Blog / Category_A Taste of Africa

Take a look at this terrifically informative coffee facts infographic - Brewing Success: Coffee Makes the Workplace Go Round - from our friends at CafeQuill.com.

Many of us won’t even consider starting the day without our daily jolt of coffee.

For centuries, people all over the world and from all walks of life have enjoyed sipping this tasty, caffeinated beverage. But coffee is more than a simple drink. Its social aspect throughout history cannot be denied. Sipping a cup of coffee is a ritualistic experience for some. Coffee houses throughout the ages have provided a place for people to share art, poetry, music, politics and simple camaraderie.

Coffee as an Industry

There’s no denying it—coffee is big business. Check out these impressive stats:

• It is the world’s second most-traded commodity (petroleum is the first)
• The global coffee market earns nearly $60 billion annually
• Around 7 million tons of green coffee beans are produced each year worldwide
• World coffee exports amounted to 8.85 million bags in the month of December alone, according to the International Coffee Organization

Coffee, which has been sipped by kings and peasants alike, got its humble start in the mountains of Ethiopia.

Roasting Ethiopian Mountain-Grown Coffee Beans

In the Beginning

The origins of global coffee growing can be traced to the Horn of Africa. This is also where the beverage was first enjoyed. Coffee trees originated in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa.

From there, coffee made its way to the Middle East. By the 15^th century, coffee was being cultivated in Yemen. And in 1616 the Dutch brought live coffee plants back to the Netherlands to grow in greenhouses. It quickly spread to the rest of Europe, and as they say, the rest is history.

Coffee Plants

Today, coffee is grown in 53 countries around the world—all of them near the equator, including several on the African continent. Coffee plants need lots of sunshine and moderate rainfall to thrive. There are essentially two different varieties of coffee—Arabica and Robusta. Gourmet coffee comes from Arabica beans, while Robusta beans are typically used in instant coffees. Arabica beans come from the plant, Coffea Arabica, which was originally found in the mountains of the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Coffea Arabica accounts for 75-80% of the world’s coffee production.

Keep your coffee beans on your countertop in style!

Arabica beans generally grow at altitudes between 450-1800 meters (1500-6000 feet). They can’t handle any frost. The plant has lush, shiny green leaves, with an open branching system. Cultivated plants are usually trimmed, but a wild coffee plant can grow 9-12 meters (29-39 ft) tall.

A mature coffee plant will produce around 2,000 coffee cherries a year, which will yield enough beans for half a kilo (one pound) of roasted coffee. The plant will continue to produce coffee beans for about 15 years. African Coffee Countries Some of the best coffee in the world comes from the African continent. Talk to any coffee connoisseur around the world, and they’ll likely sing the praises of many African coffees. Ethiopia is still the powerhouse of Africa when it comes to coffee. Ethiopian coffee comprises 3% of the global coffee market, and a staggering 60% of Ethiopia’s foreign income comes from coffee. It’s estimated that 15 million people in Ethiopia depend on coffee production for some part of their livelihood. Ethiopian Sidamo and Harrar are two coffee beans that are in world demand. Sidamo is grown in the Sidamo Province of Ethiopia. It’s heavy-bodied with a spicy, almost chocolaty taste. Harrar is one of the oldest coffee beans still produced. Workers still sort and process the beans by hand. Harrar offers a rich, fruity, wine flavor.

Pick A Pocket's Media Team was in Addis Ababa recently to gather some new material - all part of an exciting new face and new direction for The Koshe Project (an admirable undertaking helping young girls in Ethiopia).

While there, they shot this video about the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, which is an indispensable tradition in daily Ethiopian life, and a cornerstone of hospitality and friendship.

"Incense is lit and coffee beans are carefully washed, roasted and ground by hand, then brewed in a clay Ethiopian coffee pot over hot coals. Once ready, the dark, flavorful buna is enjoyed in small cups and the ceremony repeats twice, providing plenty of time for those gathered to converse and share stories."

