It started with a spice jar. One Saturday morning, I reached for my paprika — the one I swear I’d just bought — and realized I couldn’t find it anywhere. So, I began to shift things around… and that’s when I saw it: tiny specks of dust on my spice rack, streaks on the backsplash, and crumbs hiding behind the toaster like little secrets. What began as a quick “wipe and go” turned into a full-blown kitchen deep clean — the kind that leaves you sweating, satisfied, and somehow proud of your gleaming counters. We spend so much time in our kitchens cooking, tasting, laughing, and creating. It’s where stories begin, where recipes come alive, and where Flourish Spices and...
How my grandmother’s cupboard taught me to cook smarter, not harder — and how you can too. There are two kinds of kitchens: the experimental, recipe-card kind, where everything looks neat and measured, and the lived-in, memory-laced kitchens where hacks and instincts run the show. I grew up in the second kind. My grandmother didn’t measure so much as “feel,” and when things went sideways, she had a dozen ways to rescue a dish. Over the years, I've collated a long list of those little shortcuts: 37 practical kitchen tips that have saved dinners, preserved staples, and kept families fed. I’ve grouped them here the way my grandmother used to: preservation, prep, rescue, frying & oil, beans & grains, and...
I still remember the first time I cooked with my aunt in Lagos. She told me to blanch the spinach. I froze. Blanch? Was that a spice? A pan? A dance move? She chuckled at my confusion, then showed me how to dip the leaves quickly in boiling water before plunging them into cold water. “That’s blanching,” she said, with the patience of a saint. That day taught me something important: recipes speak their own language. If you don’t understand the terms, the dish might slip right through your fingers. So, let’s break down some essential cooking terms you should know — the kind that pop up often, especially when you’re experimenting in your kitchen with African flavors and beyond....
Every bite of a hot cross bun is more than just warm bread and sweet raisins. It’s a story baked into dough, a symbol of tradition, and a reminder of how food connects us across generations and cultures. The History Behind Hot Cross Buns Hot cross buns go back hundreds of years. Originating in England, these sweet, spiced buns marked with a cross were first baked to honor Good Friday in the Christian calendar. The cross represented the crucifixion, while the spices symbolized the spices used to embalm Jesus. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I even tried to ban them — except on Good Friday, Christmas, and for burials because they were considered too “special” for ordinary days. But the...
There’s something sacred about the sound of a pot bubbling on the stove. Ask anyone who grew up around real home cooking, and they'll tell you — it's not just about food. It’s about moments. Laughter shared while peeling yams, grandma humming while turning the ogbono, the aroma of pepper soup sneaking through every corner of the house. Homemade meals hold memories. I remember the days growing up. My mum would start cooking early — the kind of early where dew was still clinging to the grass. You’d wake up to the sharp scent of blended ata rodo and tomatoes already frying in hot oil. You knew it was going to be a good day, because rice and stew were...
