-page">Vermentino</a>.<br />
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Almost lost to industrial wine-making, which did not favor local grapes,
these native varieties are making a huge come-back thanks to people like Marc Imbert of <a href="http://www.domaine-de-torraccia.com/">Domaine de Torraccia</a> and Elisabeth Quilichini of <a href="http://www.castelludibaricci.com/">Castellu di Barrici</a>.
These heritage winemakers strive to produce quality wines that reflect the flavors of
the strong Mediterranean sun and granite soil of Corsica.<br />
<br />
But viticulture and oenology are not the only things going for Corsica, gastronomically speaking. The once self-sufficient island also produces flavorful fruits, vegetables, and nuts - like figs, citron, Swiss chard, and chestnuts - that are transformed into rustic dishes that please the palate and soothe the soul. Pungent but deliciously meaty charcuterie is made from the acorn-fed pigs that roam the island, and shepherds still tend flocks of sheep and goats whose rich milk is turned into flavorful cheeses.<br />
<br />
With its abundance of stunning scenery, good food, and twenty different <a href="http://www.wwoof.fr/eng/index.htm">WWOOF farms</a> - ranging from vineyards to cheese-making sheep operations - to choose from, Corsica was the ideal place for me to give WWOOFing a try for the first time.<br />
<br />
Anni and Philippe, the owners of L'Ortunlinu - the only certified organic farm in Bonifacio, Corsica - welcomed me into their modest home where I quickly adapted to a routine of:<br />
<br />
...weeding rows of plants and clearing fields early in the morning... <br />
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...dining on simple lunches showcasing the rich flavors of freshly harvested vegetables from their farm...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEmctAx_oAk/UGi5UKQrQaI/AAAAAAAAAW0/GgvngDKXK2c/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEmctAx_oAk/UGi5UKQrQaI/AAAAAAAAAW0/GgvngDKXK2c/s640/IMG_0939.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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...enjoying siestas on the beach in the heat of the afternoon...<br />
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...and finishing the day by harvesting produce to sell at Bonifacio's farmer's market or the Ortulinu shop front in town.<br />
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Thanks to jovial conversations with Anni, Philippe, and other farmers in the area, I learned a lot about Corsican agriculture and experienced first-hand the pleasures of a different rhythm of life spent outside working with the plants we set on our tables every day without even a thought.<br />
<br />
Although a recent <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html">Stanford University study</a> shows that there is no <i>nutritional</i> difference between organically and conventionally grown produce, Anni and Philippe have confirmed for me that there is a taste difference (and I suspect an overall <i>health</i> difference). I believe this comes from the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, healthy soil, and the fact that the produce is harvested right before going to market.<br />
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After leaving their farm, where I feasted on fresh, sticky-sweet figs for a week...<br />
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...the conventional figs I bought while in transit back to Niger just weren't the same.<br />
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A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-54014487247950872112012-10-01T13:02:00.002+01:002012-10-01T13:06:10.895+01:00L'Ortulinu Yogurt Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
*This recipe uses the 125 gram yogurt cup as a unit of measure. Perfect if you don't have measuring cups around! It is featured in my article: <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/corsica-france-wwoofers-paradise.html"><i>Corsica, France: A WWOOFer's Paradise</i></a><br />
<br />
3 eggs<br />
150 grams melted butter OR 6 soup spoons of oil<br />
2 yogurt cups of unrefined cane sugar<br />
3 yogurt cups flour (can be all-purpose, whole wheat, or a mix)<br />
1 yogurt cup<br />
1 packet OR 1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven at 210 C.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar with a wire whisk.<br />
Add the melted butter or oil and beat well.<br />
Add the yogurt and continue beating until well incorporated.<br />
Add the flour and baking powder and mix until you have a smooth batter.<br />
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.<br />
<br />
Lower the oven to 180 C and place the pan on the middle rack.<br />
<br />
Bake for roughly 30 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. <br />
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A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-43655509036516909802012-06-15T11:06:00.001+01:002012-06-29T15:59:56.727+01:00Kopto (Moringa oleifera): One solution to food insecurity and malnutrition in Niger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My travel companion opened a large Tupperware box and a very
pungent, earthy-sour smell with a hint of sugar enveloped our old Toyota Land
Cruiser. Her lunch consisted of roasted chicken thighs and some type of cooked
leafy green. I turned my head away in a vain attempt to lessen the impact of
her lunch on my nostrils and looked out at the dry, sandy landscape rolling by
my window. Monoculture and deforestation had clearly taken their toll on the
environment in this part of southern Niger. Men with handmade hoes were
breaking through the parched earth to uproot desiccated millet stalks, piling
them onto rickety wooden carts pulled by beleaguered donkeys. It had recently
drizzled in this area of the country, so the farmers were preparing to sow
their millet fields. If Niger does not receive an adequate amount of rainfall
this year and these farmers’ crops die, the country, like many in the Sahel,
will have to address a major <a href="http://www.hd.net/blogs/a-hunger-that-never-ends-may-22-2012/">food crisis</a>. Desertification coupled with one of
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_growth_rate">highest population growth rates</a> in the world increases Niger’s
vulnerability to the consequences of crop failure - poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.</div>
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As we bounced along and my nose acclimated to the odors in
the car, I realized that I was smelling something familiar. The greens in my companion's lunchbox were <i>kopto</i>, a type of leaf eaten in Niamey especially during the month of Ramadan. In fact, we were on our way to a kopto farm to talk to the women who cultivate it and to learn more about their proposal for packaging and selling their kopto harvests.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4oorrBG9uc/T9nB5O8i8uI/AAAAAAAAATM/KBRkHMEgQ3k/s1600/DSC_2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4oorrBG9uc/T9nB5O8i8uI/AAAAAAAAATM/KBRkHMEgQ3k/s320/DSC_2012.JPG" width="320" /></a>In Zarma, kopto means leaves in the general sense but has
come to be associated specifically with the leaves from the tree <a href="http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa"><i>Moringa oleifera</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. Zarma speakers also call it <i>windibundu</i> while Hausa speakers refer to it as </span><i>zogala gandi</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. Moringa trees are native to northern India but are
common throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its ability to thrive in
areas with poor soil and low rainfall make it an ideal candidate for fighting
against desertification in the Sahel. In addition, its rapid growth rate and highly
nutritious leaves and beans present Niger with one compelling solution to
chronic issues of <a href="http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/niger_61700.html">malnutrition</a>. Some Nigeriens also believe that this panacea
lowers blood sugar levels, making it an ideal food for diabetics.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A niébé field bordered by moringa and papaya trees</td></tr>
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The farm we visited was lush and green, unlike the fields we
passed to get to our destination. Moringa trees were growing along the edges to
demarcate each plot and serve as a windbreak for other crops such as <i>sorgho</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (sorghum), millet, and </span><i>niébé</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (black-eyed peas). In return for their protection,
the Moringa trees benefit from the weeding, fertilization, and irrigation of
the other crops. The multiple harvests provided by the quick-growing leaves
ensure that the farmers have a source of income and food when the other crops
are not producing. One of the few drawbacks to this plant is the fact that it
requires irrigation in the first months of its life until it becomes
established and can survive on sparse rainfall alone.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4sEZahb6pQI/T9nFxqk09hI/AAAAAAAAATg/a-QzSW0MsuA/s1600/DSC_2001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4sEZahb6pQI/T9nFxqk09hI/AAAAAAAAATg/a-QzSW0MsuA/s320/DSC_2001.JPG" width="212" /></a>After showing us their fields, the women took us to see
their homes where they dried the Moringa leaves on their roofs. They explained
to us that this situation is not ideal because the leaves lose nutrients when exposed to sunlight. In addition, they lacked proper storage and
packaging facilities, so the dried leaves were kept piled-up on the dirt floors
of their one-room huts until market day. Before leaving the village, one of the women gave
me some freshly cooked moringa leaves in an effort to convert me. Although I
love the kopto dish associated with Ramadan, I decided to try making a
<a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/west-african-wheat-berry-salad-with.html">wheat-berry salad with the leaves</a>. It has become a regular side dish at meals
in my home, but it could easily be a light lunch since the wheat-berries are
filling and the kopto is a good source of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium,
and protein.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALJSWkis4aY/T9nGxfToYMI/AAAAAAAAATo/m3wPQ_wHkIE/s1600/DSC_2101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALJSWkis4aY/T9nGxfToYMI/AAAAAAAAATo/m3wPQ_wHkIE/s320/DSC_2101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granaries along the road. </td></tr>
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Crop diversity projects, like the women’s kopto cooperative
I visited, benefit rural farmers who are most likely to be affected in a food
crisis. By moving away from monocultures, promoting reforestation, and looking
to alternative sources of food, farmers can begin to reverse the effects of
desertification and improve their resiliency in times of low grain production.
