The African Gourmet

Curry from Ghana, recipe will yield about ¼ cup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coriander

Directions: Mix all ingredients well and store in airtight container away from light and heat.

Not much is known about Africa and indigenous sweet treats. You will find that “sweet is sweet” no matter what continent you happen to live on. The thought of Africa’s sweet culinary inclinations may raise your eyebrows at first but as you read and prepare the recipes, the tastes are familiar and delicious. The initial unfamiliarity with Africa’s sweet delicacies will become familiar. My goal is to introduce simple and satisfying African sweets into kitchens across the world and introduce recipes that are sure to become family favorites. We begin the introduction of African sweets with a classic east African treat, mango fool.

Recipe

Mango Fool

Cote d’Ivoire (formerly the Ivory Coast)

Yields 4 servings

1 cup mango puree

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 cups whipped topping

Directions:
In a small bowl mix well mango puree, cardamom and cloves.

Then carefully fold mango puree mixture into the whipped topping.

Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
For a pretty presentation serve fool in wine glasses and top with a sprig of fresh mint dark and white chocolate shavings.

Note- How to fold: use a rubber spatula to gently slice through the mixture working in a circular motion while turning the bowl slowly. Folding gives the final product a light and airy texture while stirring will deflate your fool.

African & American kitchens are not so different
Whether in North, Southern, East, West or Central Africa meat is a luxury. Meat is usually reserved for special occasions such as festivals, weddings etc…Most everyday African meals consist of vegetables either from home gardens or from public markets.
The emphasis is on starches and one main starchy side dish is fufu (fofo). What is fufu you may ask? Well, fufu is to West Africa as mashed potatoes are to North America. Both fufu and mashed potatoes have very similar qualities:
1. Prepared in similar ways
2. Filling
3. Versatile
4. Easy to make
5. A kitchen staple
African and American kitchens are not so different. Fufu is made from either boiled green plantains, rice, corn meal, corn, yams or sweet/white potatoes. Just like mashed potatoes, fufu is bland until seasonings are added. Fufu is usually served with soups and stews replacing the conventional spoon of North America. You pinch off a little ball of fufu and use this to scoop up the soup or stew. Mashed potatoes are made by smashing boiled potatoes with a potato masher or a fork. Fufu is also made by pounding the potatoes with a mortar and pestle (masher of sorts). Make your own fufu tonight for dinner!

Photo courtesy USAID

Port Shepstone lies along KwaZulu-Natal’s Hibiscus Coast – known for its many hibiscus flowers – which stretches from Scottburgh to Port Edward. Situated at the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River (a Zulu name meaning ‘place of the great kraal’), it was the discovery of marble deposits on the bank of the river in 1867 that first attracted settlers to the area. The town was established four years later and named after Sir Theophilus Shepstone, Administrator of Native Affairs in the Natal government. The river mouth soon became a port for the export of marble, lime and sugar. The harbour was developed following the arrival of a party of 246 Norwegian immigrants in 1886, but the port fell into disuse after the railway line reached the town in 1901.
 
The largest town along the South Coast, Port Shepstone is a popular resort, offering safe bathing in a tidal pool and a lighthouse as a landmark. The coast and estuary offer good angling opportunities, while boating is possible on the river. The history of the town is depicted in the Port Shepstone Museum, which has a maritime focus. One of the largest collections of seashells in South Africa can be seen at the Sea Shell Museum at Shelly Beach, a few kilometres south of Port Shepstone.

Johannesburg, the business and financial capital of South Africa, developed after the discovery of the Main Reef by George Harrison and George Walker on the farm Langlaagte in March 1886. The site of this significant discovery can be seen in George Harrison Park, about 11 km west of the city centre. The discovery of gold resulted in a rush of fortune-seekers, and a shanty town of over 2 000 inhabitants sprung up. Laid out on the farm Randjieslaagte, the settlement was named after Johann Rissik, an official in the office of the Surveyor-General of the Transvaal Republic, and Christiaan Johannes Joubert, chief of mining and a member of the Volksraad (Parliament).
 
Also known as eGoli, a Sotho name meaning ‘city of gold’, Johannesburg 3 is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, and its attractions are many and varied. Among the most important are Gold Reef City and Soweto, South Africa’s most famous black city – comprising 27 townships and 30-odd informal settlements. Tours of Soweto have become popular, and a number of outfits offer such excursions. MuseumAfrika, in the city centre, focuses on the peoples of southern Africa, and incorporates the Geological Museum, Museum of South African Rock Art and the Bensusan Museum of Photography. Johannesburg’s other museums focus on themes as diverse as the history of the dynamite industry and music to Judaism, period costumes and military history.
 
Popular outdoor attractions include the 100-ha Herman Eckstein Park, with its zoological gardens, Melville Koppies, an important archaeological site, Delta Park and Melrose Bird Sanctuary. There are several cultural villages in close proximity to the city centre, among them Phumangena Zulu Kraal, Lesedi Cultural Village and Sibaya Zulu Kraal. Also of cultural interest is the Gertrude Poset Gallery with its fine collection of beadwork, masks, headdresses and other forms of African art from southern, central and western Africa. The city also has a wide range of galleries, jazz clubs, restaurants and theatres to choose from.
 
http://www.southafrica.org.za/tour-sa-egoli-and-surroundings.html