Kenya is also well-respected for its coffee beans. Kenyan coffee is known for its bright acidity, its sweetness and a dry wine after taste. Kenyan coffee is mainly produced by small cooperatives. Auctions are held in Nairobi each Tuesday during the harvest season. Competition can be fierce. Uganda is also a major coffee growing country. But unlike Ethiopia and Kenya, Uganda focuses its efforts on producing the hardy robusta bean. Compared to Arabica beans, robusta beans are cheaper and easier to farm. Coffee makes up 95% of Uganda’s exports. 300,000 farmers grow coffee in Uganda, so it’s essential to the country’s well-being.

Fair Trade

Coffee is vital to many developing countries’ economies. For years coffee growers received a ridiculously small amount for their efforts—just pennies per pound of beans. But steps are being taken to rectify this injustice. Fair trade regulations, which are designed to give those working in developing countries a living wage and ensure sustainable farming practices, are growing in popularity and effectiveness. Coffee primarily comes from small farmers from less-affluent areas. So an increase in fair trade agreements (even huge multinational companies, such as Starbucks and Nestle are now on board) will surely increase the standard of living for those who work so hard to make our daily cup of Joe possible. Our good friends at Barocco - Café Artigianale - offer two amazing blends we highly recommend. Biondo - a 100% Arabica coffee, blending both African and South American beans for subtle floral hints and a smooth sweet finish. We especially enjoy Scurro - a 100% Arabica dark roast - also a blend of African and South American beans. Scurro has a strong body and aroma with an earthy taste and a hint of smokiness. Barocco's coffee blends reflect their origins as well as their roast profile. Cover Photo Source: photo credit: Bodum Chambord 3-cup Coffee Press via photopin (license)

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

We love Tilapia and this simple, straightforward version is easy to make. African cuisine uses peanuts in a variety of different ways to create tasty culinary treats. This one will become a favourite, we're sure!

There are lots of online recipes for this dish. This recipe is a basic recipe showing how we make it in our family. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. Tons of great recipes in an easy-to-prepare format.

Bon Appetit has a fabulous recipe for Red Curry Peanut Sauce that you can make ahead and use in a variety of recipes. They call for cilantro which we don't personally like. You can substitute broad leaf parsley.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of cooking oil (we used a blend of canola and olive oil that we use all the time)
• 1 entire Tilapia per person (suggest 1 to 2 pounds each), filets
• 1 to 2 onions (we like 2 mediumsize sweet onions)
• ½ cup peanut butter (we use natural, unsweetened peanut butter)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (use your own judgement - to taste)

Like with any recipe, the first time you make this you'll determine whether you want more (or less) onions or seasonings. For example, we use a heaping teaspoon of curry powder.

You can also grind your own peanuts rather than use a prepared peanut butter. We really like the sauce, so we tend to increase the peanut butter a bit.

Preparation

Fish

1. Pre-heat oven to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Rub salt and pepper (to taste) into each fish fillet.
3. Heat your oil in a deep frying pan until hot enough to fry. Remember, if you use the canola and olive oil blend, to watch your oil carefully. Don't let it "burn" as this will ruin the flavour.
4. Fry the fish until browned and crispy on both sides.
5. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Let the fish cook for about 2 minutes more.
6. Remove the fish fillets from the oil, drain on some paper towels for a minute.
7. Place the fish in a lightly greased casserole dish.
8. Shut the oven off.
9. Place the covered casserole dish in the oven. This is only done to keep the fish warm while you are preparing the sauce.

Sauce

1. Using the same pan you used to fry your fish fillets, saute your onions (we chop ours roughly) until caramelized. We like the crunchy bits!
2. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and use them to cover the fish in your warm casserole dish.
3. Now add the peanut butter and curry powder and mix well with the oil remaining in the pan.
4. On very low heat slowly stir in about a cup of water and blend thoroughly. We usually whisk our sauce until blended, but a friend of ours uses an immersion blender.
5. Pour your well-blended sauce over the fish and onions.