Organizations, like the <a href="http://www.eden-foundation.org/index.html">Eden Foundation</a>, are researching which native
perennials can be planted amongst annual crops to improve soil fertility,
discourage topsoil loss, and most importantly, diversify nutrition for the
people. This focus on native plants addresses the issue of irrigation, a technology that is not available to
everyone. Other initiatives that are working to better nutrition and food
security in Niger are:</div>
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<a href="http://www.hki.org/reducing-malnutrition/essential-nutrition-actions/infant-and-young-child-feeding/">Helen Keller International</a>: educating families about infant and young child
feeding to reduce malnutrition and give children a better start in life</div>
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<a href="http://www.africare.org/our-work/where-we-work/niger/programs.php">Africare - Niger</a>: multiple projects addressing issues such
as food security, good governance, education, and management of natural
resources </div>
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</div>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-88252934569861878772012-06-14T12:50:00.002+01:002012-06-15T11:07:33.715+01:00West African Wheat Berry Salad with Kopto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This original recipe using local ingredients from my home in Niger is featured in my article, <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/kopto-moringa-oleifera-one-solution-to.html"><i>Kopto (Moringa oleifera): One solution to food insecurity and malnutrition in Niger. </i></a><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aIVN5uYdaG0/T9sFkVxv5qI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Jbe2kDJqmnE/s1600/IMG_9870_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aIVN5uYdaG0/T9sFkVxv5qI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Jbe2kDJqmnE/s320/IMG_9870_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</span><br />
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<b>1 cup wheat berries </b>(available at Marina Market in Niamey, <i>le blé dur</i> in French)</div>
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<b>3 Tablespoons olive oil</b></div>
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<b>1 medium onion, chopped</b></div>
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<b>1/2 cup to 1 cup cooked kopto, rinsed well</b> (available pre-cooked in markets throughout Niamey) </div>
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<b>1/2 cup peanuts</b></div>
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<b>1/2 cup raisins</b></div>
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<b>1 teaspoon ground cumin</b></div>
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<b>salt and pepper to taste</b></div>
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</span><br />
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Put the wheat berries in a medium saucepan and cover with
about two inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, reduce the
heat and allow the berries to simmer until tender (about 30 minutes).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions.
Stir frequently until soft (about 5 minutes over high heat). Reduce heat to medium. Add the cooked
kopto, raisins, peanuts, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes more until
the mixture is fragrant and glossy. Remove from the heat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Drain the wheat berries and add them to the kopto mixture.
Stir well to thoroughly combine the ingredients. You may want to add more peanuts or raisins. Adjust seasoning to taste.</div>
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Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-82639330829422779192012-05-17T13:15:00.000+01:002012-08-23T22:10:32.251+01:00Chapalo: Millet Beer, Julia Child... and Hookers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamou_Id%C3%A9">Adamou Idé</a> is to thank for my recent foray into one of
Niamey’s red light districts. I was reading a short
story from the Nigerien author's <i><a href="http://www.fofomag.com/index.asp?affiche=News_Display.asp&ArticleID=1186&ID=175&SID=">Misères et grandeurs ordinaires</a> </i></span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">when I came across a line about getting drunk from “chapalo sold on the
sly.” Throw together a mysterious food item with a catchy name and the phrase
“on the sly” and you are guaranteed to pique my curiosity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Paulina, font of all Nigerien knowledge, doubled over with
laughter when I asked her to tell me about chapalo. She found it thoroughly
amusing that I even knew about the stuff and was happy to tell me all about it.
Chapalo is a type of traditional beer that is brewed in many West African
countries. It is especially popular in Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte
d’Ivoire, and Mali. Although you can find it in Niger, it is usually produced
and consumed by Togolese, Beninese, and Burkinabé immigrants living in pockets
around the capital city, making it a popular target for conservative Muslims
who view it as <i>haram,</i></span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;"> or dirty and
strictly forbidden. By the end of our conversation, my gardener had joined in
as well. Both he and Paulina agreed that the best chapalo comes from Burkina
Faso in terms of flavor and quality. So of course, my next question was, “where
do you get it?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCLWYM8EsNE/T7QsAdLoNxI/AAAAAAAAASE/OUKGAhs-GoY/s1600/IMG_9189_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCLWYM8EsNE/T7QsAdLoNxI/AAAAAAAAASE/OUKGAhs-GoY/s320/IMG_9189_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Burkinabé chapalo “cabaret” is tucked down the narrow
alleyways of a residential neighborhood most non-residents would never even
notice. From the outside, it looks like any other housing compound fenced in
with straw mats tied between stripped tree branches. But once you walk through
the corrugated tin door of the establishment, you realize that this place is
different. Four large black cauldrons bubbling over hot, wood fires stand in
the center of an open-air courtyard littered with large pans, coals, and yellow
calabash bowls. A stout woman with her head tied up in a scarf stands watch
over the scene. She is introduced to me as the chapalo brew master and
proprietress of the cabaret. All Burkinabé chapalo is made by women, who learn
the art from their mothers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iCG6RphuLM/T7Qf2-X6ILI/AAAAAAAAAQw/JmIjGtLhd5A/s1600/IMG_9192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iCG6RphuLM/T7Qf2-X6ILI/AAAAAAAAAQw/JmIjGtLhd5A/s320/IMG_9192.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The woman explained to me that her chapalo is made from <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=53">red millet</a>, but that it can also be made of <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0818E/T0818E00.htm">sorghum</a>, or a combination of both.
First, she washes the millet in large buckets of distilled water kept in clean,
plastic garbage cans before transferring the grain to the cauldrons. These are
covered and left to boil for two days, after which the contents are strained
through a large, loosely woven basket into a wide, shallow pan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EBYnCPiuRH4/T7QgVpujf5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/dH6l9Gy0cAc/s1600/IMG_9191_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EBYnCPiuRH4/T7QgVpujf5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/dH6l9Gy0cAc/s320/IMG_9191_2.JPG" width="259" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FeIoO5dAqmA/T7Qgvf3loBI/AAAAAAAAARA/lgLBty8Qq6U/s1600/IMG_9298_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FeIoO5dAqmA/T7Qgvf3loBI/AAAAAAAAARA/lgLBty8Qq6U/s320/IMG_9298_2.JPG" width="158" /></a>Once the
honey-brown liquid is collected, the pan is placed in the shade of a straw mat
hangar that also serves as a bar. Yeast is added, and the chapalo is allowed to
cool and ferment for one day before it is poured into old (but thoroughly
washed) paint buckets from which the woman’s daughter serves the fresh brew. She uses a half-liter glass juice bottle to measure out the beer into small
calabash bowls (150 CFA). For those who want their chapalo to go, she fills up
whatever receptacle the customer brings - usually the ubiquitous liter-and-a-half
Telwa or Rharhous water bottle (450 CFA). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtSNHGrDHk8/T7QkIU8DYmI/AAAAAAAAARo/59AmYAm4Yl4/s1600/IMG_9304_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtSNHGrDHk8/T7QkIU8DYmI/AAAAAAAAARo/59AmYAm4Yl4/s320/IMG_9304_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3ww2gBGGko/T7QnEvd6K0I/AAAAAAAAAR4/IQMzYdsOrkM/s1600/IMG_9300_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3ww2gBGGko/T7QnEvd6K0I/AAAAAAAAAR4/IQMzYdsOrkM/s320/IMG_9300_2.JPG" width="143" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The clientele on this sleepy afternoon include students from
the local university discussing a text they are leafing through, a group of
cloudy-eyed old men speaking in a language that is clearly not Hausa or Zarma,
a businessman in a tie reading the paper, and some women who work as
housekeepers. Children run in and out of the dappled shade of the bar, stealing
a sip here and there from customers who are generous enough to share what is in
their bowl. The Burkinabé believe that chapalo is good for the health and begin
giving it to their children from a young age. Everyone is either holding their
calabash bowl or letting it rest on a hand-made tripod of thin, twisted rebar
kept near their feet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir4WgxAevxk/T7QmZud__OI/AAAAAAAAARw/Uw-n6Ni0gwM/s1600/IMG_9296_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir4WgxAevxk/T7QmZud__OI/AAAAAAAAARw/Uw-n6Ni0gwM/s320/IMG_9296_4.JPG" width="320" /></a>After paying for my liter-and-a-half, I took my fresh find
home and shared it with friends, who said they would not trade the popular
commercial Flag beer for the sour, grainy flavor of home-made chapalo. Not
wanting it to go to waste, I combed through my cookbooks and came across <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/05/carbonnades-la-nigerienne-beef-and.html"><i>Carbonnades à la flamande</i></a></span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">, by Julia Child. Having been
raised on beer stews, I couldn’t resist the idea of combining French/Belgian
cuisine and traditional West African beer. Served alongside a frosty glass of
chapalo, the stew and the beer were a success! So much so, that I went back to
get more chapalo…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This time, I went a little later in the day, more towards
early evening than late afternoon. The crowd at the chapalo cabaret had clearly
turned from the family friendly daytime group into a very male-dominated evening
crowd who stared at me as I waltzed through the door. The warm, welcoming
atmosphere in which I had been introduced to chapalo was replaced by a
steely-eyed coldness that clearly told me to buy my chapalo and get out. On my
way out the door, I noticed that the street was littered with used condoms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The culture that surrounds chapalo is multifaceted. While it
is a drink that is enjoyed by family members and close friends at a
neighborhood “pub” where kids run around and play while adults share stories
with whoever happens to drop in (including me), it is also a
drink that is associated with prostitutes and having fun in the shadowy
folds of the night – a side they don’t want to share with outsiders, much less
