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Afrofood bytes A taste of Africa
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October 2007
BYTES
Issue No. one
A Culinary Journey through
Africa and beyond
Afrofoodtv.com
As we welcome you,
we ask as is
customary with our
tradition the most
pertinent question,
have you eaten
today?
on the menu today...
Tip of the day
How to peel Yams
Anyone who has peeled a yam will tell you the
dangers of such an act. Yams while incredibly
delicious when cooked, is toxic when consumed
raw and is very irritating to the skin.
Mozambican Frango PiriPiri Sandwich
African Pantry Staple.
Plantains
A member of the banana family, plantains are
a common staple in many parts of Africa. It is
used either in it unripe form (matoke from east
and central Africa), ripe form (fried plantains)
or overly ripe form (Tatale from Ghana). It is
used in every way from stews, and staple
component in its powder form (plantain fufu) to
a side item and dessert.
Edikang Ikong
Chef Spotlight
The Palms Restaurant
Charles Okeke is chef manager of this up and
coming west African restaurant. Popular for it's
eastern Nigerian specialties,
Continued on Page 7
Malawian Nthochi Bread
“I saw a great need for
an African restaurant
because there was no
place that offered
delicious home cooking
I had a craving for.”
-Charles Okeke
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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Cutting the yam
2
Washing the yam
TIP OF THE DAY
How to peel Yams
Anyone who has peeled a yam will tell you
the dangers of such an act. Yams while
incredibly delicious when cooked, is toxic
when consumed raw and is very irritating to
the skin.
Before starting the peeling process, oil your
hands on all sides to prevent the raw yam
from getting in direct contact with your
skin. Using a sharp knife, slice the yam into
serving sizes, and peel the skin off in a
circular motion, using a paring knife (or any
smaller knife). Place peeled yam in a bowl
of water immediately after peeling to
prevent discoloration. Cook and serve.
FEATURED CULINARY TOOL
Couscousieres
The couscousiere has enjoyed a comeback
in recent years along with north African
cuisine in the international culinary scene.
Couscous once considered exotic and
foreign is now commonplace to it stocked in
home pantries. For centuries, couscous was
prepared using a couscousiere which is
believed by scholars to have originated in
the sub Saharan areas of Africa sometime
around the 10 th century AD. It is now used
mostly in North African countries where
couscous is used as a staple.
Couscousiere is a double boiler pot with the
top part (which has little holes in its bottom)
used to cook the couscous and the bottom
pot use to cook the stew to serve with the
couscous. The steam from the stew infuses
the couscous on the top pot with flavors.
Using this pot to make couscous can be
somewhat labor intensive for a beginner. It
is also somewhat expensive and bulky but it
is very impressive to look at and it produces
the fluffiest Couscous.
We provide much
more than recipes,
little bits of handy
information, tools,
tips and pantry
items. We provide
more than recipes
but also usable tools
to perfect your
technique.
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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3
A Delicious Start
Boiled yam slices with Nigerian Egg Omelet
A plate of steaming boiled yam slices
topped with savory, creamy egg omelet
is the perfect start to any day, especially
a cool West African hammertan
morning.
Serves 4 Prep Time:
10 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredient List
I Medium Yam Peeled and cut into
2 inch thick slices
Course Salt and Ground Pepper
½ tsp curry and dried thyme leaves
4 Large Eggs
3 Tablespoons canola oil
(until a fork can go through yam slice
without any resistance).
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, ½ tsp salt
and ¼ tsp pepper. Set aside.
In a large non stick skillet,
heat oil over medium-high
heat. Add sliced tomatoes,
onions and red bell
peppers. Sprinkle curry and
thyme leaves. Cook for
about 1 minute. Add 2
pieces of sardine and stir
into mixture breaking fish
into medium pieces. Cook Yam and eggs
for additional minute.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Add eggs and cook, stirring until almost
set (about 2 minutes).
Remove boiled yam from pot using a
slotted spoon making sure any excess
liquid is drained. Transfer yams to
plates and top with egg omelet
1 Roma tomato sliced
Breakfast is the most
important meal of
the day. Make it
count.
¼ Red Onion sliced
½ Roasted Red Bell Pepper
1 can of Sardines (optional)
Bring a medium dutch oven or heavy
pot of salted water to a boil. Add rinsed
yam slices, making sure the water covers
the pieces by at least 1 inch. Cook
uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes
Frying the egg
Serve immediately.