We like this dish over rice but you can also serve it with Ugali (which we consider to be the polenta of Africa!). There are plenty of recipes for Ugali available online.

Variations

There are plenty of variations we've seen. Some people like to add garlic (we often do), peppers, hot chili peppers and tomatoes.

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

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A great way to show off your African culinary skills is to present this dish at a table set with our hand-beaded table mat set table mat set. Each package consists of table mats, table runner, colour coordinated napkins and beautiful hand-beaded napkin rings.

Currently on sale and available in a variety of gorgeous colours to match your decor. Bring Africa into Your Home!

Cover Photo Source: Creative Commons (via Google Usage Rights) - bonappetit.com

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

We're (as the headline suggests) absolutely coocoo for Kuku Paka. What's that you say? Simple - Coconut Chicken Curry. Originating from the East African coastal area, this is a lovely dish for hot summer days. The word "kuku" means chicken in Swahili. Most believe that "paka" means the dish is made with coconut milk, although "paka" is also a Punjabi word meaning delicious. And, it is! Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. Their recipe is the closest we could find to the way we prepare this dish. The trick is to find a good, basic recipe and then tweak it to your taste!

INGREDIENTS

Marinade Ingredients

• 1 Hot Chili Pepper, chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon of Ginger, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of natural Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of Salt

You can add some dried hot chili flakes if you want to. Combine all the marinade ingredients. Now, add the chicken! Add approximately 3 pounds of chicken to a large plastic bag. We use boneless breast, but chicken thighs work equally well. Cut the chicken into "bite-sized" pieces and pour the marinade over the chicken. You can marinate the chicken for as little as one hour but we prefer overnight for the best juicy flavour! Curry Ingredients

• 1-1/2 medium size onions, chopped
• 1 Star Anise (this is optional but we like to use it)
• 1 small stick of cinnamon
• Half a can of plum tomatoes, chopped (Hint: We just use already diced, canned tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon of tomatoe purée
• A handful of chopped coriander
• 50 grams creamed coconut OR half a tin of coconut milk

PREPARATION

1. Head up about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (we use a canola/olive oil blend) in a frying pan.
2. Add the chopped onions and the star anise, along with the cinnamon stick and fry until the onions are caramelized.
3. Add the marinated chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes. Make sure you stir occasionally to avoid sticking and burning. You can add a little water if need be.
5. Add the coconut (creamed or milk) and cook another 5 minutes.

You're done. We usually serve this dish with rice or a side salad. {{cta('8c265d8e-66d3-4312-8081-e468b63c7828','justifycenter')}}

Variations

Some people add potatoes or hard-boiled eggs to this curry. Potatoes can be pre-cooked and then cut into bite sized chunks. Add toward the end. Allow enough time for potatoes to absorb the heat and flavours. Hard-boiled eggs should be added to each plate (sort of as a "garnish"). If you like a milder version, we suggest not adding the optional chili flakes. If you really like a mild curry, then don't use the hot chili peppers. Substitute a chopped sweet bell pepper instead. A friend of our recently recommended that we reserve some of the coconut milk that gathers at the top of the can (the really creamy stuff) and add it at the very end. We tried it and found it makes the curry very "silky" - delicious! They also sometimes add some lime leaves as a garnish. Equally delicious is to just provide some lime quarters and let people choose how much (or if) to add. Sometimes, we grill the chicken on the bbq, instead of pan frying. Also just yummy!