curious foreign women.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So,
curious (but not foolhardy) foreign woman that I am, I will settle for
returning to my Adamou Idé novels and his characters, like those in <i><a href="http://www.culturessud.com/contenu.php?id=451">Camisole de Paille</a>,</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> to better understand the world of
those men and women of the night whose lives are obscured by the darkness and straw
walls of the Niamey chapalo cabarets.</span>
</div>
</div>
A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-85950788387350160742012-05-16T23:26:00.000+01:002012-08-23T22:13:52.064+01:00Carbonnades à la nigerienne (beef and onions braised in chapalo)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This recipe is featured in my article: <i>Chapalo, Pimps, and Julia Child </i><br />
<br />
3 lbs of lean beef, sliced 2 by 4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick </div>
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2 – 3 Tablespoons olive oil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 1/2 lbs sliced onions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pepper</div>
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4 cloves mashed garlic</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 cup strong beef stock</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 – 3 cups chapalo (or light beer)</div>
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2 Tablespoons brown sugar</div>
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1 large herb bouquet (6 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 1/2
teaspoon dried thyme)</div>
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1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Tablespoons wine vinegar</div>
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<br /></div>
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Heat about 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the beef in small batches and brown quickly, setting aside each batch
on a plate.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Reduce the heat to medium and stir the onions into the fat
already in the skillet. Add more olive oil if necessary. Brown the onions
lightly, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season
with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the garlic.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Arrange half of the browned beef in a slow cooker and season
lightly with salt and pepper. Spread half of the onions over the beef. Repeat
with the rest of the beef and onions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Heat the stock in the browning skillet, scraping up the
coagulated cooking juices. Pour it over the meat in the slow cooker. Add enough
chapalo so the meat is barely covered. Stir in the brown sugar. Bury the herb
bouquet among the meat slices. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for about
4 – 5 hours or on low for about 8 – 9 hours (follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for your slow cooker).</div>
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<br /></div>
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Remove the herb bouquet. Drain the cooking liquid from the
slow cooker into a saucepan, and skim off the fat. Combine the starch and wine
vinegar together to make a paste and beat this into the cooking liquid in the
saucepan. Simmer for 3 – 4 minutes. Carefully correct seasoning. There should
be about two cups of sauce. Pour the sauce back over the meat. Serve hot with
potatoes or noodles.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Adapted from: <i>Mastering the Art of French Cooking</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone
Beck</span></div>
</div>
A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-42986913879029638842012-04-11T16:30:00.006+01:002012-04-11T18:39:13.403+01:00Nathalie's Blinis à la courge: Squash Pancakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8iai41UOoE8/T4Wls4Ojd8I/AAAAAAAAAP8/16__k_kfo2g/s1600/IMG_9747.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8iai41UOoE8/T4Wls4Ojd8I/AAAAAAAAAP8/16__k_kfo2g/s320/IMG_9747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730168291325081538" border="0" /></a>500 grams squash, peel removed and cut into chunks<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />2 eggs<br />1 individual serving container of plain yogurt<br />25 grams melted butter<br />75 grams all-purpose flour<br />nutmeg<br />salt<br />pepper<br /><br /><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Times;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --></style><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fry the squash and onion in a small amount of oil over medium heat. Add salt and pepper before covering the pan, reducing the heat, and allowing the squash mixture to cook until soft.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Turn off the heat and mash the squash. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before draining off the liquid.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Then, add the melted butter, yogurt, squash mash, flour, a dash of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Heat a small amount of oil in a small frying pan. Add a ladleful of the squash mixture to the pan and allow it to cook over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes) until the blini is half-cooked. Flip it over and continue cooking on the other side until done. Transfer the blini to a plate and keep it warm until all the batter has been used and the blinis are ready to be served.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nathalie recommends eating them warm with a salad or cold for a picnic.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Makes 4 blinis about 6 inches in diameter</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;font-family:Times;font-size:100%;" >This recipe is featured in my entry <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/culinary-safari.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Culinary Safari</span></a>.<br /></span></p>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-50474615824454823792012-04-11T16:09:00.007+01:002012-04-11T19:11:00.963+01:00Nathalie's Granité de pasteque: Watermelon Gazpacho<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2vTr8s17SE0/T4Wh3PAncUI/AAAAAAAAAPw/AxtY9kZZIi8/s1600/IMG_9818.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2vTr8s17SE0/T4Wh3PAncUI/AAAAAAAAAPw/AxtY9kZZIi8/s320/IMG_9818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730164071192817986" border="0" /></a>1/4 watermelon<br />1 small red onion<br />1 teaspoon powdered ginger<br />salt<br />pepper<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Peel and seed the watermelon. Cut it into chunks. Peel and cut the onion into chunks. Combine watermelon, onion, ginger, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process to create a smooth soup. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and place it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours. Stir the mixture with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes until ice crystals form and the soup develops a granita-like texture. If you don't have time to freeze it, you may serve it chilled like a traditional gazpacho.<br /><br />Serves 4 to 5<br /><br />This recipe is featured in my entry <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/culinary-safari.html">Culinary Safari</a>.</span>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-12430411153042011742012-04-11T15:45:00.007+01:002012-04-11T18:41:29.494+01:00Nathalie's Crème au fruit de baobab: Baobab Cream Pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yx5GuHxOtEs/T4WdhkFR3RI/AAAAAAAAAPk/tMixNMoCDa0/s1600/IMG_9750.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yx5GuHxOtEs/T4WdhkFR3RI/AAAAAAAAAPk/tMixNMoCDa0/s320/IMG_9750.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730159300845886738" border="0" /></a>4 Rounded Tablespoons baobab fruit powder<br />5 Level Tablespoons sugar<br />400 ml room temperature milk<br />100 ml milk<br />3 sheets of unflavored gelatin<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mix together the baobab powder and the sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly add 400 ml of room temperature milk. Mix it well to form a runny batter. Strain the mixture into another bowl to remove excess threads and bits of seed.<br /><br />Soften the gelatin in enough cold water to cover the sheets. Pour 100 ml of milk into a small pot. Strain the now rubbery sheets of gelatin and add them to the pot over low heat. Stir until the sheets have completely dissolved.<br /><br />Add the gelatin mixture to the baobab batter and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into small ramekins. Leave the crème in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow it to set.<br /><br />Nathalie recommends serving the crème with a bissap or mango coulis. It's also delicious with a mango and pineapple fruit salad.<br /><br />Serves 5<br /><br />This recipe is featured in my entry, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/culinary-safari.html">Culinary Safari</a>.</span>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-35127769363610983882012-04-10T10:54:00.033+01:002012-05-30T20:04:55.640+01:00Culinary Safari<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every time I visit <a href="http://www.parc-w.net/en/html/intro.html">Park W</a> for a respite from the hustle and bustle of life in the big city, I leave salivating for more. Not because warthogs darting between tall clumps of dry grass make my mouth water, but because of the amazing food that is served at the <a href="http://www.iledulamantin.com/">Ile du lamantin Ecolodge</a>. Nathalie, the amicable manager and chef, has developed a West African-French fusion menu that incorporates local ingredients in dishes like <i>Crème au fruit de baobab</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (Baobab Fruit Cream), </span><i>Terrine de tchapata</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (an egg-based dish with local spinach), and </span><i>Pintade sauce tikadigué</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (Guinea Fowl with Peanut Sauce). She serves her culinary creations amidst the idyllic scenery of a small island in the middle of the Niger River.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZwT1_T9yGQ/T4W9qUIz2vI/AAAAAAAAAQU/AwTg8J1Yzss/s1600/IMG_9149_2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730194635556641522" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZwT1_T9yGQ/T4W9qUIz2vI/AAAAAAAAAQU/AwTg8J1Yzss/s400/IMG_9149_2.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 264px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;">Covered with smooth boulders and towering baobab trees, the Ile du lamantin provides the perfect backdrop for dining al fresco on fresh capitaine (a local fish) with coconut tomato sauce in the company of… bathing elephants. Being a fan of using seasonal, local ingredients, I was keen to learn about Nathalie’s recipes and asked if she would be willing to teach a cooking class. Happily, she agreed and so was born the idea for a culinary safari.</span></div>
