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....
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...
It all started one sunny Saturday afternoon at Auntie Bisi’s kitchen. She was hosting a mini get-together, and as usual, the star of the table was a steaming pot of jollof rice. The aroma wafted through the house like a warm embrace. But as she scooped a spoonful into my plate, Eunice blurted out, “Auntie, did you use the Flourish Jollof Mix or just the Seasoning?” She chuckled and said, “Ah, my dear… people confuse the two all the time.” And that’s how this post was born because trust us, you don’t want to mix them up if you're serious about nailing your jollof game. So, What’s the Difference? Let’s break it down like a party jam at a Nigerian...
There I was, proudly stirring my pot of ogbono soup, humming along to Asa’s “Bibanke,” when I decided to taste my masterpiece. And then bam! Salt. Too. Much. Salt. My heart sank. I had been looking forward to that soup all day. But instead of panicking, I remembered something my mum used to say: “A good cook isn’t one who never makes mistakes, but one who knows how to fix them.” So, apron still on and hope still alive, I got to work. If you’ve ever over-salted your pot of stew, egusi, ogbono, or even jollof, you’re not alone. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to rescue your favorite African and Nigerian dishes when the salt is threatening to take...
I still remember the first time I had a seafood dish that tasted so nice. It was in my grandmother’s kitchen, where the air was thick with the aroma of simmering broth. She had this way of blending spices and seafood so well that every bite felt like a warm hug. She never measured ingredients—just a pinch of this, a handful of that. But what made her dishes unforgettable was the rich, deep flavor of seafood. The crayfish, stockfish, and prawns worked magic in her pot, releasing a savory depth that no artificial seasoning could ever match. Years later, I found myself trying to recreate her recipes. But life got busy, and I didn’t always have time to source and...
