The Marriage of Fufu and Ndolé

Ndolé and Fufu

I finally had a chance to test a recipe for ndolé, the national dish of Cameroon which features bitterleaf (or other hearty greens such as chard, kale, or spinach), groundnuts or peanuts, shrimp and/or dried or smoked fish, and spices such as ginger, garlic and peppers. Ghana, Nigeria, and other West African countries have their own versions which may include melon seeds and meat such as goat. 

Here’s where the party begins:  fufu, the standard ndolé starch accompaniment, is made with plantains, yams, cassava, or other roots or starches that are pounded in a large mortar and pestle affair until it forms a smooth ball of dough.  The traditional method requires two people to get the job done: one to add, combine, and manually turn ingredients in a super-sized wooden bowl while the other pounds with a long wooden pestle to smash and breakdown the additions.  After considerable practice the two develop a rhythm and harmoniously succeed in creating a silken dough, with no fingers broken in the process.  Once the ndolé is served, individual portions of the fufu are pulled off, and pieces are then dipped with the fingers into bowls of steaming soup or stew to assist in scooping up juicy morsels. 

In all fairness, I admit, I have never been a fan of peanut butter type sauces; Asian noodles with the peanut-butter-spice combinations leave me cold.  The ndolé recipe I use as my beginning point comes from John Gerber's Just Food Now a great website of well-researched food from not only Africa, but  from all over Europe and points beyond.  With full confidence in my source, I was game.  Since this recipe and others I considered tend to use metric weights and measures, I took a few conversion liberties, as well.  But, what the heck, it’s a stew.  I doubt if everyone in Africa measures all their ingredients either. 

Now that I have a few preliminary caveats out of the way, I confess, I love this dish ― in all its shrimpy peanut buttery glory.  The bitterleaf was a bit of a stretch, so I blanched a nice bunch of kale and cut it into bite sized pieces.  I channeled my Caribbean cooking days and asked what they would do?  Why, add a little thyme, of course!  I’m glad I added the second poblano pepper along with a good hit of cayenne because they stand up to the dose of ginger and garlic. In fact, the stew would not be same without kale or other assertive greens; to make up for the missing ‘bitter’ element, a splash of lime on the finish supplied a prerequisite brightness.   Who knows, it may not be totally authentic, but it is completely outrageous―and I will be making it again― soon.  

Right, I also took a few liberties with the fufu.  After reviewing a flight of how-to-cook and eat fufu videos on YouTube, there was no way I was going to swallow my fufu without tasting it.  I’ve included a Dutchvlog clip worth viewing on an authentic Ghanaian approach to making FuFu with plantain and cassava, which further supports my position on making fufu: it needs to be tasty.  

Consequently, I opted for what my grocer calls white yams, something that looks suspiciously like a blonde sweet potato (unlike the rough skinned African variety). I used my food processor to begin the fufu event and to add the butter, salt and pepper; then the yams were returned to the straight sided cooking pot where I continued to pound them unmercifully with a wooden spoon until they relented and formed a springy cohesive ball.

In sum, I’m not sure which is better: the ndolé or the fufu. This is a world class marriage destined for eternal bliss: a complex utterly delicious stew lapped up with buttery tinged slightly sweet mashed potatoes with some serious body.  Finger lickin’ good!

Ndole (Bitterleaf Soup)

Inspired by:  Just Food Now, “African Spirit: The food of Cameroon. Just Food Now”.  

500 ml dried bitterleaf (or 1 large bunch kale, collards, turnip greens, or spinach)

1 lb cooked shrimps (size of your choice, I used small)

2 green onions chop

3 clove garlic, divided

¼ tsp cayenne (or more)

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 large onion, chop

1 green pepper; or 2 poblanos, if available, seed and chop

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp fresh thyme

3 tomatoes, peel and chop (or 16 oz. diced canned tomatoes, drain and save liquid

¾ cup natural peanut butter, (extra-crunchy works well), approximate

2 cups water, approximate

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1 lime, or to taste

If using dried bitterleaf, soak it overnight; drain in the morning and press out the excess water.