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

You might also enjoy our recipe for Tilapia in Peanut Sauce. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Actually, this summer our bike riding has pretty much eliminated the winter love handles! That said, we simply love "ftat", which is a simple flat bread. Easy to make, can be stored for up to a week and pairs well with lots of different meals. Ftat is a tasty addition to pretty much any summer meal and is often served with salad. Usually this "cooked on the stove top" flatbread is just roughly torn up and either covered with soups, stews or salad, or is used as a "dipper" for a variety of foods. Many cultures have similar recipes. This particular recipe originates from Libya and is the best one we've found to make the flatbread as thin as possible. As usual, while there are a variety of recipes available on the internet, the trick is to find a good basic recipe and then tweak it to add your own personal touch and taste! Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. Another website we really like is Libyan Food - step by step recipes and photos of food from the modern Libyan kitchen. Their recipe for ftat is the closest to the way we make ours at home.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 1/2 litre of water (sometimes you need a little bit more)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil (or olive oil/canola blend)
• 3 - 1/3 cups flour

Keep your olive oil handy as you will need it to "brush" the dough and coat your hands when kneading. Paste

This paste is what helps make the flatbread so thin. Stay with us - you'll see. It's almost magical!

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 5 or 6 tablespoons of cornflour

The above amounts are approximate. What you are looking to achieve is a thick but smooth paste.

PREPARATION

Start with the dough. Don't be alarmed at the number of steps. We broke it down into easy descriptive chunks to make it simple to follow.

1. Combine the flourt, olive oil and salt and gradually stir in water until your dough is no longer sticky. It should be soft to the touch.
2. Knead the dough really well.
3. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a light brushing of olive oil.
4. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and leave it along to rest for about an hour.
5. After the dough has rested for an hour, knead it again. We suggest you oil your hands so it doesn't stick.
6. Then, pince of pieces of dough and form into balls. They should be around the size of a pingpong ball but you can make them the size you like. Experimentation is a good thing!
7. Flatten the dough balls.
8. Spread approximately a teaspoon of your cornflour paste onto half your flattened dough balls.
9. Take the other half of the flattened dough balls and place them on top of the pieces you've just spread with the cornflour paste. See, this makes your "sandwich".
10. Now, cover the dough balls with saran wrap again and leave them to rest for another hour.
11. Pinch/crimp the edges of each dough "sandwich". They should now look like little "hats".
12. Get to work flattening each sandwich. Libyan Food's recipe suggests using a dinner plate and, in fact, that's the way we've always done it. They say it helps to keep the round shape consistent. The way we do it is to oil a large dinner plate and then use our fingers and the heel of our palm to gradually flatten and stretch the dough sandwich to the size of the dinner plate.
13. Now to cook them! You can use a griddle or any large frying pan over medium heat.
14. Make sure they don't burn. Turn after about 8 to 10 seconds.
15. Brush the upturned side with a little olive oil.
16. Here comes the magic! Once each dinner plate sized piece of ftat is cooked, it will separate into two pieces. The cornflour in the middle of the sandwich has done the job.
17. Once that happens, just flip them over and cook the interiors for a few seconds each.

We like ours "done" a little more than most recipes call for. We like to get some char marks on each side and crisp the edges. Just a suggestion! If serving right away, wrap them up in a clean tea towel to keep them warm. They tend to harden a bit when cool, so this also helps to keep the ftat lovely and soft. You can make a big batch ahead and refrigerate for up to a week. Some people wrap them in foil but we keep ours in a large, airtight plastic container and just take out what we need and warm them up. Ftat are often filled (sort of like dumplings or calzone) with all sorts of ingredients. Omelet-like egg mixtures, herbs and potatoes, mushrooms and tomatoes, etc. Just experiment with any filling you enjoy! We like to use our like a "wrap", placing the filling in and rolling them up into a tight little sandwich. A friend of ours came to our house and we served her some filled Ftat. She said they were very similar to a Cornish Pasty her Nana used to make. Much flatter thinner bread rather than a pastry shell, but the fillings reminded her of her childhood. We have taught our children to cook as soon as they were old enough to participate. Flatbreads are a great way to get them involved, especially with the kneading. Jamie Oliver has a terrific recipe for what he calls Easy Flatbreads - and says they are a fun way to start kids learning about food preparation.

