Mtuza wa Samaki: Kenyan Curried Fish, for World Africa Day

It's all about the hot peppers ...

... and of course, the fish

When Casey of  Eating,  Gardening, and Living in Bulgaria challenged food bloggers to cook an African dish to highlight the incredible culinary diversity of the continent in honor of World Africa Day, I was eager to participate.  After all, African cuisine - particularly the hot and spicy variety - is one of my very favorite things in the world. (I have the sweat-inducing and curiously addicting West African pepper soup at Sumah's carryout in Washington, DC to thank for it. )

Of course, saying "African cuisine" is a gross oversimplification.  Each region and country has its own signature ingredients, spices, and cooking techniques.  Ethiopian, Senegalese, Tunisian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, South African - these cuisines, and many more I didn't list,  are as different from one another as French is  from Viennese.  I hope that more and more people begin to discover the depth and breadth of flavors this continent has to offer.

Ghanaian Red-Red and Kelewele: My First Guest Post!

Red-Red

Kelewele

When Rebecca from Chow & Chatter asked me to do a guest post, I was incredibly flattered. Her blog is a great read - a mix of diverse cuisines and interesting recipes, nutritional advice, and travelogue. I must admit though, her guest bloggers are always so interesting that I felt very nervous trying to pick the perfect topic to write about.

After much indecision and mental back-and-forth, I realized it's best to stick with what you love, so I decided to make one of my very favorite meals for her: red-red and kelewele, a traditional Ghanain beans and starch combo. Red-red is a spicy stew of black-eyed peas; kelewele is an even spicier dish of fried plantains.

The flavors are utterly unique and absolutely intoxicating. Please head on over to Chow & Chatter for the recipes!