If using kale, collards, or turnip greens, wash the greens, remove spines, chop them, and  simmer simmer in a pot of boiling water 3-5 minutes, until the greens begin to become tender. If using spinach, wash and chop.

Marinate the shrimp:  combine the green onions, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil into a thin paste and toss with the cooked shrimp.  Chill until needed.  

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot, add the onion, green pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic,  ginger, thyme;  sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add the chopped tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to combine flavors.  Add the reserved tomato juice and enough water to thin as needed, and simmer another 5-10 minutes. 

Add the peanut butter, the greens and additional liquid to thin if too thick.  Cover the pot and continue simmering until greens are tender, another 10 – 15 minutes.  If dry, add additional water, a little at a time, as needed. 

Just before serving, briefly sauté the shrimp, add to the soup, and heat well. Add a dash of lime juice to brighten flavors and correct seasoning. Serve with fufu.  Serves 4.

Fufu

Inspired by:  Jeanne Egbosiuba Ukwendu, editor of the African Culture Site at Bella Online

4 medium white yams, peel and cut into chunks

2 Tbsp butter

½ tsp salt, white pepper

In a heavy pot, simmer the yams in salted boiling water until they begin to soften when pierced with a knife.  Allow to drain well.   

Place the yams in a food processor or beat with a mixer, adding knobs of butter, salt and pepper until there are no lumps.   

Return the mixture to the pot and continue to beat with a wood spoon, mashing against side of pot until a silky cohesive dough forms.  

Portion into individual rounds and serve each surrounded by soup or stew; use the fufu as bread for dipping with fingers. Serves 4. 

July 1: California Bans Foie Gras!

Life continues to be stranger than fiction.  In California, the PETA people scored one against the folks in the treacherous foie gras trade―and all those complicit in fattening up adorable ducks and geese for slaughter by force feeding. For the delirious wobblers unable to protest the perpetual pig-out, justice has been served.  Fair warning, to those people over-fertilizing their tomatoes or perhaps plying their kids with two scoops of ice cream instead of one:   beware, the food police are watching! 

Either as an act of public protest or sheer gluttony, a Farewell to Foie Gras lunch was held recently during the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival.  The rogue delicacy was celebrated with a five-course-heart-arresting foie gras studded meal presented by chefs from around the country, according to the Huffington Post.

Lobster and stone crab hot pot with foie gras noodles

     Courtesy Huffington Post

Dishes ranged from San Francisco Chef Chris Cosentino's whole-bird squab with foie gras and hay, to Miami Chef Andre Bienvenu's lobster and stone crab hot pot with foie gras noodles and foie gras butter crackers with pop rocks.

Approved in 2004 by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the July 1 ban effectively prohibits force-feeding birds, a regular practice in the foie gras industry. Force-feeding engorges the liver of a duck or goose by pumping feed into the bird's esophagus via a metal tube. Animal rights groups like PETA have criticized the practice, claiming that it violates animal cruelty statutes.

Producers were given a window to come up with alternative production methods, but the window closed on July 1. As the deadline approached, foie gras proponents  hosted fundraiser dinners and worked to correct past violations.  Despite a last minute charter signed by more than 100 of California's most famous chefs  including Thomas Keller, Vinny Dotolo, Tyler Florence, Michael Mina, Michael Chiarello and Mark Gold, the foie ban is now the law of the land.  

In the charter, CHEFS proposed that foie gras (duck or goose liver) remain legal, but suggested a number of strict regulations including hand feeding, a cage-free environment by 2017, regular visits from animal health care professionals, USDA inspections at the time of slaughter and living conditions that maximize mobility and comfort and minimize stress.

According to other Post articles the key question boils down to "whether the process, called “gavage,” of putting a tube down the animal’s throat rises to the level of actual animal cruelty. Foie defenders will tell you that gavage is almost second-nature to ducks and geese, whose bodies happen to be built to seasonally gorge themselves to prepare for migration. Their esophagi expand easily and they lack a gag reflex, so the process isn’t as uncomfortable — if it’s uncomfortable at all — as we might be led to believe. Foie opponents contend that the practice, which swells the animals’ livers to many times their normal size, is inherently inhumane.