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Our edible journey into the Nigerien bush started off with the capture of seven poachers. As we pulled into the park’s shady entrance, we saw rangers in camouflage uniforms hauling off a group of handcuffed, scraggly men with barely enough meat on their bones to satisfy a lion. The charred remains of their haul were left in a fly covered pile in front of the ranger station. I could make out a porcupine paw and red highlights on an antelope pelt. Bush meat is a delicacy in markets along the border between Niger and Nigeria. Animal skins, bones, and horns are also sold as key ingredients in traditional medicines and magic potions.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4y6HicLRmw/T4QT-2_EAsI/AAAAAAAAANI/WKIPzTedQ-8/s1600/DSC_1298.JPG"> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729726596554949314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4y6HicLRmw/T4QT-2_EAsI/AAAAAAAAANI/WKIPzTedQ-8/s320/DSC_1298.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 212px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>Although some game, like warthog, can be hunted legally outside of the park, Nathalie serves whatever she can find, legally, from the markets and villages in the area. She gets fresh fish from the fishermen who pull large, 50lb capitaine from the river right in front of the lodge, and her staff members buy guinea fowl, ducks, and chickens from the farmers who live along the river.</div>
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Getting to the Ecolodge is an adventure in itself. After picking up our guides at the entrance, we jostled our way down the dirt track into the heart of the deserted park. Very few people come to Park W, and even fewer have been making the trek since the <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Niger-Believes-Kidnapped-Foreigners-Taken-to-Mali-113129334.html">kidnappings</a> in Niamey in January 2011. As we drove along, we came across many animals including...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gbDbHZWD6Y/T4RaDPEuz8I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/8faOqvAFsWc/s1600/DSC01659.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729803637554597826" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gbDbHZWD6Y/T4RaDPEuz8I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/8faOqvAFsWc/s320/DSC01659.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>The drive ended at the muddy banks of the Niger River where we loaded into a pirogue and floated down the calm waters to the island. We were greeted by Nathalie who helped us out of the boat and into our cozy thatched roof cabins scattered along a rocky outcropping on the edge of the island. That night, I fell asleep to the sounds of elephants munching on the acacia trees next to my hut, hippos grunting on the bank below, and a lion roaring just across the river.</div>
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I had never before crossed the threshold into the small but well-organized kitchen at the Ecolodge and felt like a poacher entering forbidden territory. Nathalie was prepared for our small class of three with Ile du lamantin aprons for each of us and laminated recipe cards in French and English so we could recreate the dishes at home.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GT_YAvVkLA/T4RdQuWhhkI/AAAAAAAAAOo/H0-4QDqOQME/s1600/DSC_1126_2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729807167823906370" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9GT_YAvVkLA/T4RdQuWhhkI/AAAAAAAAAOo/H0-4QDqOQME/s320/DSC_1126_2.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 289px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a>She started us off with <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/creme-au-fruit-de-baobab.html"><i>Crème au fruit de baobab</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. Nathalie uses baobab fruit collected from the numerous trees that erupt lava-like all over the craggy island. The whole fruit is taken to the neighboring village women who separate the dry flesh from the small black seeds that are found in the hard, furry fruit and pound it into a fine powder with wooden mortars and pestles. This powder is the base for Nathalie’s signature baobab juice and is also used in dessert and jam recipes.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Klf8L_jokyU/T4WKj55o8XI/AAAAAAAAAO0/jG35moKxBQc/s1600/IMG_9818.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730138450341458290" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Klf8L_jokyU/T4WKj55o8XI/AAAAAAAAAO0/jG35moKxBQc/s320/IMG_9818.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 214px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>Once the <i>crème</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> was safely in the fridge, we moved on to the </span><a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/granite-de-pasteque.html"><i>Granité de pasteque</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. This simple recipe is perfect on a hot day, which we have many of here in Niger, and is also a terrific way to use watermelon that might not be sweet enough to eat on its own. The ruby red flakes of ice are also a nice alternative to a more traditional gazpacho- equally satisfying when the sun is scorching.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSoRIPgvEPc/T4WVK3LV71I/AAAAAAAAAPY/q0EFE7t_ib0/s1600/IMG_9828.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730150114741579602" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSoRIPgvEPc/T4WVK3LV71I/AAAAAAAAAPY/q0EFE7t_ib0/s320/IMG_9828.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 214px;" /></a>While we waited for the <i>granité’s</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> ice crystals to form, we began the </span><i>Bavarois au gingembre</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. Ginger is very popular here, especially as a juice or syrup that is often served very strong with a bottle of carbonated water so you can mix the two, making your own fresh ginger ale. Nathalie’s </span><i>bavarois</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> combines milk and ginger syrup, resulting in a pudding that reminds me a lot of <a href="http://www.cuisinivity.com/recipe/archive/desserts/annin_tofu.php">anin dofu</a>, a soft gelatin dessert served with ginger syrup in Hong Kong. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DG7i9EMfkQ/T4W-6T2L8UI/AAAAAAAAAQg/XJVBSPLtRzw/s1600/DSC_0705.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730196009868063042" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DG7i9EMfkQ/T4W-6T2L8UI/AAAAAAAAAQg/XJVBSPLtRzw/s400/DSC_0705.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 265px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a>The final recipe of our 3-hour class was <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/500-grams-squash-peel-removed-and-cut.html"><i>Blinis à la courge</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. This savory pancake makes use of the pumpkin-like squashes that are ubiquitous in Niamey, most notably floating in the Niger River by the Kennedy Bridge as they are unloaded from the giant pirogues that bring them from surrounding villages like Boubon (pictured). The </span><i>blinis</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, served room temperature with a cool pasta salad, the </span><i>Granité de pasteque</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, and </span><i>Crème au fruit de baobab</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> for dessert, make the perfect lunch for a warm (read blistering) Nigerien afternoon.</span></div>
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Nathalie has kindly allowed me to share some of her recipes from the cooking class on this blog. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Cooking on the Ile du lamantin is a creative and unique souvenir from Niger that will enrich my kitchen repertoire no matter where I’m living. Thank you Nathalie and all of the staff at the Ecolodge!</div>
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</div>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-34396640255633742122011-07-24T11:30:00.012+01:002012-05-09T14:44:15.162+01:00From Little House to Kilichi in Niger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Although my interest in doing things the old fashioned way may seem like planning for Armageddon, it has to do with my desire to understand how others live, or used to live. Laura Ingalls Wilder's <a href="http://www.littlehousebooks.com/">series of books</a> and my grandmother's steady supply of yarn, knitting needles, and stories of life before and after World War II played a huge role in forming my interest in things like churning my own butter and knitting socks. Of course it makes much more sense to go to the store and just buy both of these items, but when you make them by hand from raw materials, you feel that primal spark of human ingenuity and appreciate plain old butter and socks in a whole new way.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_QbcnXXrR4/Tiv2gEfnHZI/AAAAAAAAALI/UR2emnjwl3Q/s1600/DSC00222.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632866789779512722" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_QbcnXXrR4/Tiv2gEfnHZI/AAAAAAAAALI/UR2emnjwl3Q/s320/DSC00222.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Life in Niger is a harsh reminder of what the world was like before the advent of electricity. Frequent power cuts (often multiple times a day) render lights, freezers, air conditioners, fans, sewing machines, and any other electronic device useless. This can be horribly uncomfortable when the temperature reaches into the 120's and there is not a cloud in sight. It can also be terrible for business if you rely on electricity to create products for customers (just think of all the spoiled frozen meat or shirts that can't be made).</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">And so, my curiosity in all things "old-fashioned" (from my perspective) has increased since coming to Niger. When you walk through the tailors' section of the grand marché, you see men sitting outside their stalls making clothes to order on foot-powered sewing machines. Of course, they have rigged up a way to motorize their machines, but if the power goes off, it's easy for them to unstrap the tiny motor and start pedaling away. </span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">This need for electric independence reaches into the realm of food as well. If the electricity goes off, whatever you have in the fridge is going to spoil. Like many Americans, I don't think twice about ice-cold water or the food chilling in my refrigerator. Come to think of it, I don't even think twice about owning a refrigerator. However, for many Nigeriens, this basic American appliance is a luxury. Even if they do own a refrigerator, not everyone has a generator that kicks on when the national electric company fails. So what do you do when you have a freezer full of meat and you are instantaneously zapped back to life B.E. (Before Electricity)?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fFhw9z1jx_4/TiwZ9LW0NMI/AAAAAAAAAMA/ZuRDeGb5gHY/s1600/DSC01670.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632905772744848578" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fFhw9z1jx_4/TiwZ9LW0NMI/AAAAAAAAAMA/ZuRDeGb5gHY/s320/DSC01670.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">While most meat in Niger is sold live or very recently butchered, thus avoiding the need for refrigeration, some meat is dried under the Nigerien sun to make the regionally distinctive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerky_%28food%29">jerky</a> known as </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilichi">kilichi</a>.</span></i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5cn3_czR2tM/Tiv_aAP9L4I/AAAAAAAAALY/xvIuU3AqvE4/s1600/DSC01467.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632876581165543298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5cn3_czR2tM/Tiv_aAP9L4I/AAAAAAAAALY/xvIuU3AqvE4/s320/DSC01467.