tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:38:08 +0000BETUMI: The African Culinary Network (www.betumi.com) connects anyone who delights in African cuisine, foodways, and food history.http://www.betumi.com/blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)Blogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-7558876572838113252Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +00002009-11-04T14:38:08.427-05:00chufaatagbe mekyeatadwe miklyetiger nut milkataanme nmlicheI just rinsed the tiger nuts (chufa), measured them out and put them on to soak for a few hours. The proportions we used in Ghana were basically 1 to 4: one part rice to 4 parts tiger nuts. I was told for a richer version you can increase the rice. Some people soak the nuts overnight, and some also soak the rice, but at Flair we did neither. For this first testing, I'm going with a cup of tiger http://www.betumi.com/2009/11/recipe-26-atadwe-milkye-tiger-nut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-233191089003491868Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +00002009-10-29T10:17:22.594-05:00chufatiger nutlost crops of africahorchataatadwye milkyeThere is a grass-like sedge, cyperus esculentus, from ancient Egypt, whose nut-like fruit, actually the root, grows underground like a peanut (or groundnut) and that is known in Ghana as tigernut, and in Mexico and Spain as chufa (where they are used to make a drink called horchata (or orxata) chufa . Apparently, the Arabs took the sedge from Egypt to Spain between the 8th and 13th centuries, http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/tiger-nuts-chufa-another-lost-crop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-7431439096209933222Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:42:00 +00002009-10-23T13:14:19.343-05:00crockpot jollof ricevegetarian jollofOkay, if you don't have an oven (my first choice) or a stove top (second choice), I think maybe I'd try making a vegetarian jollof rice in a rice cooker (I admit I haven't tried it yet, and I'm so sick of eating my various versions I don't want to try today). BUT, if you have no other choice, yes, you can make a not-so-perfect, but edible, version in the crockpot.I gave the directions yesterday, http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-25-jollof-rice-in-crock-pot.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-915367531319767946Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:18:00 +00002009-10-22T13:30:13.923-05:00slow cooker ricevegetarian jollofcrockpot jollofOkay, after yesterday's discouraging results, today I'm trying a very simplified vegetarian version of a jollof rice putting everything directly into the slow cooker (except the chopped vegetables--I'll still add them in a few hours) and changing quantities.I only used 1 cup of rice for this experiment, but used over half a cup (half of a large onion) of chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, a http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/crockpot-jollof-rice-revisited.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-2761198303129565785Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:17:00 +00002009-10-22T12:01:42.285-05:00crock pot recipeslow cookingjollof riceIt should be possible to make jollof rice in a slow cooker. That was my premise yesterday, and I adapted my recipe accordingly (less liquid and oil, more onion and garlic, coarser chopping, not grating, etc.). Then, when I added everything together, at the last minute I decided to add another 1/2 cup of broth. The result was about a 55% success: right flavor, tender meat, but, yuk, very mushy http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-in-progress-crockpot-jollof-rice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-3076720693782055437Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:32:00 +00002009-10-20T12:10:48.255-05:00quick sardine stewGhana fast foodsardine stewOne of my daughters recently mentioned that she has a hard time making what has to be one of the fastest, easiest Ghanaian recipes of all time: sardine stew. It's one of the first things I taught my adopted nephews to cook when they arrived from Ghana.I looked in my old journals from years ago and saw that I had actually written it up once, so here are my notes, typed almost verbatim. This is onehttp://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-24-sardine-stew-in-flash.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-7165897514969643778Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:16:00 +00002009-10-20T12:21:50.269-05:00pawpawpapayaIt seems somehow like cheating to take credit for a "recipe" for cutting up fresh fruit like papaya (or pawpaw, as it's often called in Ghana), but because it's a less familiar fruit to North Americans, even though it needs no dressing up to taste wonderful, it deserves a post all to itself.Though papayas likely originated in the Americas, probably southern Mexico and adjacent Central America, http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-23-fresh-papaya-with-lime.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-6940306371358262971Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +00002009-10-19T13:58:26.700-05:00mango dessertmangohow to cut mangoAs I said recently, I was without power in Pennsylvania for several days, and we had way too much snow in town for the middle of October. Perhaps in reaction to that, for lunch today I cut up a Brazilian mango that's been ripening on my counter this week. When ripe, they should be nice and yellow/red and very soft and juicy.There are mangoes and there are mangoes. I love the "traditional" mangoeshttp://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-21-mango-breakfast-snack-dessert.