At least 14 countries now have some sort of foie gras ban on the books, though most of these only target its production — not possession or consumption — through laws banning force-feeding as part of larger animal cruelty measures. The two exceptions to this are Chicago’s short-lived ban and California’s new law, which not only prohibits foie gras production but also bars shops and restaurants from selling it. It’s the closest thing to a scorched earth victory foie gras opponents might ever see." 

A Facelift!

Hello, again. I’ve been gone too long from this space, and much like a separation between old friends, something valuable was missing in my life. 

For the past several months my energies and focus have been dedicated to ongoing studies at the University of Oregon. It is a very exciting time at UO because we are in the early stages of formulating a food program which will be uniquely Oregon in scope and will include a strong humanities component.  After long viewing food studies options in New York, California, the mid-west, and elsewhere, it’s still difficult to believe a high caliber resource may actually spring forth right here! 

It’s good to be back on these pages again.  There were been plenty of times when I  wanted to share thoughts and ideas rumbling in my mind, but deadlines and projects always loomed larger and took precedent.  One of my early tasks here is to clean up the ole blog space; it has been a while since my last revision.  In the spirit of a simpler format, as many of my fellow food bloggers are discovering, a much needed index is in the works to assist in locating buried recipes and resources. 

The composition of the blog is shifting, too.  Anyone who may have followed this space in the past knows that the focus was primarily recipe driven by my ‘fiestas and fiascoes from the food fringe’.  No doubt the fiestas and fiascoes will continue, since they are unavoidably too much a part of me to deny!

 

However, the new blog tag refers to a composium of food and culture. Right.  If the word is unfamiliar, it is because it is does not formally exist: it is not in the dictionary.  Thus, I am claiming composium to describe my blog as a collection of writings in various content, styles, and formats. 

That pretty much says it all. 

Popcorn: It’s in the Bag

There are times when nothing beats the smell and taste of freshly popped popcorn.  Depending on my level of stress, state of mind, and butter quotient, my choice can vacillate anywhere from Orville Redenbacker Theater Style Butter, to Paul Newman’s Organic, or Healthy Choice Light.

 The other day I was planted expectantly in front of my microwave, lulled into a hypnotic state by a spinning bag of ballooning Jolly Time Healthy Pop Butter 94% Fat Free Popcorn.  Suddenly, I was struck by a peculiar flash of clarity.  Wait a minute!  The question echoed back that no popcorn purveyor wants to hear:  Is this really necessary? 

Not too long ago I was perfectly content to fire up the stove, jostle the pot a bit, and in no time have an enormous bowl of popcorn.  What happened?  Is it the mess of one dirty pot? Do I really need all this fancy packaging?  Who knows how long it has all been in the bag ― and what preservatives were added to it?  What about the cost?  Is this really necessary?   

 What are my options?

The next time I had a popcorn craving I was prepared.  I pulled out a small clean lunch bag, poured a little popcorn (organic with no GMOs) into the bottom, folded over the top, and dropped it into the microwave, and let it spin. Two minutes later I had a happy bowl of tasty popcorn sprinkled with my latest Popcorn Seasoning Salt.

Not so bad for hot and healthy.

 

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

1/3 to ½ cup popcorn (organic)

lunch-sized paper bag

Spray oil or butter

Popcorn Seasoning Salt 

 (enough for several bowls)

½ tsp cumin

1 -2 tsp chile powder

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

4 tsp fine Popcorn Salt

Into a small bag, pour in enough popcorn to make a layer on the bottom of the bag, about 1/3 cup. Fold the top of the bag over twice and seal it with tape. 

Lay the bag flat in microwave and pop for approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds, or until popcorn stops popping. 

Empty the popcorn into a wide bowl.  Spray the top lightly with oil spray and sprinkle with Popcorn Seasoning Salt, toss and repeat.  Or, melt butter and drizzle generously over popcorn.  Enjoy!