Enjoy! Please tell us what you pair your delicious flatbread with and share your recipe modifications or variations.

Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Spelled "peri peri" in Africa, Piri piri sauce (used as a seasoning or marinade) is Portuguese in origin. Peri Peri African Chicken is popular in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. We say you can't go wrong with this combination of ingredients! Yum Yum, indeed. You can make a big batch of the sauce and store it in the fridge for future use. We always triple our batch and enjoy this delicious flavouring for many meals. Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We found a good basic recipe at Allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit to reflect the way we make our Peri Peri. We make it so often we do everything automatically, without thinking about how much of this or how much of that. Don't hesitate to experiment. A little more this, a little less that - is a great way to express your unique culinary talents and make things taste just the way you like them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup of paprika
• 2 tablespoons of hot chili powder
• 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger (we use a little more - probably 2 teaspoons)
• 4 cloves of garlic (AllRecipes.com calls for 3 cloves but we like more)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 4 to 6 bone-in chicken breasts (or a similar quantity of chicken thighs)

We like our peri peri sauce quite spicy, so I add a little Sriracha to the mix. You can also add some hot chili pepper flakes. Simply combine all the ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl. We like to let it sit for at least an hour so the flavours meld. Rub or brush the chicken with the peri peri sauce. Place your chicken in a bowl, cover with sarah wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to marinate. We often marinate ours for at least 6 hours for maximum flavour. It's up to you! Reserve the leftover peri peri sauce in the fridge. It is delicious "on the side" to dip your chicken in ast you eat. Peri Peri Chicken has roots in both Africa and Portugal. The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers arrived with chile peppers (known as piri-piri in Swahili). PREPARATION

1. When you're read, just heat up your grill (medium is good for chicken - not too hot or it will burn quickly).
2. Cook your chicken as you usually would, turning occasionally. Make sure the juices run clear before taking off the grill for service.

A little tip for you. In the middle of winter (or if we just don't feel like firing up the BBQ), we use a FlavourWave convection oven to make our Peri Peri Chicken. We highly recommend this device. They are so handy, we've got FlavourWaves at home and at our cottage. They are inexpensive and save you having to heat up your kitchen with the oven on.

Variations

We like our Peri Peri Chicken with a variety of sides. Rice, chunky spicy oven roasted potatoes, salad - whatever your heart desires.

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

Cover Photo Source: Flickr - Start Cooking (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Spicy Ethiopian Red Sauce has long been a favourite in our family. You can prepare the spice blend ahead and use it on all sorts of things. We use it to flavour salmon, chicken breasts or thighs, steaks or even on shrimp. We guarantee you'll love this dish. Some recipes we've seen suggest a dollop of yogurt on top just before serving. It is delicious! We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. As pretty much always, while most recipes specify chicken breasts, you can certainly substitute an equal amount of chicken thighs. Frankly, we find thighs more flavourful.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 4 lemon wedges
• 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro (We don't like cilantro so we use broad leaf parsley instead)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (We prefer sea salt)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (Use something with a good strong flavour)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (We use a canola/olive oil blend)
• 2 medium size onions, chopped (rough chop)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Berbere Spice Mix

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground red pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Remember, as with all our family recipes, these ingredients are approximate. Play to your taste by varying the spice amounts according to your family taste. PREPARATION

1. Combine all the Berbere Spice Mix Ingredients in a bowl
2. Put your chicken into a shallow baking dish and sprinkle it with lemon and half the salt.
3. Marinate your chicken (covered) for at least an hour in the fridge.
4. In a large deep frying pan, saute your onion and garlic in olive oil. Don't burn it!
5. Take about 2 teaspoons of the Berbere Spice Mix and add to your onion and garlic along with the rest of the salt, butter, ginger, cardamon and nutmeg.
6. Saute, blending the spices, onion and garlic. This only takes about a minute or two at most.
7. Then add the tomato paste, wine and broth. Stir well to blend and bring up to just a boil.
8. Now add the marinated chicken. (Take it out of fridge so it isn't super cold when you add it).
9. Now put a lid on your pan and reduce the heat to a nice simmer.
10. It should take about an hour to cook the chicken. Make sure you turn the pieces over a few times.
11. When chicken is done, you can stir in the cilantro (or broad leaf parsley).
12. Place a lemon wedge on the edge of each serving plate.

