AROUND THE WORLD WITH VIRGINIA CAMPBELL

''A Flavorful Adventure Awaits!"      

For my first epicurean expedition, I could not have chosen a more culturally complex and diverse destination than the continent of Africa, which is really a "world within a world". The indigenous foods of each of the numerous regions have been blended through time with the input of the many colonizers to the vast lands of Africa. With over 50 countries, and many hundreds of millions of people, Africa can not be summed up with a few words. It is the second largest continent, surrounded on all sides by water, and it comprises one-fifth of our world's landmass.

 Some of the produce raised includes: peanuts, coffee, tea, sugarcane, bananas, oranges, grapes, pineapples, olives, coconut oil, tomatoes, and cacao. They also raise the following crops: corn, wheat, rice, millet, sorghum, cassava, plantains, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, barley, dry beans and watermelon. African food recipes are as varied as the thousands of tribes and cultures found in this amazing continent. A visit to a local food market will astound and delight true foodies with the variety and unique flavors of the many offerings.

No trip to the market would be complete without the traditional hand-woven market baskets. The making of these baskets is a skill passed down from generation to generation. The baskets are also exported as a Fair Trade item to benefit the economy in lower income areas which produce the baskets.

 

Traditionally, the various cuisines of Africa use a combination of locally available fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, and meat products. Most African foods are based on common foodstuffs like: cassava, yam, rice, beans, maize, sorghum, groundnut, coconut, plantain, millet, melons, seafood, poultry, beef, goat meat, bush meat, palm oil, potatoes, lentil, beans, cowpeas, vegetables, vegetable oils, and a wide selection of tantalizing of spices and chilies. You will also find influences from other countries such as France, Portugal, Great Britain, Arabia, North America, and many more. Popular exports from Africa include richly sweet honeys, varietal teas such as Red Rooibos, darkly delicious Ghanaian cocoa and chocolates, South African wines, tangy exotic fruits, and the flavor and heat of spices and chilies.

Have you ever been to Africa or thought about visiting there? What are some of the exotic foods and locations you long to experience? What are your most memorable food and travel adventures? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please share!

Moroccan Lemon Cake

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

zest from 1 or 2 lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour a small bundt or tube pan. Zest and juice your lemon. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Gradually beat in the oil. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the milk. Beat until smooth, and then mix in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a spatula, and turn out the cake onto a rack to finish cooling.

 

  Jollof Rice

500 g (1 lb) lean beef or chicken

Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

1L (1-3/4 pt) stock or water with 3 crushed stock cubes

3 large onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 chillies (hot peppers), finely chopped

4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and blended or mashed

45 g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste

250 g (8 oz) each of assorted chopped vegetables, e.g. carrots, green beans, mushrooms and capsicums (sweet or bell peppers)

500 g (1 lb) long-grain rice
Lettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) and hard-boiled eggs to garnish

Cut meat or chicken into 5 cm (2 in) cubes or small pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to stand for 1-2 hours. Heat oil in fry-pan and fry the meat or chicken pieces until brown. Remove meat from oil and add to the stock in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer on low heat until meat begins to soften, then remove from heat. Drain excess oil from fry pan leaving enough oil to fry onions, garlic and chillies (hot peppers) until golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, half the combined vegetables and 250 mL (8 fl oz) of stock from the meat mixture. Stir well, adjust seasoning and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add this vegetable sauce to the meat mixture in the saucepan and simmer gently. Finally, stir in the uncooked, long-grain rice. Adjust the seasoning again, cover and simmer slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes. Arrange the remaining vegetables on top of the rice and continue to simmer until the rice absorbs all the stock, softens and cooks, and the meat is tender. It may be necessary to sprinkle additional water mix to help the rice cook. If so use small amounts at a time of approximately 250 mL (8 fl oz) lightly salted water. Serve hot, garnished with chopped lettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) and hard-boiled eggs.

 

Banana Fritters

1½ cups all-purpose flour

4 or 5 medium-sized ripe bananas
3 eggs

1 cup milk

6 Tbsp sugar

vegetable oil, as needed for deep-frying
confectioners sugar

Stir the flour and sugar together, in a deep mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time with a wire whisk. Whisking constantly, add the milk approximately 1/3 cup at a time. Continue to beat until the batter is smooth and elastic enough to stretch like a ribbon from the beater when the beater is lifted out of the bowl. Peel the bananas, chop or slice them coarsely, and place them in a shallow bowl. Mash the bananas to a smooth purée, using the tines of a table fork. Stir the purée into the batter and allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes before frying. Pour oil into a deep fryer or large, heavy saucepan to a depth of 2-3 “. Heat the oil until it shimmers with the heat. For each fritter, ladle approximately ¼ cup of the banana batter into the hot oil. Deep-fry 2 or 3 banana fritters at a time, taking care to leave enough space between them to allow them to spread into 4 “ rounds or oblongs. Turning once or twice with a slotted spoon, fry for approximately 3 minutes or until the fritters are a rich golden color on all sides. As they brown, transfer the banana fritters to paper towels and allow them to drain. While the fritters are still warm, sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
 
 

Spicy African Yam Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup chunky salsa
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup diced zucchini

1/2 cup cooked rice

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until onion is soft. Turn down heat if necessary to prevent burning. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, garbanzo beans and zucchini. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and peanut butter until the peanut butter has dissolved.

"Traveler's Treat" Hot Chocolate

1 pint whole milk

1 (6 to 8 oz) dark chocolate bar, finely chopped

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

2 tablespoons dark rum

 

Pour the milk into a small saucepan then add the chocolate. Over low heat, stir gently just until the chocolate melts. Stir in the honey and brown sugar until smooth. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla, stirring until mixed. Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Makes two large mugs of awesome hot chocolate for two lucky travelers.