Three-Bean Chili with Mixed Peppers and Nopales

It’s hard to believe that I didn’t get my fill of those big Texas flavors, but one of the first things I did on my return from Austin was whip up a big pot of chili.  

Actually, I’d had my fill of meat and was ready to experiment with a lighter version ― one with zesty chili flavors featuring grains, legumes, and more vegetables.

Yes, this zippy riff has plenty of vegetables and such, but I prefer not to call it ‘vegetarian’ chili since that label suggests an attempt to pass it off as a dreary substitute for the real thing.   

Instead, here tomatillos, cactus paddles, assorted chilies and peppers lend complexity and a definite piquant bite.   

 The generous combination of legumes, hominy, corn, and bulgur wheat offers plenty of supporting interest and satisfying texture.

Serve the chili over tortilla chips coated with melting cheddar and top it with crunchy Cilantro Cabbage Slaw mentioned in previous postings here.   

For added heat pull out a nice sampling of tasty Texas hot sauces. 

Of course have plenty of napkins on hand for dabbing any beaded brows...

Three-Bean Chili with Mixed Peppers and Nopales 

Source:  Inspired by Three-Bean Vegetable Chili from Soup Suppers by Arthur Schwartz

Ingredients

·         ¾ cup bulgur wheat, soaked in 1 ½ cup boiling water for 20 minutes, drained

·         2 tbsp vegetable oil

·         2 medium onions, chopped

·         4 cloves garlic

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         2 tsp cumin

·         2-3 Tbsp chili powder

·         pinch cinnamon

·         1 Tbsp smoked paprika

·         ½ tsp. each salt and pepper

·         12 tomatillos, husked, diced

·         4 cups chicken stock or boiling water, approx., divided

·         14 oz. can diced tomatoes

·         2 poblano peppers, seed, chop

·         2 Anaheim peppers, “

·         4 jalapeno peppers, “

·         ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

·         15 oz. can black eyed peas, drained

·         15 oz. can white beans, drained

·         15 oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained

·         1 - 2 Tbsp cornmeal diluted in

·         1/2 cup orange juice

·         2 ears corn, or 1-2 cups corn

·         1 cactus paddle with thorns removed, washed and scrubbed with a pot scrubber;  cut into cubes

Cilantro Cabbage Slaw (see recipe), corn tortillas, cheddar cheese

Directions 

Soak the bulgur wheat and set it aside.

In a deep pot, sauté the onions and garlic in oil until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon and toss to blend flavors; season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatillos, toss, and add stock or water to cover, about 2 cups.  Simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until tomatillos are soft and begin to fall apart.  Add the diced tomatoes and simmer gently an additional 15 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to further break down the tomatoes if necessary.

Stir in the chopped peppers, 1 cup stock or water, ½ tsp Worcestershire; simmer an additional 15 minutes to soften and develop flavor. 

Add the bulgur wheat, white beans, black eyed peas, hominy, orange juice and simmer an additional 10 to 15 minutes (to further, add the cornmeal if desired).  Add the corn and nopales and simmer 5 minutes.  Don’t overcook the cactus.  Adjust flavors. 

To serve, place a layer of tortilla chips with melting cheddar in shallow bowls; ladle on the chili and top with cilantro cabbage slaw.  Accompany with guacamole, salsas and additional chips.  Serves 8~~

Mornings with Millet

With the constant supply of blackberries streaming through my kitchen these days, and a pile of cooked millet, the idea of Blackberry Millet Milkshake (or Smoothie) is not a big stretch.  Now that I am personally familiar with millet’s holding capacity, channeling its force as a food thickener weighs heavy on my mind. 

It doesn’t get any easier than this.  Into the blender place equal amounts of frozen blackberries and some of that prepared (now refrigerated) millet.  Thin this with a slightly greater amount of milk (or juice of choice), a dash of agave nectar or honey to taste, and blend until smooth.  The new Power Drink: A thick and F-I-L-L-I-N-G glass of creamy, berry goodness.