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 240px;" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">This Nigerien specialty is made from the finest cuts of beef or mutton that have been cleaned of all vessels, fat, and bones. It is sliced into long, paper-thin strips about an arm-span in length. These strips are spread out on high tables made of straw screens to dry in the strong sunlight.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Before the meat has completely dried out and is still relatively supple, it is either salted or coated in a spice mixture with a peanut paste base.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Then, it is returned to the drying racks and allowed to dry to a crisp, brittle consistency. The finest kilichi splinters very nicely into crackly bits.</span></span></span></span> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTM2zf0y_tk/TiwD-8rj9zI/AAAAAAAAALo/gvjZz7u8AaM/s1600/DSC01468.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632881613909260082" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTM2zf0y_tk/TiwD-8rj9zI/AAAAAAAAALo/gvjZz7u8AaM/s320/DSC01468.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Given Niger's hot, dry climate, it only makes sense to preserve food by drying it in the sun. This is one of the oldest methods of food preservation and is relatively simple and inexpensive (1). When you dry food, all of the moisture is removed, making it an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth, and the natural enzymes that lead to decomposition are slowed down enough to give the food a longer shelf-life (2). In a house with no refrigeration, this can be one of the best ways to keep stores of food for later.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSDDgN18SAs/TiwHPut9ayI/AAAAAAAAALw/4Y3nq1HRv3I/s1600/DSC01676.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632885200753879842" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSDDgN18SAs/TiwHPut9ayI/AAAAAAAAALw/4Y3nq1HRv3I/s320/DSC01676.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Although I have always wanted to try making my own beef jerky, especially after reading about Pa Ingalls making smoked venison in a hollowed out tree trunk, I am a little hesitant to experiment with it. So instead, I ferreted out the location of the best kilichi vendors in Niamey and paid them a visit (the production and sale of kilichi takes place in different areas of the city).</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">Their stalls are located on the median of a very busy road, but this does not deter them from swarming you when you pull up to the side. Before I could even get out of the car, several hands were shoving morsels of the thin strips of meat in my face. A Nigerien colleague assured me that this is totally normal. </span></span></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFE8MQxARto/TiwM0Kf2OsI/AAAAAAAAAL4/Ek7qQpEUGSE/s1600/DSC01673.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632891324244310722" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFE8MQxARto/TiwM0Kf2OsI/AAAAAAAAAL4/Ek7qQpEUGSE/s320/DSC01673.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">I sampled the crispy bits of meat until I identified a good one (the crispier the better) and began the process of haggling over the price. According to <a href="http://www.lesahel.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2997:production-de-qkilichiq-notre-pays-expert-en-la-matiere&catid=35:articles-de-societe&Itemid=54">Le Sahel</a> (a local newspaper), the small sheets cost between 1,000 to 5,000 CFA (roughly $2-10) while the larger ones range from 8,000 to 20,000 CFA ($16-40).</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">While I may not have ignited that primal spark of human ingenuity by making my own beef jerky this time, the pervasive presence of animals on the street and meat processing in the markets of Niamey certainly bring me one step closer to communing with thousands of generations of inventive humans.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">1) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, College of Agriculture</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><a href="http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html"><u>http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html</u></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;">2) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Put_em_Up.html?hl=sv&id=JB0UxMnAboEC">Put 'em Up: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook</a>,</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"> Sherri Brooks Vinton. p.71</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-76155147801634945762011-05-08T20:57:00.021+01:002011-05-11T16:37:10.227+01:00The Essential Recipe for a Texan Abroad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwTH0mNpWwY/TcfV_FWdQ1I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/cBTT7xVYV2A/s1600/DSC01522.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwTH0mNpWwY/TcfV_FWdQ1I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/cBTT7xVYV2A/s320/DSC01522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604683541030716242" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;" >There is no better way for a Texan living overseas to celebrate </span><a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/0505_060505_cinco_de_mayo.html">Cinco de Mayo</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;" > than by listening to some <a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A163856011%2Ck%3AJulieta%20Venegas%20Andar%20Conmigo&page=1">Julietta Venegas</a> and making fresh tortillas. I learned how to make tortillas from a fellow Texan living in Japan many moons ago. At the time, I lived in a small fishing town on the </span><a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/okhotsk.htm"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Okhotsk</span> </a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;" >Sea where it was very difficult to find any non-Japanese food. Like most people who are raised on a steady diet of fajitas, tacos al pastor, and salsa riddled with jalapeños, my husband and I quickly became homesick for Tex-Mex. Luckily, the ingredients for flour tortillas are super simple, so I've been able to make them everywhere we've lived. Finding good beef, the ingredients for corn tortillas, and fresh jalapeños is another matter...</span><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Flour Tortillas</p><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/3 cup Crisco*<br />1 cup warm water</p><ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.</li><li>Cut the Crisco into the flour using a fork until a coarse, crumbly meal forms.</li></ul><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb6Qza23Mds/TcfY2Sp0k6I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/dp100wwtexM/s1600/DSC01516.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb6Qza23Mds/TcfY2Sp0k6I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/dp100wwtexM/s320/DSC01516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604686688517657506" border="0" /></a><ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Slowly add the water a little at a time as you mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms. It should not be too sticky or wet. If it is, add a little flour.</li></ul><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LYM5n8Nipc/TcfbQl-RMtI/AAAAAAAAAKE/hI9ldmw_qXI/s1600/DSC01519.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0LYM5n8Nipc/TcfbQl-RMtI/AAAAAAAAAKE/hI9ldmw_qXI/s320/DSC01519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604689339403547346" border="0" /></a><ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.</li><li>Divide the dough into golf ball sized pieces. Cover the balls with plastic wrap or a towel so they do not dry out.</li></ul><ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fTRHPVfBrvQ/TcfgpyPdivI/AAAAAAAAAKU/H6d9Qf4KfPU/s1600/DSC01506.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fTRHPVfBrvQ/TcfgpyPdivI/AAAAAAAAAKU/H6d9Qf4KfPU/s320/DSC01506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604695269751753458" border="0" /></a>Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Make sure it is dry. Do not add oil! As the pan heats up, roll out a ball of dough with a rolling pin to make a round, flat tortilla (it should be quite thin, but not so thin that it becomes translucent).</li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MsNivO5rZc/TcfmBZYuAxI/AAAAAAAAAKc/XurtXAu3K9Y/s1600/DSC01507.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MsNivO5rZc/TcfmBZYuAxI/AAAAAAAAAKc/XurtXAu3K9Y/s320/DSC01507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604701172954694418" border="0" /></a>Place the tortilla on the hot pan and cook until it begins to puff up (the first few may not puff up nicely if the pan is not hot enough). This should take only two or three minutes.</li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcXGcK-pLyI/TcfpgZ49cXI/AAAAAAAAAKk/4qAqDUmYZnc/s1600/DSC01512.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcXGcK-pLyI/TcfpgZ49cXI/AAAAAAAAAKk/4qAqDUmYZnc/s320/DSC01512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604705004200751474" border="0" /></a>Flip it over and cook on the other side for another minute. Your tortilla should be white with a few brown spots on both sides.</li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Remove the tortilla from the pan and place it between the folds of a clean towel to keep it warm and soft until you are ready to serve.</li><li>Once you get used to rolling out the dough, you'll be able to roll out<br />one tortilla while another is cooking in the pan.<br /></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;font-family:georgia;" >This recipe makes about 20 (depends on how many you eat as you cook).</span> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For a super quick Tex-Mex fix, I use my tortillas to make <a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/cheese-quesadillas.html">quesadillas</a>, which I serve with <a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/pico-de-gallo.html">pico de gallo</a>. Plain tortillas are equally delicious when they are hot and rolled up around a few good pads of butter. Buen provecho!</p><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">*If you can't find Crisco, or don't like using it, you can try vegetable cooking oil (this is what I used when I lived in Morocco). Your tortillas might not be as soft and pliable, though. If you live in Niamey, I found Crisco at <a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://nigerphonebook.com/en/shopping/supermarkets/marina-market-niger-22131.html">Marina Market</a>. Hopefully they still sell it!</p>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-50643829170156915052011-05-08T20:54:00.005+01:002011-05-11T15:44:03.969+01:00Cheese Quesadillas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mF8qwhytClo/TcqeiHrhgYI/AAAAAAAAAK8/T2qrrtSxnBo/s1600/DSC01521.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mF8qwhytClo/TcqeiHrhgYI/AAAAAAAAAK8/T2qrrtSxnBo/s320/DSC01521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605466995230343554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Grated cheese (queso fresco, mozzarella, mild cheddar, etc.)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Tortillas<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><ul><li>Sprinkle a small handful of cheese on one tortilla. Cover it with another tortilla.</li><li>Place on a hot, dry pan over medium heat. Do not add oil to the pan!</li><li>Heat through on one side, about 2 minutes, until the cheese in the middle begins to melt.</li><li>Flip the quesadilla over to heat through the other side for about a minute or two.</li></ul><p>Serve hot with <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/pico-de-gallo.html">pico de gallo</a> or salsa.