A little tip? This chicken is excellent cold as well. Not that there will be any left! There are lots of variations of Spicy Red Sauce. Search online for other ways to create this tasty concoction. Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Sambal is the perfect summer side to accompany almost any dish. Fresh and flavourful, this lovely combination is easy to prepare. Grated carrots and apples pair up with garlic, ginger and rice wine vinegar to produce a tasty slaw. There are many varieties of Sambal, showing up from Sri Lanka to South Africa, incorporating different ingredients - cucumber, tomato, onion and even pineapple! Most Sambals have a common trait - they are crisp and fresh versions of a slaw salad. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. South African Tours and Travel is a good resource for South African recipes. As always, we've tried to approximate our family method of preparing this recipe. This one is from a favourite Auntie. We recommend having a good look online as well for different types of sambal recipes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 2 cups grated apples (we like a tart apple rather than a sweeter variety)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped broad leaf parsley (many people use cilantro but we don't like the flavour)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped red chilies
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Just toss the carrots and apples along with the lemon juice and the salt and let it sit for about a half an hour. Carefully pour off the excess liquid and then combine all the other ingredients. Cover with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before dinner. As with all our recipes, this is just sort of the basics. We have both experimented and substituted when an ingredient wasn't at hand. For example, if we don't have chilies, we've chopped up some bell peppers and used a bit of hot sauce for heat. You can adjust the seasonings to your own tastes. We like a bit more ginger than most recipes call for. If you have any of this delicious slaw left over (and you probably won't), we find it to be very tasty on chicken sandwiches. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Although the temperature is an astounding 87 degrees Fahrenheit today, we looked at the calendar and realized that September - and back to school time - is just around the corner. In our house, we get much busier between work and school and everything else, so the slow cooker is our good friend! Chicken Marrakesh hails from (obviously) Morocco. It is a hearty, filling dish and super easy when prepared in the slow cooker. There are a number of online recipes for the slow cooker but don't hesitate to experiment. For example, AllRecipes and food.com both have a terrific recipe which calls for garbanzo beans. We use red kidney beans, or, frankly, whatever we have in the cupboard. Quite by accident, we ended up using black beans, and the results were quite delicious! We recently purchased a Ninja Cooking System, which is a slow cooker, stove top cooker and oven all in one. We can't praise this device enough. You can brown, heat up, slow cook all in the same pot. Cuts down on storing appliances as well. We make all sorts of things in it - spaghetti sauce, soups, stews, ribs - even a cake! It has a steam feature which works really well for poaching fish. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. As always, we've tried to approximate our family method of preparing this recipe. This recipe gets varied from time to time, depending on what ingredients we have on hand (or need to use up) and who is preparing the dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of diced tomatoes - large (if you don't have diced, just break up a can of plum tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 large sweet onion, rough chop
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 big sweet potatoes, diced in fairly large chunks
• 3 big carrots, also diced in fairly large chunks
• approximately 2 pounds of chicken cut up into about 1-1/2 to 2" pieces (we use whatever chicken we have on hand, thighs or breasts)
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (we actually use a bit more - probably just shy of 1 teaspoon)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of black pepper (to taste and we like roughly fresh ground pepper)
• 1 can of beans - drained (traditionally garbanzo beans but we've used kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, etc.)