These days I’m thinking about ways to get more nutrition early in the day.  Since I am not an early eater,  I’m always on the lookout for easy, portable foods that hold well enough to enjoy later.  When I’m busy or out and about, it's handy to have tasty finger food that I can peck on when hunger hits.

I eye the slowly depleting container of cooked millet in the fridge and prepare for my next weekend challenge.   Still not ready to cave into the standard heavy hitting granola-type bars, I’d prefer something light, mild, satisfying ―yet compelling.   

I proceed, armed with the knowledge that millet plays well with others and is likely a considerate, compatible partner with fruit. The results:  Fruited Millet Morning Bars, charming, moist, under 100 calories, with character and charisma ― and just enough fruit to mingle nicely with the millet. 

Fruited Millet Morning Bars

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups cooked millet (see previous directions)

2 eggs

2 Tbsp honey

½ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp lemon flavored cod liver oil, optional  (it was in the fridge and needed to be used)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 small, ripe banana, smashed

1 apple, peeled and diced

½ cup each golden raisins and shredded coconut

½ tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

½ cup oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray it with oil.

Combine the eggs through the oats and blend well.  Add the cooked millet and stir to combine.  Spread into prepared pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the top and edges begin to color.

Remove to rack and allow to cool complete.  For easy cutting, chill until set.  Yield:  20 bars.

Millet on My Mind

 I’m a little behind the curve when it comes to dabbling in millet, but over the long Labor Day weekend I plan to change all that.   On my current campaign to embrace the fascinating realm of grains and more, I was impressed to read that millet falls into the super food status.  It’s loaded with protein and minerals; it’s easy to digest and contains no gluten.  In fact much of the world’s population considers it a staple, and it is critically important in Africa and South America. 

Here’s what else I’ve learned so far.   It has a very mild, slightly nutty taste, reminiscent of cornmeal.   Basic cooking technique is similar to rice:  add it to boiling water and cook it until the water has evaporated, about 30 minutes.  The cooking ratio is 1 part millet to 3 parts water.  Millet expands a lot ― as much as four times the original quantity. 

I begin with the basics: adding millet to boiling water.  How hard is that?   Even though I knew it would expand, starting with 2 cups of millet makes complete sense.  In 20 minutes I have enough millet to feed the entire population of Ethiopia.  But that’s ok, because there’s s a long weekend ahead and I plan to really give it a work-out.  Right now, I’m especially interested in exploring the sweet side of it.

My first project, Millet-Ricotta Pudding Filled with Blackberries,  is a variation on Ricotta Millet Pudding with Warm Raspberry Compote from Maria Speck’s Ancient Grains cookbook, comes via    Lootie and Doof ‘s great blog.  I mention it here more as a point of reference.  Although it includes whipped cream to lighten the pudding, I elect to eliminate it (in the interest of healthy living) and I regret it.  Without it, the combination of the millet, ricotta, and sweetened blackberries is delicious, but decidedly heavy ― it lacks the light, creaminess which defines a good pudding.   

 Consequently, I’ve learned millet is deceivingly filling; it may look light, but it has incredible staying power. 

Ricotta Millet Pudding with Warm Raspberry Compote
 (recipe from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck)

Millet

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup millet
• 2/3 cup milk (low fat is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine sea salt

 Pudding

• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
•  1/4 cup sugar

Compote

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (no need to thaw)
• 1/4 cup honey

To prepare the millet, bring the water and millet to a boil in a small saucepan. Decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Combine the milk, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl and add to the millet. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until the milk is absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and cool to room temperature.

Once the millet has cooled, make the pudding. Place the ricotta, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well incorporated. Loosen the prepared millet with a fork and stir it into the ricotta mixture, breaking up any lumps.

In another large bowl, whip the cream with a handheld mixer, gradually adding the sugar until medium-firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the ricotta-millet mixture in 3 additions. Divide the pudding among 6-8 serving dishes. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, make the raspberry compote. Place the raspberries and honey in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, gently stirring once in a while so as not to crush the berries, until the sauce is hot and berries just warmed through, 5-8 minutes.

To finish, spoon some of the raspberry compote over the chilled ricotta pudding and serve at once.