</p>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-63462094798644091112011-05-08T20:28:00.008+01:002011-05-11T16:05:16.331+01:00Pico de Gallo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sAsNFMnJXwM/TcqbpXrtevI/AAAAAAAAAK0/VhIQUGEwTEQ/s1600/DSC01521.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sAsNFMnJXwM/TcqbpXrtevI/AAAAAAAAAK0/VhIQUGEwTEQ/s320/DSC01521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605463821250296562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 -1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">1-2 garlic cloves, minced</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">1-2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (or local hot pepper)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">2-3 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><ul><li>Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.</li><li>Serve as a condiment for <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/cheese-quesadillas.html">quesadillas</a>, tacos, yucca chips, steak, anything!</li></ul><br />Makes about 2 cups<br /><p>Adjust the quantities to achieve your preferred taste- saltier, spicier, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>(Adapted from Steven Raichlen's <span style="font-style: italic;">Healthy Latin Cooking</span>)<br /></p>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-38671150875555375452011-04-28T16:36:00.011+01:002011-04-30T10:16:24.261+01:00Mango Sorbet for a Hot Day<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It's mango season in Niger! The capital is overflowing with the large, warmly-colored fruit which grows well all over West Africa.<br /><br /><br /></span><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXOV_A67cbY/TbrdCJJIHAI/AAAAAAAAAJI/92NW_O1p5Hc/s1600/DSC01462.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXOV_A67cbY/TbrdCJJIHAI/AAAAAAAAAJI/92NW_O1p5Hc/s320/DSC01462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601032115472309250" border="0" /></a>As you drive down the dusty roads, you can stop and buy a kilo or two from the young men who push neatly stacked piles of mangoes in wheelbarrows up and down the streets.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gJdsCmTBqQA/TbrTzo-lWcI/AAAAAAAAAI4/K7bPQKEO-GE/s1600/DSC01449_2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gJdsCmTBqQA/TbrTzo-lWcI/AAAAAAAAAI4/K7bPQKEO-GE/s320/DSC01449_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601021970715335106" border="0" /></a>But if you have your own mango tree, you are truly lucky because their branches are heavy with the sticky, sweet fruit right now.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7K1xzP_W-9E/TbmECjV9JiI/AAAAAAAAAIg/8qGVTjoYsUY/s1600/DSC01449.JPG"><br /></a></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">These Nigerien mangoes are smaller than <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPjPzykd0ZU/TbrIyuy2gZI/AAAAAAAAAIw/gVjHHN51S5k/s1600/DSC01465_2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPjPzykd0ZU/TbrIyuy2gZI/AAAAAAAAAIw/gVjHHN51S5k/s320/DSC01465_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601009860468965778" border="0" /></a>their cousins in Benin and Togo, but they are no less delicious. Their only drawback is the large amount of fibrous threads embedded in the flesh. However, if you are going to make mango sorbet, these threads won't bother you a bit! This week, Paulina and I experimented with some local mangoes plucked from the branches of a neighbor's tree. We used the "Soft-Fruit Sorbet" recipe from <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Cook Everything</span>, by Mark Bittman. While he suggests using an ice cream maker, we relied on patience and old-fashioned arm power.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Mango Sorbet</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-XE_u-fbf4/TbrZCBYBaTI/AAAAAAAAAJA/0-s1DSyeiRA/s1600/DSC01441.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-XE_u-fbf4/TbrZCBYBaTI/AAAAAAAAAJA/0-s1DSyeiRA/s320/DSC01441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601027715340790066" border="0" /></a></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">1 1/2 cups mango, peeled and seeded<br />1 cup milk<br />1 cup powdered sugar, or to taste<br />1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></p><ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Purée the mangoes in a blender.</li><li>Strain the fruit through a fine sieve or strainer to separate the fibers from the pulp. You may need to press it through the sieve with a spoon.</li><li>In a medium-sized bowl, combine the milk, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of the strained mango pulp. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.</li><li>Put the bowl in the freezer and stir the contents every 20 minutes for the next 2 hours. This prevents it from freezing into a hard block of ice.</li><li>The sorbet is best eaten fresh when the mixture has frozen to the right consistency (I don't know how you like your sorbet, but I like it when it is a nice, firm slush that can hold its shape). Once the sorbet has formed, you can also keep it in the freezer until you are ready to eat. Just leave it at room temperature for a minute or two until it is soft enough to scoop out into bowls.</li></ul>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-41536190795644576712011-04-25T19:41:00.002+01:002011-04-30T10:20:29.666+01:00West African Peanut Sauce<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXboknm5NN8/TbXCeJZBlXI/AAAAAAAAAII/MF_t-dMzbbs/s1600/IMG_8288.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXboknm5NN8/TbXCeJZBlXI/AAAAAAAAAII/MF_t-dMzbbs/s320/IMG_8288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599595534877824370" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;">2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed<br />water<br />1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)<br />1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)<br />4 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 bay leaves<br />4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped<br />1 Tablespoon tomato paste<br />4 Tablespoons peanut paste*<br />1 good bunch of oseille leaves, discard stems (or spinach)<br />1 green bell pepper, quartered<br />4 hot peppers (in Niger, we use the little tonkoté peppers, but any hot pepper will do)<br />4 shallots, cubed (substitute 1 onion)<br /><span style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Times;font-size:100%;">1/4 <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-maggi-in-my-life.html">Maggi </a>cube</span> </span><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Put the chicken in a medium-sized pot and barely cover it with water. Add the black pepper, salt, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, remove the chicken and water from the pot and set aside in a bowl. Do not discard the water!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Lower the stovetop temperature to medium low. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, peanut paste, minced garlic, and 1/2 liter of water to the empty pot and stir well to combine. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Continue boiling until the oil begins to separate and you can see it pooling on the top of the sauce.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>In the meantime, cover the leaves with boiling water in a medium-sized bowl. This brings out the flavor. Set aside until you are ready to use them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Once the oil has separated from the sauce, pour the chicken water through a sieve into the sauce and add the chicken cubes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Strain the leaves and squeeze out any excess water.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Add about 1/3 liter of water, onions, bell pepper, hot pepper, leaves, and Maggi cube to the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes, or until thickened.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Serve with rice or couscous.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">*</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;">Western style peanut butter is too sweet, try the freshly ground peanut butter from Whole Foods.</span></p>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-59510140646856227192011-04-25T13:06:00.001+01:002012-05-09T14:44:42.391+01:00A Little Maggi in My Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">When I was an ESL teacher at an international school in Japan, I always tried to work food into the curriculum. Procedural writing was an obvious outlet for combining my culinary interests with curricular demands. Each year, my students would pester their parents to show them how to make their favorite dish so that we could put together a class cookbook. One year, I had an Indian student who was having trouble deciding exactly what he wanted to write about. So, kneeling next to his desk, I asked him to close his eyes and think about what he would like to eat right then, at that very moment. It could be anything- birthday cake, curry rice, daal…My little third grade student opened his eyes and said very seriously, “Ma’am, I like Maggi Noodles.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. But since he said it with such intensity and desire, I was not going to bog him down with too many questions. I gave him the OK and sent him on his way to ask his mother about her Maggi Noodle recipe. When our procedural writing unit was complete and the cookbook assembled, we had a class party. Everyone brought the dish they wrote about and we enjoyed sampling the different cuisines represented by our class. There was kimbap from Korea, yakisoba from Japan, and of course, Maggi Noodles from India. My Indian student proudly walked around the room with his plastic Tupperware box full of yellow, crimped noodles and served each of his classmates a healthy portion of the chicken-bouillon flavored Indian cousin to Kraft mac-n-cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">I never really thought about Maggi Noodles again until my arrival in Niger. When I drove up to the petit marché for the first time, I was greeted by a very large red and yellow billboard proclaiming, “With <a href="http://www.nestle-family.com/maggi/english/" style="color: #cc0000;">MAGGI</a>, every Woman is a Star. Welcome to the Petit Marché!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">I couldn’t help but hear my Indian student saying to me, “Ma’am, I like Maggi Noodles.” His serious little voice pops into my head a lot these days, as Niamey is covered with Maggi advertising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">There are little street-side restaurants endorsing Maggi,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">men with Maggi aprons,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">festive Maggi banners,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">and, of course, Maggi umbrellas to protect patrons, vendors, and products from the hot sahelian sun.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fg-IRAotDIo/TbV47f0I2_I/AAAAAAAAAHo/Py7DPArcBXY/s1600/DSC01390_2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599514675252878322" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fg-IRAotDIo/TbV47f0I2_I/AAAAAAAAAHo/Py7DPArcBXY/s400/DSC01390_2.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 384px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">The Nestlé brand has successfully worked its way into the Nigerien kitchen, including mine. Maybe it is their team of industrious representatives like Bintou, “restaurant owner, mother, star,” who fuel our desire to be the successful, modern woman of the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Or, maybe, it’s just that we all crave that extra special “<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15819485" style="color: #cc0000;">umami</a>” taste that the iodine and <a href="http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=2162&page=NewsArticle&id=13279" style="color: #cc0000;">MSG</a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>laden cubes add to our cooking.