Life. Love. Food
I enjoy experiencing other cultures and their cuisines. If you are like me and globe trotting is still among your life goals, the best way of experiencing how life is in another country is through their cuisine. Sarova Stanley is hosting Spanish Week and this was one chance I jumped on with both feet. Today is Friday and why not ring in the weekend with great food, and good music in the top 5-star hotel in Nairobi.
Like many ladies in Nairobi, I always go to Kenyatta Market to have my hair braided. They are not only done cheaply there, but very fast too. I find it comical how the wasusi (salonists) almost come to blows when they spot someone with open hair walking their way. To avoid all that commotion, I have my msusi pick me from the stage when I arrive. Her name is Connie but I call her Aunty Connie. She is so nice and I always get braided in her stall. Some weeks back as we snaked our way through the open fruit market and through the car wash, the aroma of fried tilapia wafted our way. I asked her where I could get some and she promised to direct me after my braids were done. As I got my hair fixed, I thought about all the possible ways I could make my fish (that was before I fell asleep on the salon chair).
I remembered discovering peri peri is what our brothers and sisters down south refer to what we East Africans know as pilipili. It really is the same thing- bird’s eye chilli. Feeling inspired by my new discovery, I decided to make my fish spicy and saucy. I just have to warn you before trying my tilapia peri peri, there is a high possibility that you may develop serious addictions to tilapia cooked with this recipe. It is that good! Proceed.
Confession: I am a cooking show junkie. I can watch cooking shows till kingdom come. It just never gets boring…well, for me atleast :)). One of the most common things I see on Chopped is the use of vinaigrettes especially on Salads and stuff. Because I have no culinary training, I always turn to Uncle Google to break things down for me. Turns out it is not something complicated and can be made from nearly anything.
I love sweet and sour anything. So I made my vinaigrette using honey, apple cider vinegar and some oil to capture one of my favorite flavors. I was rushing somewhere and decided to make a sandwich to have on the go. After quickly taking my photos, I downded these sandwiches and boy, didn’t they just hit the right spots!!! If you are always on the go, or are going through one of those lazy days, this one is for you :)).
SIDENOTE: Have you checked out recipes on my YouTube channel? Have you subscribed? 🙂
Sometimes the best things are bourne out of the worst situations. Sometimes, you land on your true calling after leaving that job your thought was heaven sent. Sometimes you finally get the person who truly gets you after letting go of the other one who was not really worth it. Sometimes, you really discover amazing qualities you never knew you had when in the most uncomfortable situations. And in everyday (kitchen) life, sometimes, you discover the best recipes after failing in those you thought would be the best. There is a silver lining in everything.
This recipe was a second attempt at fritters I tried in September. They looked good on camera, but tasted like Satan’s favorite snack, no kidding. After rethinking everything and giving it a second try, my ginger and chilli spaghetti fritters were born.
On this day, I was home alone. And when there are few people at home, obviously less food is cooked. The fridge was undergoing its seasonal sparseness and I knew exactly what I wanted to eat: githeri. Yes, I love githeri that much and that is the only meal I wanted. Mum had already boiled some maize and beans and froze them for future use. I defrosted some and prepared one of the best githeri yet. When mum came home she shared some of the githeri I had prepared with her friend, mrs.Kamau, and she tooootally loved this! For the weekend, my mum prepared a larger quantity of githeri but using the same recipe I had developed earlier that week. My sisters who were home over the weekend also really loved this new recipe. Seeing how it was so well received at home, I am certain you will enjoy it too :))
Today, we turn one of my FAVORITE Kenyan delicacies into one unforgettable feast!
Besides potatoes, we almost always have matoke in our house. Every weekend, my dad collects a package form Maragoli delivering traditional veggies such as kunde, mto and mrenda, fresh peas and beans and almost always, matoke. The matoke are usually wrapped in some banana leaves to preserve their freshness. They are usually a bit dewy by the time they get to Nairobi but beaming with the bountifulness and greenness of the emerald rolling Maragoli hills.
Because we have a constant supply of one ingredient means we have to create different ways of making one thing. One of one of the most mellow matoke recipes is my garlic and cumin matoke. It is so easy and unleashes one hell of a party on your taste buds. #MUSTTRY
When Ocean Basket began their operations in our beautiful country, I was beyond excited to know that sea food has been brought closer to us by a brand that prides itself in quality. Living in an inland city has us deprived from the goodness of seafood so I felt Ocean Basket establishing itself in Nairobi was a gift to us.
I decided to visit Ocean Basket with my man because I knew we would have a good time, satisfy his huge appetite in the process get to sample one of the best eateries in town. The world decided that September is ‘take your man on a date month’. But why limit yourself to just one month when we have the entire year so I treated him to the ocean basket experience. We had a phenomenal time at Ocean Basket, and I highly recommend the same experience for each one of you.
Hey there! My name is Kaluhi and I love food! Through my blog, I am happy to share with you my self-taught recipes, steeped in nostalgia and the happiest of memories. I hope each recipe you try out is as addictive as the previous one and is shared on a table full of love and hearty laughs!
Karibuni Sana!
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