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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4
A Light Lunch
Frango - PiriPiri Sandwich
Most Africans I know, prefer a starch
heavy and protein light Lunch which in
my experience makes for a very sleepy,
and sluggish afternoon. To avoid this, I
love to go for sandwiches that have a
good protein component and low carb
components(if available). My version of
Frango Piripiri a Mozambican favorite,
makes for a spicy and flavorful treat. Be
sure to wash it down with a cool drink
and complete with a fruit salad.
Serves 4 Prep Time:
marinade making sure that all sides of
the chicken is coated with marinade.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
overnight.
Place marinated chicken
on oven tray and broil on
low setting of oven for 20
minutes making sure to
periodically baste with
r e m a i n i n g m a r i n a d e.
Remove chicken and allow
it to rest for five minutes.
Remove bones and place on
Kaiser bun and enjoy a
delicious sandwich.
Frango Pirpiri
10 Minutes Total Time: 7 hours
Serve immediately.
Ingredient List
100ml peanut oil
100ml apple cider vinegar
“My version of
Frango Piripiri a
Mozambican
favorite, makes for a
spicy and flavorful
treat.”
2 tsp of powdered chili Pepper flakes
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp powdered garlic
Salt to taste
4 pieces of chicken thighs (with skin)
Mix all the ingredients except chicken
pieces in a glass bowl. Taste to check
salt before adding chicken. Poke a few
holes into chicken pieces to help
marinade seep in. Add chicken to
The chicken
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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5
Dinner in Ethiopia
Doro Wat
The national dish of Ethiopia, doro wat
is a delightful introduction to African
cuisine for newcomers and a tried and
true favorite for many Africans. A
flavorful and spicy stew doro wat meets
and surpasses the mark every time.
Serves 4 Prep Time:
10 Minutes Total Time: 7 hours
Ingredient List
In a glass bowl, mix lemon juice, lime
juice and 1 tsp of salt until dissolved.
Rinse chicken pieces and score. Place
each scored chicken in bowl with juice
and salt mixture, making
sure that all parts of
chicken is rubbed with the
mixture. Place chicken on a
separate platter and leave at
room temperature for 30
minutes.
¼ ground fenugreek
In a dry dutch oven over
medium heat, add chopped
onions
and
m i x Doro wat
continuously to prevent the
onions from browning. After
about 2 minutes of stirring, add ghee.
Stir until melted. Add garlic, ginger,
berebere, fenugreek, cardamom and 2
tsp of salt stir and cook for 5 minutes at
low heat. Add chicken stock and mix
well. Bring to a low boil and add
chicken pieces. Cover tightly and cook
for 20 minutes. Pierce holes into hard
boiled eggs and add them into the sauce
making sure to coat the eggs at all side.
Cover and simmer for additional 10
minutes.
¼ ground cardamom
Serve hot with injera or rice.
1 ½ Pounds on chicken cut up
3 Tsp of salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp ghee
1 onion (Vidalia) finely chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
“ Doro wat is a
delightful
introduction to
African cuisine for
newcomers.”
¼ cup of Berebere
1 ½ cup of chicken Stock
2 tbsp Tomato paste
Hard boiled Eggs (1 per person)
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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6
Grand Finale
Grand Finale Malawian Nthochi Bread
A sweet end to any meal, this Malawian
favorite is sweet comfort food at its best.
Serves 4 Prep Time:
10 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredient List
1 stick of Margarine(Stick form
please)
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp ground Nutmeg
Malawian Nthochi Bread
1 tsp. salt
5 ripe bananas, mashed
Grease a loaf pan well. Preheat oven
to 325 degrees F. Mix margarine
with sugar. Beat in egg. Add flour,
salt, baking powder, milk, and
bananas. Pour into loaf pan and
bake for about one hour. Cool well
and slice.
“A sweet end to any
meal.”
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
!
BYTES
PAGE
7
The Y interview
WITH CHARLES OKEKE
This restaurant sits on a surprisingly
quiet enclave of Main Street in the
heart of historic College Park , an
Atlanta Suburb. As you walk through
the doors, you are greeted with warm
aromas of eastern Nigerian food that
instantly causes your mouth to water.
As the personable staff takes your
order, the sound of other patrons
talking to each other while they wait for
their food juxtaposes with the sounds of
the trains just across the street. In this
setting, one cannot help but be
consumed by the inclusive feeling of
camaraderie and warmth this joint
exudes.