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arqcz5aSFHY/TbWGg1lDAxI/AAAAAAAAAIA/bqA5AHHB6IE/s1600/DSC01385_2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599529610401481490" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arqcz5aSFHY/TbWGg1lDAxI/AAAAAAAAAIA/bqA5AHHB6IE/s400/DSC01385_2.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 100%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">Whatever the case may be, Maggi is a key ingredient in many West African sauces. If you’d like to sample some of the “</span><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15819485" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">umami</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">” boosting power of Maggi, give Paulina’s <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/peanut-sauce.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Peanut Sauce</a> or <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/fufusi-tomato-sauce.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Tomato Sauce</a> recipes a try. Both of these can be served on top of plain white rice or </span><a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/igname-pile-pounded-igname.html" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia;">socoro</a><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">. If you are not comfortable with the idea of adding MSG to your food, you can always omit the Maggi cube and play around with the recipe by adding a little homemade chicken stock and increasing the amount of salt and pepper. Just remember to "cook with joy!"</span></span></div>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-21794189818300498812011-03-30T14:16:00.001+01:002011-04-30T10:19:29.851+01:00Fufusi: Tomato Sauce<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ8x1Imn39g/TbaoOsqowjI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/eZDQXzVCD64/s1600/IMG_8447.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ8x1Imn39g/TbaoOsqowjI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/eZDQXzVCD64/s320/IMG_8447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599848157143417394" border="0" /></a>2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed<br />1/2 medium sized onion, finely chopped<br />4 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 bay leaves<br />salt (to taste)<br />pepper (to taste)<br />1 teaspoon dried thyme<br />1/2 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger<br />1 <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-maggi-in-my-life.html">Maggi</a> cube<br />water<br />3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced<br />1 eggplant, cut into 8 pieces lengthwise<br />3 hot peppers<br />1 green bell pepper, quartered<br /><br /><ul><li>In a medium-sized pot, brown the chicken with the onions, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme, and ginger.</li><li>Add about 1/2 cup of water to the chicken and crumble in the Maggi cube. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes.</li><li>Add the tomatoes and boil 2 minutes more.</li><li>Add 2 to 3 cups more water to make a thick soup.</li><li>Add eggplant, hot peppers, and bell pepper. Boil until the eggplant is cooked through (a fork should be able to easily pierce the eggplant).</li><li>Serve with rice or <a href="http://amoveablekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/igname-pile-pounded-igname.html">socoro</a>.<br /></li></ul>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-37865226907562615342011-03-28T16:50:00.002+01:002011-04-30T10:18:47.515+01:00Is that a....baobab fruit?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzyXwTkNDL8/TZeVuBmB9RI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Ooih8ubypEQ/s1600/DSC01376_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzyXwTkNDL8/TZeVuBmB9RI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Ooih8ubypEQ/s320/DSC01376_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591102080338228498" border="0" /></a>A couple of months ago, my friend and I were walking our dogs off leash. Modigi, my mutt, is a superb scavenger who always seems to find some stinky carcass to snack on, which in Niger includes snake heads, lizard jerky, and flattened toads. This time, she came bounding up to me with what I thought was a very stiff dead rat. She had her mouth around the fuzzy, faun colored body while the thin, scaly tail protruded stiffly from the corner of her mouth. "Great," I thought, "this is the last thing I want to extract from her jaws." Upon closer inspection, and to my great relief, I found that my Sahelien canine had some kind of strange fruit in her mouth. And so, I was introduced for the first time to baobab fruit.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gcBY6-mTFYQ/TZeV-gvb87I/AAAAAAAAAFs/OpSzMCSIW7Q/s1600/DSC01195.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gcBY6-mTFYQ/TZeV-gvb87I/AAAAAAAAAFs/OpSzMCSIW7Q/s320/DSC01195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591102363577086898" border="0" /></a><br />Baobab trees are a common sight in the Niamey region and can be found throughout the African continent in hot, dry areas with low rainfall. They are classified, along with balsa, durian, and kapok trees, as a member of the Malvaceae family.<br /><br />These tall trees with thick trunks and slender branches are highly regarded by people in Africa because they provide many resources in a harsh climate. Not only is every part of the tree edible from its seeds to its roots, the large trunk can be hollowed out for storage or shelter and the bark can be turned into fiber for baskets or cloth.<br /><br />My first gastronomic encounter with the baobab took place just the other week when we were on Lamantin Island, home of the Park W <a href="http://www.iledulamantin.com/">Ecolodge</a> (a very nice place to stay with a fantastic restaurant). This island, in the middle of the Niger River, is covered with baobab trees. We were encouraged by the proprietors to pick up a fruit that had fallen on the ground and try the pinkish, powdery flesh. It tasted like sour astronaut ice cream (like most people who grew up in Houston, I've had my fair share of freeze-dried Neapolitan ice cream). Although I could eat the raw fruit in a pinch, I think I prefer imbibing the wonderful juice, which Paulina showed me how to make upon my return from our safari adventure at Park W.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hSMy9VDWSis/TZkqJnKRoZI/AAAAAAAAAGc/DYSpVUnPNZA/s1600/DSC01358.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hSMy9VDWSis/TZkqJnKRoZI/AAAAAAAAAGc/DYSpVUnPNZA/s320/DSC01358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591546756976451986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Buying baobab powder at the petit marché.</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Paulina's Baobab Juice Recipe</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UwULSHSK_KU/TZeX58jwzTI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Rp9gZRTNZjY/s1600/IMG_8501.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UwULSHSK_KU/TZeX58jwzTI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Rp9gZRTNZjY/s320/IMG_8501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591104484168224050" border="0" /></a>350 grams baobab powder<br />3~4 liters tap or bottled water<br />handful of fresh mint<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 and 1/2 cups sugar (or to taste)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- Combine baobab powder and 1 liter of water in a large bowl. Stir gently to dissolve the powder. It will look like a soupy cake batter.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icPyI5FO730/TZeY4jpTO4I/AAAAAAAAAGM/lnD3fYztXmc/s1600/IMG_8462.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icPyI5FO730/TZeY4jpTO4I/AAAAAAAAAGM/lnD3fYztXmc/s320/IMG_8462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591105559812324226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Baobab Powder<br /><br /></span></div>- Add 1/2 a liter of water to thin out the juice and stir to combine.<br />- Strain the juice through a fine sieve into another large bowl. Set the pulpy contents of the sieve aside as it will be used again.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppMpei3-9o0/TZeYjNm0T6I/AAAAAAAAAGE/XYn3KwtSO6s/s1600/IMG_8492.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppMpei3-9o0/TZeYjNm0T6I/AAAAAAAAAGE/XYn3KwtSO6s/s320/IMG_8492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591105193119076258" border="0" /></a><br />- Once you have strained all of the juice, put the pulp into a large bowl and mix with 1 liter of water. Stir until well combined.<br />- Strain the juice of this second batch into the first batch.<br />- Strain all of the juice one more time.<br />- In a small bowl, bruise the mint in 1/2 liter of water.<br />- Add the mint water to the baobab juice.<br />- Another 1/2 liter of water may be added if the juice is too thick.<br />- Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and sugar. Stir well to dissolve.<br />- Chill and serve.<br /><br />Makes 3 liters of juice<br /><br />For more information on the baobab tree: <a href="http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm">South African National Biodiversity Institute</a><br /><br />An article on the EU approving the use baobab fruit in food products: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7506997.stm">BBC</a>A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-46342537258563548022011-03-27T19:50:00.003+01:002011-04-30T10:28:14.883+01:00Socoro: Fufu: Igname Pilé: Pounded Igname<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vrBjmFOvAA/TZDkNi0Dt1I/AAAAAAAAAEE/srcbeY11D8I/s1600/IMG_8259_2.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vrBjmFOvAA/TZDkNi0Dt1I/AAAAAAAAAEE/srcbeY11D8I/s400/IMG_8259_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589218058901370706" border="0" /></a>Beneath the thick shade of an old tree, women gather round a heavy wooden mortar. With sleeves rolled up, each takes a turn pounding the contents with long wooden poles. Anything can be beaten to a pulp with a good mortar and pestle- the nigerien version of a food processor. The rhythmic thud of the thick pieces of wood knocking against one another can be heard even in the kitchens and courtyards of city dwellers.<br /><br /><br />One of Paulina's favorite dishes requiring the use of a mortar and pestle is igname pilé, or pounded igname (pronounced EE-nyam), which is served with various types of sauces. Igname is a large type of yam with a woody exterior and a white, starchy interior. Vendors at the market stack the tubers on the ground like firewood or pile them in wheelbarrows, which they push down the streets in search of buyers. In many parts of West Africa, the raw yam is peeled, cooked, and then pounded into a thick dough that is used to scoop up the sauce. Alternatively, the dough could be divided into small balls and dropped into the sauce, much like dumplings. Here, in Niger, the tuber is cut and cooked directly in the sauce.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2XdysAGEg0/TZDDZMfTlDI/AAAAAAAAACs/kwPfh38Pxtk/s1600/IMG_8257.JPG"><br /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ2xK7O6UxA/TZDxnPOnQSI/AAAAAAAAAEs/f9eqPBYTIM8/s1600/IMG_8257.