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-1907807263879800955Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:46:00 +00002009-10-17T17:57:15.394-05:00Hello, all. We had an all-time record early snow storm here in Central Pennsylvania the last couple of days. Wet snow in State College that knocked down trees (still full of leaves) and branches and caused a lot of power outages, including my house, which is surrounded by oak trees. I'm in the queue to have power restored (soon, they say, but keep pushing soon further and further back). I've beenhttp://www.betumi.com/2009/10/storm-in-state-college-power-woes-etc.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-9124565723329218123Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:33:00 +00002009-10-16T15:33:24.466-05:00funnel cakesafrican cookieatwemoafrican desserttwisted cakesEvery time I make atwemo in Central Pennsylvania, people say it reminds them of Pennsylvania Dutch "funnel cakes," and they want to sprinkle them with powdered sugar. That's definitely a North American idea."Twisted cakes," called atwemo in Ghana, are a standard holiday/birthday/special occasion treat at our house, and also a popular request at cooking demonstrations. A version is called http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-21-atwemo-twisted-cakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-6101069634660022152Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +00002009-10-18T21:44:59.956-05:00West African rice dishrice one-potjollof rice"Jollof rice" (aka jolof or djolof or benachin) is one of the better-known classic West African dishes. It's always amusing to read that this is the "national dish" of any specific West African country, since it belongs to the whole region, with many versions and variations in name and ingredients. It's sometimes credited with originating among the Wolof people of Senegal and Gambia, but is now http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-20-party-perfect-jollof-rice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-9223180746536444776Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +00002009-10-14T06:18:11.154-05:00ghana snackplantainsroasted plantainbananaI've already enthused about ripe plantains.If you're interested in a healthy snack that's naturally low in sodium, but high in potassium, vitamins B6 and C and fiber, and heartier than bananas, here's an easy recipe: roasted ripe plantain.You'll need an oven to make this (or a toaster oven).1. First, get a ripe plantain per person. This may take some planning.2. Preheat your oven to high (425 http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-19-roasted-ripe-plantain-snack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-1099496177291706999Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +00002009-10-13T10:55:08.662-05:00smoked fishbean stewsteamed cowpeasHere's another easy-to-make stew that is perfect with tatale. It also pairs wonderfully with fried ripe plantain, boiled rice, or plain gari.In Ghana bean (or "beans") stew is commonly prepared with cowpeas, especially a small red type that I would have preferred to use when I made my tatale a few weeks ago. I usually get them from an international market that carries Hispanic foods, but I was http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-18-bean-stew-wsmoked-fish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-3723341150752289053Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:45:00 +00002009-10-12T22:03:49.748-05:00tatalepancakesbambara beanstetareplantain I'm partial to versatile ripe plantains. One of my favorite ways to cook (and eat!) them is as a simple savory (no syrup, please) pancake as in this photo from a party in Ghana.The first, and possibly the hardest, step is to find ripe-to-overripe plantains. In colder weather in central Pennsylvania this is difficult. I'm not sure if the imported green plantains are held at too cold a http://www.betumi.com/2009/10/recipe-17-tatale-ripe-plantain-pancakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-4574344614577587085Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:55:00 +00002009-09-30T09:15:28.931-05:00mitadinjeraalechaEthiopian foodwatOur Ethiopian cooking class last week was fun. True, it was a challenge for everyone to get the injera thin enough, and we cheated after roasting the Ethiopian coffee beans in a cast iron frying pan by grinding them in a coffee grinder (along with a few cloves and a short stick of cinnamon). And we had to use an American coffee pot to serve the coffee, plus we had to substitute mead for tej at http://www.betumi.com/2009/09/injera-in-state-college.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-816901757234671890Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +00002009-09-23T09:37:15.072-05:00African culinary tourismEthiopian foodMoroccan cookingAfrican cooking classesIn April I posed 10 questions about African cuisine, and today I'll begin to tackle the last one, which is how to learn more about African food, or where to go to taste it. There are many pieces to the answer to Question #10, and many places to learn about and eat African cuisine. A quickie first step is to find some African cooking classes. This is not likely to be at any culinary institutes, http://www.betumi.com/2009/09/question-10-where-can-i-go-to-learn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-7445725443294371282Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:35:00 +00002009-09-10T15:41:45.859-05:00ghana snacksTheodora Osseo-Asaregarimaniocgari soakingJulia Yeboahcassavagari potowyeGari-potowye (gari soaking)Yesterday I featured a recipe for iced kenkey. Today I'd like to share another snack/porridge- type food I learned