FOOD

Anyone that knows me well:
1) has an eating memory with me
2) has had me eat at their house
3) knows that I love food and remains confused with the disparity between how much I eat and how little weight I put on.

* note: you will also be aware of the strong West Indian influence on my diet, which is complimented by the Ezemenari/Nigerian stew chicken which has been with me through the good times and the not so good times.

Many of my major memories have an eating moment: my second last day in Cuba and eating beef, eggs and rice and it tasting as good as anything I have ever eaten...in Senegal when Ali, Monique and I each ordered a fish dinner and they brought three huge fish (head to tail) to our table...eating fresh peaches picked from an orchard in the Okanagan Valley of BC...Mom's rice pot and home...Sylvie's unbelievable vegetarian dishes visting my Pops and his wife...Sunday dinners by Brother Barry and Sister Janet after church...Anything Auntie Norma touches(shout out to Yum Yum's) and just talking with her about God..Mrs. Clarkes breadfruit...Chilling at G's house and eating Mom's fish and chicken...Auntie Gloria's bun (it is a starch with the value of precious metals)...Mrs. Huggins bakes and fried fish...Mrs. Bramwell's ox-tail...Mrs. Byam at Christmas time (sorrell, baked goods, turkey - her whole table!)...Joy's braided baked bread...Ackee and Sal'fish at the Ramkisoon house...roast lamb, smelt's, bbq chicken, or a mixture of left over's from the Balamos kitchen...can't forget Mrs. Isaac for any meal of the day...Grandma's pumpkin pie...Auntie Gail's mashed potatoes...the St. Bernard kitchen (even the toast)

Okay, I apologize if I missed you (and there are great meals and kitchen's that I have missed), but I really do have work to do, and I have a few months before I can taste any of these delights, so I will cut the reminiscing short. (I want to add that I don't just eat from anyone and everyone...this list is the creme de la creme!)

The point here is to share with you some of what I have been eating while in Ghana. For me breakfast is mostly tea, fruit and bread (every once in awhile I have a fried egg). I have had kosi and cocoa (the more traditional porridge and starch), but it doesn't do me like the Samuels homminy porridge, or even my own cornmeal (off the chain!).

These images are a small sample of lunch and dinner, check it out!






















Here Mama Saphora is mixing the pounded casava with the pounded plantain for fufu.






















Here the casava is being pounded (when the yams are back in season, people don't really use the casava)


















Nice action shot!

















On the right: This is some broen stew (veggies, seasoning, and a mixture of meat and fish), boiled eggs, along with boiled yam and plantain on the left.


















I was treated to some yams (they were nice and sweet) with some meat and stew.
















This is Tzat in my fingers which you use to pick up the stew...the fish in the middle was delicious.

















This is how take-out food is often packaged. Some roasted plantain with some roasted chicken and sauce wrapped in newspaper and a plastic bag.

You need to be careful of where you get food from, as there are no regulations or standards enforced for preparing and serving food. I have found a couple of places thatI trust and know are thorough, but I tend to eat at home.