Dad, Andrea, Rachel, Matt, Mom, Rob, Al, Mary, Jenn, Sarah, Roice, Cole~
Hey all!! I'm so excited, I've got a package en route to 1307 Emerald Green full
of fun stuff. The only problem is that I sent stuff for all you guys in one
package so my dad gets to be the middleman. Thanks!
So, Austinites, talk to each other and the first person coming to Houston can
stop by my dad's house to pick up the goodies.
Jenn, be around Katy any time soon? Let me know how you want to work it.
Rob, please talk to Dad to find out when it comes so you can get what's for you,
Mom and Al.
So what's in there, you say?! TRADITIONAL AFRICAN FUFU!! Aren't you excited?
Well, I'm sorry to say that it's not "pot" (cornmeal), although I can send the
oh-so-difficult recipe of corn flour and water if you're really dying to try
it. Fufu is way better anyway. It's boiled African yams that women then place
in a mortar (waist high wooden bowl that is on a stand) and they beat it until
it turns into a gluey consistency. And I found it in a box where you just add
water. So, yes, it's the instant mashed potatoes of Fufu, but I'm trying, I'm
trying.
So here are the directions, since it is all in French:
Boil 1.5 liters of water
Add flour
Stir together and let stand several minutes
It should get much thicker than mashed potatoes and use your hands to knead it
just a bit as you would with bread dough, making a flat ball and place on a plate.
Serves 4
And a couple of recipes for sauces, you decide:
Peanut Sauce (my favorite with fufu!):
<![CDATA[2-3 tbsp peanut oil (if you don't have it, use what you have)
2 purple onion, pureed in blender or food processor
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 roma-sized tomatoes, pureed in blender or food processor
3-4 habanero peppers, either finely chopped or pureed as well
4 tbsp peanut butter
salt, pepper chicken, beef or shrimp bouillon (they use this in everything to add flavor
- you don't have to put it in. It's not how they do it, but I put in paprika, ginger, and
oregano and it's great.)
water
Grill onion and garlic in hot oil for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes. Season
with salt, pepper, habanero peppers, bouillon. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add peanut butter. If the sauce is thick, add a little water. It should be
soupy.
Then add meat. Usually chunks of beef or goat. For the beef, you can make
bite-sized pieces, boil it in spices (salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper or
chili powder, bouillon cube) for one hour. The water you boil it in should not
cover the meat, just to fill up a couple of inches from the bottom of the pan.
Tomato Sauce: a staple - every tante's sauce (tante, derived from aunt, are the
ladies that cook and sell on the street)
Same thing as peanut sauce, just omit the peanut butter.
You can add any sort of meat to this sauce. Goat (like you'll be eating goat,
but it's a regular here!), chunks of beef, fried chicken, deer, rabbit,
whatever the hunters happen to be bringing into your neighborhood grocery store
for the day. Kidding!
Vegetable Sauce
Same thing as peanut sauce, except:
Cut onions into thin slices instead of pureeing. Cut 2 tomatoes into thin slices
and puree the other 6. Add 1-2 cups water just before simmering and simmer for
15-20 minutes. Add spinach. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
Add fried or steamed fish or canned sardines, which are usually put in this
sauce. Cut it up and stir in to sauce.
Then place the sauce of your choice on another plate. If you really want to live
like me, forget the fork, use your RIGHT hand to grab a bite full of fufu, dip
in sauce and ENJOY!!]]>
Sorry that turned out being so long. I hope it all makes sense. I love you guys!
And I hope you love getting a little taste of Benin.
Miss you all!
Sara
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