"Cochon de Lait" a l'Afrique, Black Eyed Pea Croquette, Caribbean Mango Salsa: The Main Course at Voodoo, for the 5 Star Restaurant Wars Challenge

This month's edition of the 5 Star Makeover Challenge is a real doozy: Restaurant Wars. Two months ago, our hosts, Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! and Natasha of 5 Star Foodie divided participants into groups of three, tasking us each to create a virtual restaurant based on a single theme or ingredient. Each team member would be responsible for one of the three courses.

And am I ever happy with the team members fate dealt me. Jessica of Cajunlicious and Maya of Foodiva's Kitchen were fabulous to work with, and it didn't take us too long to hammer out a name, theme, and dishes for our restaurant.

West African Pepper Soup, for Whatever Ails Your Body or Soul

I cannot explain my peculiar affinity for West African food. Certainly nothing in my middle class meat-loaf-and-pork-chops middle-of-nowhere American upbringing prepared me for the rich flavors of palm oil, stew meats, and salted fish, or for the fiery heat of Scotch bonnet peppers. But, as I have discussed here before, in posts about red red and kelewele,  Liberian bean soup,  and even maharagwe, an East African dish to which I obstinately added hot peppers, something about the cuisine speaks to me.  But then, who knows what memories may lurk in the ghostly ancestral memories of our tastebuds?