Charles Okeke, the chef manager of
the Palms restaurant is one of the most
personable people you can meet. A
man with an eye for detail and
excellence in east Nigerian cuisine,
Charles immigrated to the U.S along
with his family in 1999 after years of
running his own company in Nigeria .
Afrofoodbytes sits with this culinary
master for an interview.
Yeti: How did you learn how to cook?
Charles: I was lucky to be raised by a
mother that showed me how to run and
maintain a household. She was a police
officer and due to her career got
transferred a lot. My father was a
pastor in the church and could not
move as readily, so I lived with my
mother while my elder brother stayed
at home with my dad. This opened up
opportunities to for me to learn to fend
for the
both of us in the household as she went
out to work.
Yeti: What made you decide to cook
professionally?
Charles: I saw a great need for an
African restaurant because in the past,
every time I wanted to go out to eat,
there was no place that offered the type
of delicious home cooking I had a
craving for. I also found that a large
group of people and friends were
looking for the need to be filled. After
much thought, I decided to open this
restaurant which has now fulfilled not
only my dream of owning my own
business, but also that of a lot of people
who have looked for a place like this for
such a long time.
Yeti: What is your best advice for a
home cook?
Charles: Cooking our type of food is
not too difficult, especially for anyone
who was raised in Nigeria. My advice
will be for people to learn how to
properly store and preserve cooked
food. Because of the time required to
prepare this type of cuisine, making it
from scratch each day is not very
practical. It is imperative to learn
proper storage techniques (a valuable
lesson I picked up from my contact
with other local chefs) is the key to a
fresh and delicious meal that satisfy the
palate every time.
Charles: That is a difficult question;
because I love all my tools but if forced
I will have to say the wooden paddle
that is used typically to make pounded
staples. That is one tool you don't want
to be caught in a kitchen without.
Yeti: What is your Signature dish?
Charles: I would have to say the
Edikang Ikong vegetable soup. A lot of
people go for this dish. It is a dish that
crosses over well to both Africans and
non-Africans.
Yeti: Do you see any deficiency in
African cuisines for people in
Diaspora? And if so do you have ideas
on how it can be corrected?
Charles: Currently, I do not see that
much of a deficiency anymore as it
used to be.
Now, most of the ingredients you need
are accessible thanks to entrepreneurs
in the food importation business. As a
result of this, we as a group in
Diaspora are doing quite well culinary
wise. The ingredients we are not able
to get readily like perishables and
vegetables, has us adapting our recipes
to locally available produce.
The Palms restaurant is located at 3807
Main Street , College park, Georgia. (404)
305-9090. Monday thru Friday 11am to
9pm Saturday 2pm to 9pm.
Yeti: What is your favorite culinary
tool?
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
BYTES
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8
Edikang Ikong
(Eastern Nigeria Vegetable Soup)
Edikang Ikong
(Eastern Nigeria Vegetable Soup)
2 tsp powdered chili peppers
Serves 4 Prep Time:
½ cup of dried prawns
10 Minutes Total Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredient List
1½ cups of Palm oil
1 Pound of Collard Greens
(frozen)
3 Pounds of Spinach (frozen)
1 medium Onion (chopped)
2 Knorr Cubes
½ Pound of cleaned smoked fish
½ pound of precooked stock fish
overcook greens. Serve hot with any
staple.
Salt (to taste)
Heat up palm oil over medium to
high heat till just before smoking.
Add onions & knorr cubes
(crumbled) and stir continuously for
1 minute. Add every thing else but
leafy vegetables and stir well. Allow
to cook for about 5 minutes and
stirring periodically to prevent any
burning. Add collard and simmer
for 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir
properly. Simmer for additional 5 to
7 minutes taking care not to
Maecenas pulvinar sagittis enim.
EDIKANG IKONG
CHARLES OKEKE
Afrofoodtv.com, 550 Franklin Rd Suite C Marietta, Ga 30067 | 770 783-1655 | www.Afrofoodtv.com
Yeti in the kitchen
Food is to culture as
spirituality is to
religion. Food is the
heart and soul of
any culture and
Africa is full of it. I
invite you to
continue to partake
of all she (Africa)
has to offer.
Thanks you reading and we’ll see you soon
YETI
FR O M :
AFROFOO
D BYTES
5 5 0 F ra nk
li n R d Su it
eC
M ar ie tt a,
Ga 30067
October 2007
Issue No. one
MAIL TO:
[email protected]
5672 Cuisine Blvd
Anytown, World 00000
BYTES