Cooking

Recipes

West African Chicken-Peanut Soup

Makes 12 servings

4 tablespoons Oriental (dark) sesame oil
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 cups canned or homemade chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 15-ounce can chopped stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

In large skillet, over medium heat, heat the sesame oil. Add chicken, onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until onion is translucent.

Add curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes and peanut butter. Heat throughly, but don't boil. Serve hot.

Fufu de Mais

Contributed by Kit Hope

I make Fufu de Mais with Quaker Oats Masa Harina. Set a pot of water boiling and put the masa flour in a seive and shake it over the boiling water. Shake and stir until it's thick enough and mold it into balls.

Restaurants

The Roger Miller

Contributed by John Tustin

941 Bonifant St. Silver Spring, MD.
(301) 650 2495.

Tasty Cameroonian cuisine in the suburbs of DC. Ndole, braised fish, fufu and jamajama, eru, and lots more. Entrees average about $10. They also sell African CD's at reasonable prices. A favorite of the ultra-hip DC/NY RPCV set.

The Calabash

Contributed by Kit Hope

Near Covent Garden.

The Calabash is fairly easy to find as Covent Garden is a major tourist spot. I wish I could remember the address but it's been a couple of years since I was in London. I do remember great Chicken in Groundnut Sauce because it had the distinctive flavor of palm oil. I asked the waitress to ask the chef where he got it and ended up on a fascinating journey to the Brixton Market. Brixton is a part of London with a large African and Caribbean population.

Erico Cafe

Contributed by John Tustin

1334 U Street, NW
Washington, DC
(202) 518.9742

The "restaurant" status of this establishment is questionable. Limited menu consisting of ndole, chicken yassa, egusi, and a few other dishes. Entrees range from $12 - 14. Food is mediocre in quality and not as authentic as the Roger Miller. Convenient location.