Just bung everything into the slow cooker and stir well to mix all the ingredients and spices. Cook on high for about 5 hours. Then yum, yum! This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings (depending on the size of your bowl or appetite!). We like it with a variety of breads and it is especially tasty with biscuits to sop up what's left at the bottom of the bowl. Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

This super simple stew is so tasty you will make it over and over again. We often do a double batch and enjoy it for several meals. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of garam masala which is a mixture of a variety of spices. AllRecipes has a failsafe garam masala recipe. You can buy it pre-mixed, but it is so easy and economical to make it yourself. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. As always, we've tried to approximate our family method of preparing this recipe. We have some finicky eaters in our family, who aren't big on meats, so this recipe is a great way to get some protein into them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (you don't have to use cayenne, we often use a rough ground black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (as always, experiment - we like a bit more cumin)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (as always, we substitute broad leaf parsley as we don't like cilantro)
• 1 bunch of kale with the ribs removed, chopped
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped (we always use a sweet onion)
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (14 ounces or thereabouts)
• 1 cup of golden raisins
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and well rinsed (about 14 ounces)
• Water (just enough to cover the mixture when you get to that point)

Instructions

1. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are cooked through. We like ours slightly caramelized.
2. Then stir in all the spices and cook for around a minute. Until the spices smell terrific!
3. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and the potatoes and raisins.
4. Pour just enough water over everything to cover the mixture. Bring it up to a nice simmer for about 15 minutes. You're done when the potatoes are cooked through.
5. Add the chickpeas and kale and simmer everything until the kale wilts. It won't take very long 3-4 minutes at most.
6. Sprinkle the cilantro or broad leaf parsley over the top.

This recipe makes 4 servings (depending on the size of your bowl or appetite!). We almost always make a double batch because we look forward to having it several times. This stew goes well with almost any bread or biscuit. Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

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Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

There's just nothing like a hot, satisfying bowl of stew to cheer everyone up as the weather turns cold. This is our "go to" recipe for the fall season. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. INGREDIENTS

• 500 ml of chicken stock, heated up
• 2 peppers, seeds removed, cut into rough chunks (we use 1 red and 1 yellow or orange)
• 2 onions, thin sliced (we use sweet onions)
• 3 sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
• 340 gram jar of smooth peanut butter
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil (or canola oil is fine too)
• 3 tbsp of fresh ginger, finely chopped up
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (you can vary the amount according to taste, or use black pepper if you prefer)
• 1.5 kilograms of chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 to 2 scotch bonnet chilies, deseeded and chopped (again vary the amount according to your own taste)
• 3 tsps of ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 400 gram can of diced tomatoes
• handful of chopped broadleaf parsley (some people like coriander but we use parsley)
• Prepare rice (whatever kind you prefer). Serve the stew over a ladle of rice at bottom of bowl
• Cut some lime wedges up. The stew is delicious with a slight squeeze of lime over the top.

Instructions

1. Pour your already heated chicken stock over the peanut butter and stir until all the peanut butter is dissolved.
2. In a large frying pan, saute the onions in the oil until they are soft.
3. Then, add the cayenne and/or black pepper, coriander, chilies, bay leaves, cumin and ginger and saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and your chicken/peanut butter stock mixture.
5. Add your chicken thighs. (Cut your chicken thighs up into large bite sized pieces)
6. Cover your pan and simmer for about a half an hour. Stir often, making sure nothing is sticking to bottom of pan.
7. Add the sweet potatoes, peppers and the chopped broad leaf parsley (or coriander). Reserve a bit of the chopped parsley to sprinkle over the top of each bowl.
8. To serve, place a ladleful of rice at bottom of a large soup bowl. Then ladle chicken stew over rice. Serve with reserved chopped broad leaf parsley and lime wedges.

This recipe is a snap to make and serves 6 to 8 people. We often make two batches and freeze one for a future quick meal. This stew freezes well for at least a couple of months. Although, it never lasts that long in our house! This recipe lend itself well to modification. Sometimes we add a carrot or some chopped cabbage. Recently, we had some leftover baby spinach and added that just at the end of the cooking process. In our house, recipes are often "tinkered" with, often with delightful results! Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).