to call "gari soak" or "gari soaking." My sister-in-law, Theodora, was unfamiliar with those terms, but knows it by its Fante name "gari-potowye." It's also simple to make. Take a small amount of gari (I've only used the finely sifted Ghanaian version, nothttp://www.betumi.com/2009/09/recipe-16-gari-potowye-soaking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-8923720239263293155Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:48:00 +00002009-09-09T14:39:49.447-05:00Theodora Osseo-Asareghana snackJulia Yeboahiced kenkeyghana street foodI remember that when I was a child growing up in California my Tennessee-born mother sometimes snacked on graham crackers she crumbled into a bowl and covered with milk.Iced kenkey: Similarly, my late sister-in-law Afua used to enjoy a Ghanaian snack in the early 1970s when she attended the boarding school where I taught in Nungua, Ghana. It was called "iced kenkey." She simply crumbled part of http://www.betumi.com/2009/09/recipe-15-iced-kenkey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-59254659322685436Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:47:00 +00002009-09-08T10:51:16.878-05:00rice waterrice porridgeglobal voices onlinekajsa aduOn Sept. 5, Global Voices Online posted a fun and informative bit of information about Ghanaian cooking. Thank you to Kajsa Halberg Adu for drawing it to my attention, and also for featuring BETUMI in her posting on Sept. 7.Last week my husband had to take his once-every-10-years colonoscopy. That meant a few days of diet changes, which made it a good time to make a light and easy-to-prepare/http://www.betumi.com/2009/09/recipe-14-rice-water.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-259154020412744139Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:23:00 +00002009-09-03T15:27:04.023-05:00Obama African menuFlairGhana Obama mealBaetaBelow is the menu provided to me by Barbara Baeta Bentsi-Enchill, the Executive Chairman and founder of Flair Catering Services in Ghana, of the breakfast buffet served to President and Mrs. Obama and their entourage at the Presidential Castle on 11 July 2009.I've unsuccessfully scoured the Internet trying to locate ANY photos of the food or buffet lines. This omission seems to indicate a http://www.betumi.com/2009/09/breakfast-menu-for-obama-visit-to-ghana.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-4948051538669999857Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +00002009-09-02T16:28:52.818-05:00Bentsi-EnchillObamaObama foodGhanaFlairBaetaI telephoned my colleague Barbara Baeta of Flair Catering in Ghana (and my collaborator on our upcoming Ghanaian cookbook, the recipes of which are appearing in development on Betumiblog regularly) to find out if she could help me discover what the Obama family was served during their stay in Accra in July. It turns out the one State meal catered for them was breakfast, and her own Flair Cateringhttp://www.betumi.com/2009/09/flair-cooks-for-obamas-in-ghana.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-3012775718949043361Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:11:00 +00002009-09-02T14:55:27.497-05:00Obama in AfricaObama clothGhana clothAfricaLivingThe U.S. and Ghana have a long history of friendship, even though relations have sometimes been strained. Ghana's first Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah, got his bachelor's degree at Lincoln University in 1939. There's a nice 1958 picture of him placing flowers at the Lincoln Memorial. I remember the joy with which President and Mrs. Rawlings and Ghanaians embraced President Clinton and his wife http://www.betumi.com/2009/08/how-cool-is-this-2009-ghana-obama-cloth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-2965795426468595261Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:39:00 +00002009-08-27T15:24:12.705-05:00corn recipeghana snackcoconutplowshare produceWe've been enjoying wonderful sweet corn lately from our local CSA (community supported agriculture) group, Plowshare Produce. Yesterday I prepared a quick and simple, but popular snack (in Ghana known as "small chop"). While North American sweet corn is much softer and sweeter than Ghana's corn, and thus cooks much more quickly, sweet corn can easily be substituted to make what proves to be a http://www.betumi.com/2009/08/recipe-13-small-chop-corn-and-coconut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-6291782457582517419Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:54:00 +00002009-08-26T18:24:25.517-05:00Ga foodssteamed cornmealkenkeydokonocornmealpolentaI've posted before about the steamed fermented corn dough ball in Ghana commonly called kenkey (aka dokono, dokon, kokui, tim or komi). Here are the directions for making it from basically the same corn dough used to make banku. Banku is very soft, whereas kenkey is steamed (or sometimes, boiled) to make a much firmer ball that can be sliced or served whole.As with the banku, take white stone http://www.betumi.com/2009/08/recipe-12-kenkey-ghanas-challenge-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-5875745133641476379Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:50:00 +00002009-08-25T10:54:06.078-05:00beef stewGhana meat stewstew with greensThis is an easy, tasty stew that uses familiar ingredients in familiar ways, but with a different twist. While wheat flour is an imported ingredient, it has found its way into many classic Ghanaian dishes, such as this stew my sister-in-law taught me years ago. The secret is that you begin by browning the dry flour in a heavy pan (I use the same cast iron frying pan I got with S&H green stamps http://www.betumi.com/2009/08/recipe-11-meat-stew-with-browned-flour.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Fran)0