We KNOW there are various Africans lurking around! READ this

[Leggy Peggy]

Hello again Elly.
Here's a link to some recommended Nigerian recipes on Food.com
http://www.food.com/recipes/nigerian/recommended

[Elly in Canada]

Thanks for the great link!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Leggy Peggy]

It's my pleasure. Can I come to dinner?

[Elly in Canada]

When are you coming to Canada??? You have been really helpful, thank you!!! Now I have lots to read and recipes to try!!

[JoyfulCook]

What a good response! Great stuff, the secret was - where does he come from, also a lot of their local foods dont feature all the time in cookbooks, which do tend to be more for people who can afford to buy these ingredients. can you find out what kind of vegetables etc that he also misses.

[Leggy Peggy]

Thanks Elly. We travel a lot, and Canada is on the list.
Do let us know what you make and how it's received.
I still have a bunch of African cookbooks.

[Elly in Canada]

Yes Joy, a wonderful response! I will have my daughter ask him some 'food related' questions next time they have lunch together! I do have access to many imported vegetables and fruits, spices etc... so I know I will probably be able to come up with something he will really enjoy!

Elly

[JoyfulCook]

Elly in Canada wrote:
Yes Joy, a wonderful response! I will have my daughter ask him some 'food related' questions next time they have lunch together! I do have access to many imported vegetables and fruits, spices etc... so I know I will probably be able to come up with something he will really enjoy!

Elly

The recipes here, are rather europeanised, to use a word, the proper African diet, is rather different. these people dont eat out in restaurants except the african style cafe's if they can afford it, my nephew lived in Nigeria for about 7 years. its such a poor place. I personally would not try to do a whole meal, but start of with some biscuits etc.

here is a link from the web that sounds more like what they would usually have for a meal
http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/recipes.html

[Elly in Canada]

Thanks for the link Joy, it sure gives a better understanding of the poverty in Nigeria. I will check my special grocer and see what imported vegetables I can find and perhaps make a soup too... I know what you mean by the changes immigrants to these areas make in the food recipes we see in books etc... not quite like what mama used to make in the countryside, mud and grass huts etc... It is an interesting adventure!

[JoyfulCook]

Glad that it was of some help. I agree, start with some kind of soup, or favourite biscuits or something like that. probably more important, and I must say I d id not look, but what kind of flavouring or spices are used in some of their recipes?

[Elly in Canada]

JoyfulCook wrote:
Glad that it was of some help. I agree, start with some kind of soup, or favourite biscuits or something like that. probably more important, and I must say I d id not look, but what kind of flavouring or spices are used in some of their recipes?

I have spent a few hours searching out Nigerian foods, I found that most hot dishes are made with few ingredients and spices. The soups, stews, rice dishes often have a tomato base, onions, hot chillies, stock cubes (usually Knorr or Maggi) are used in most dishes, dried fish and shrimp. Ginger and thyme. Greens used are okra, spinach, other local greens similar to collards. They sure do like hot spicy peppers! A red palm oil is very common, think I will skip that one as it has a high percentage of saturated fat, although it does have a unique flavour. It is a learning experience, thanks for posting the tag game..

[Leggy Peggy]

I spent about five weeks in Nigeria in 2009—travelling northwest to southeast.
Tomatoes, onions, stock cubes and palm oil were always available.
In fact, sometimes that was all that was available.
I should post a few pics from the market in Abuja. I'll try to find them.

[Leggy Peggy]

Here's one.

[Elly in Canada]

Great photo!!!!

[Leggy Peggy]

Thanks. The market in Abuja is huge and diverse.