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ2xK7O6UxA/TZDxnPOnQSI/AAAAAAAAAEs/f9eqPBYTIM8/s320/IMG_8257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589232793971802402" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">After several months of being in Niamey, my curiosity could take it no longer. So, armed with my wallet and the guidance of Paulina, I headed to the petit marché to buy a mortar, pestle, and some igname. When buying a mortar and pestle in Niger, you want to look for one that is heavy, even, smooth, and free of cracks. They come in many sizes depending on how much food you need to prepare. I bought a small one since I usually cook for only two people. Make sure to buy some beurre de karité (shea butter) to treat the wood before using it; otherwise, it might crack in the hot, dry weather of Niger.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to treat your mortar:</span><br /><br />Once your mortar and pestle are home, place it on a towel and rub a good layer of shea butter all over the inside, outside, and bottom of the mortar. Let it sit in a dry room for several days (I left mine for 4 days, but 2 should be plenty). Gently wash off the shea butter with warm soapy water and dry with a clean towel. It is important to pound a handful of igname and then throw it away on your first use (you won't have to do this again). This step ensures that the inside is clean. Your mortar is now ready to last generations! Just wash it out with warm soapy water after each use.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6nUhnME_uq8/TZDu2TYHuCI/AAAAAAAAAEc/s_tCQlOXo7k/s1600/IMG_8256.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6nUhnME_uq8/TZDu2TYHuCI/AAAAAAAAAEc/s_tCQlOXo7k/s320/IMG_8256.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589229754248575010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Shea Butter: On a hot day, keep your shea butter in water so that it won't melt. The vendor at the petit marché gave me a plastic bag filled with water for the journey home.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVWyG5JeRG8/TZDu2vUOiyI/AAAAAAAAAEk/_jjA1EhFmWY/s1600/IMG_8276.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVWyG5JeRG8/TZDu2vUOiyI/AAAAAAAAAEk/_jjA1EhFmWY/s320/IMG_8276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589229761748437794" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">My new mortar with a good layer of shea butter.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paulina's recipe for Igname Pilé:</span><br /></div><br />1 liter water<br />1 igname<br />1/2 cup water (optional)<br /><br /><br />- Fill a pot with 1 liter of water and bring to a boil.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z0b936Ko2ug/TZD0b65mazI/AAAAAAAAAE0/e6UBf0H58Pw/s1600/IMG_8418.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z0b936Ko2ug/TZD0b65mazI/AAAAAAAAAE0/e6UBf0H58Pw/s320/IMG_8418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589235898071280434" border="0" /></a>- Meanwhile, cut off as much igname as you think you will eat. You can save the rest of the tuber for another day, simply place it in a dry, dark place. You do not need to cover the cut end. It will form a hard crust that can be cut off and disposed of before use. The tuber can be kept like this for about a week.<br /><br />- Peel the woody skin off the igname with a sharp knife.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-109Zk2tR8dE/TZDQNNSCnCI/AAAAAAAAADE/Sv-VZm4Ig2U/s1600/IMG_8421.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-109Zk2tR8dE/TZDQNNSCnCI/AAAAAAAAADE/Sv-VZm4Ig2U/s320/IMG_8421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589196062888991778" border="0" /></a><br />- Cut the tuber into one inch cubes and place in the boiling water.<br />- Cook until soft (about 15 minutes). Test it by poking a piece with a fork. If the fork pierces the igname easily but does not make it fall apart, then turn off the heat and drain.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZOgmJmXHgc/TZD2O0kvDpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/JRcCQ_yNKN4/s1600/IMG_8435.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZOgmJmXHgc/TZD2O0kvDpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/JRcCQ_yNKN4/s320/IMG_8435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589237872058109586" border="0" /></a>- Put the igname back into the pot and fill a large bowl with tap or bottled water (depending on potability). Place both of these on the ground next to your treated mortar.<br />- Put a handful and a half of igname (or half the quantity) into the mortar and begin pounding it. If the igname sticks to the pestle, dip the pestle in the bowl of water. You may also need to dip your hand in the water and then turn the igname in the mortar before continuing to pound. This ensures that the igname is pounded evenly.<br /><br />- Continue pounding until a smooth dough is formed. Remove the dough from the mortar and place it in an empty bowl.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UL6CBLSGXUI/TZDWe8zf4-I/AAAAAAAAADU/ZUOAcHvdd-s/s1600/IMG_8437.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UL6CBLSGXUI/TZDWe8zf4-I/AAAAAAAAADU/ZUOAcHvdd-s/s320/IMG_8437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589202964773331938" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7dsHyysXqs/TZDWfNPtEkI/AAAAAAAAADc/2DS6sbuUu-w/s1600/IMG_8440.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7dsHyysXqs/TZDWfNPtEkI/AAAAAAAAADc/2DS6sbuUu-w/s320/IMG_8440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589202969186603586" border="0" /></a><br />- Put another handful and a half (or the remainder) of the igname into the mortar and pound until a smooth dough is formed.<br />- When you have pounded all of the igname, put all of the batches back into the mortar and pound them together. You may add about half a cup of water to the igname in the mortar to make it a bit lighter, but don't add too much or the dough will be sticky. Also, squish it, rather than pound it, until the water is incorporated; otherwise, you will splash yourself with water. Once the water is incorporated, you may resume pounding the igname.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xaFNslx53dw/TZD4Yt5y-yI/AAAAAAAAAFE/TiO2n4fvTgg/s1600/IMG_8442.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xaFNslx53dw/TZD4Yt5y-yI/AAAAAAAAAFE/TiO2n4fvTgg/s320/IMG_8442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589240241089346338" border="0" /></a>- The igname is ready when you can gather it into a smooth, doughy ball.<br />- Place it in a bowl or on a plate and serve alongside your favorite sauce (try Paulina's Spicy Sauce- a future blog entry).<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F5JuAcMJBo/TZDc5BoWCtI/AAAAAAAAADs/F4_lj3IQ1S8/s1600/IMG_8449.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F5JuAcMJBo/TZDc5BoWCtI/AAAAAAAAADs/F4_lj3IQ1S8/s320/IMG_8449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589210009815091922" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-enwgrw6IO3c/TZD6HuMO-oI/AAAAAAAAAFM/aqBUvsRYB8E/s1600/IMG_8450.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-enwgrw6IO3c/TZD6HuMO-oI/AAAAAAAAAFM/aqBUvsRYB8E/s320/IMG_8450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589242148132158082" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-axxptDCK9b0/TZDc5qqj9bI/AAAAAAAAAD0/5dIu3yZ0Ku8/s1600/IMG_8450.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br />Igname is best if eaten right after it is made. It is possible to keep it covered in the refrigerator overnight. Just put it in boiling water to heat through before eating.<br /><br />Do not eat igname pilé that has puffed up or developed a crust. It is no longer edible.A Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949934852084053995.post-44157247518437956722011-03-21T19:42:00.001+01:002011-04-30T10:18:15.250+01:00Bissap Juice<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-lT34xS8gU/TYgzAE0VazI/AAAAAAAAACA/BHVTjHsIHuk/s1600/IMG_8280.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-lT34xS8gU/TYgzAE0VazI/AAAAAAAAACA/BHVTjHsIHuk/s320/IMG_8280.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586771414139366194" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WSkRUnk-pLU/TYgy_kzcRFI/AAAAAAAAAB4/2My92tEizlw/s1600/IMG_8253.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WSkRUnk-pLU/TYgy_kzcRFI/AAAAAAAAAB4/2My92tEizlw/s320/IMG_8253.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586771405545686098" /></a><br />The temperature is definitely rising here in Niamey, Niger, and everyone keeps telling me that it is only going to get hotter in the coming months. By two in the afternoon, the streets are deserted. Even my dog, who is native to the Sahel, refuses to leave the safety of the shade and looks at me like a mad woman if I hold up her leash.<br /><br />The height of the afternoon is best for relaxing in the shade with a nice cold drink, and Nigeriens know how to do it right! Although Coca Cola and other sodas are popular, they will never beat out local drinks like Bissap Juice (made from dried hibiscus calyxes), Ginger Juice, or Baobab Juice.<br /><br />Bissap Juice is probably the most prevalent of the local drinks and can be found on almost any restaurant menu. You can even buy the thick syrup at the grocery store. But nothing is better than a glass of homemade Bissap Juice.<br /><br />While shopping at the petit marché, I noticed a giant pile of what looked like brittle, crimson flowers sandwiched behind a bucket of limes. Having just bought a kilo of the limes, I plucked up enough courage to ask the vendor about the flowers. In Niger, if you buy a decent quantity of produce, the vendor usually gives you a "petit cadeau," or small gift, to entice you to return to his stall. The man kindly gave me two large handfuls of bissap so that I could give it a try.<br /><br />My housekeeper, Paulina, was very happy with my spoils and showed me how to prepare the juice. When we went back to the marché several days later, I took her to the same vendor and we bought an entire bowlful, which is good for making about 12 liters of Bissap Juice. The following is Paulina's recipe:<br /><br /><br /><br />Serving size: 6.5 liters<br /><br /><br />5 1/4 cups bissap<br />1+ liters water<br />1 handful fresh mint<br />2 1/2 cups sugar (or to taste)<br /><br />*If you bought the bissap outside on a dusty day (we have many of them in Niger), rinse them off once with water.<br /><br /><br />- Bring 1 liter of water to a gentle simmer in a large pot.<br />- Add the bissap and mint and allow the water to come to a strong boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes.<br />- Turn off the heat. Pour the dark red juice through a sieve into a large bowl or basin to separate the flowers and mint from the liquid.<br />- Return the bissap and mint to the pot and cover with another liter of water (tap or bottled depending on the potability of your water).<br />- Strain this second batch of juice into the first batch of juice.<br />- Continue adding fresh water and straining until the flowers stop giving a strong red juice (2 to 3 times).<br />- Strain all of the juice one more time to get rid of any sediment.<br />- Add sugar and stir well to dissolve.<br />- Chill the juice in the refrigerator.<br /><br />*Some people add a sprig of fresh mint to the juice as it chills.<br />*Bissap Juice makes great mixed drinks. My friend suggested adding it to vodka and orange juice. Will have to try this the next time we have a party!<br /><br /><br /><br />Some notes on bissap:<br /><br />Although dried bissap looks like a flower, it is actually the calyx of the hibiscus flower.<br /><br />Some believe that bissap juice is a good diuretic, and that it can benefit those with high blood pressure.<br /><br />Drinks made from bissap can be found all over the world from the Americas to Southeast Asia.<br /><br />For more information on the plant that produces bissap, see this web site:<br />http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/roselle.html#Food%20UsesA Moveable Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00659048860629815993noreply@blogger.com1