My Famous Okro Soup Tantalizes in New York
In a previous post, I mentioned that the cooking bug caught me when I went to New York three weeks prior, so my Godson and I went grocery shopping.
I had abstained from meat and fish for weeks, but something about Queens caused me to slip.
I had been looking for goat meat in the Houston area for weeks, but I couldn't find it. Queens had an abundance, so I decided to use it in the okro/okra soup I was hankering for.
Generalization: In my experience, most African women (and I have close friends from many African countries) are egocentric about their culinary skills. The way they cook and how their food tastes are the right and the only way.
From that experience, when my female friends come to visit, 1. I take them out to eat; 2. I let them cook, or 3. We order and come home to eat.
The few friends whom I have bothered to cook for have praised my cooking. Still, I have received uncountable praises on my culinary skills from numerous people who have tasted my cooking.
Confession from one of those culinary egotists: After my friend (one of those included in the generalization above) ate my okro soup in Queens, she said it was all she thought about all day at work. She couldn't wait to come home, make herself foo-foo/eba, and eat my okro soup. 😅😅
I don't need anyone's validation. I know how to cook, but I take the risk of trying not to cook like anyone else: not Nigerians, Africans as a whole, Americans, etc.
I love to explore with the available ingredients wherever I live or travel to.
When my fridge or pantry is down to a minimal number of ingredients, that's when I make amazing discoveries.
-------
--Frances Ohanenye maintains this visual "cookbook" that features processes and ingredients in pictures. The offerings have evolved into vegetarian and food-allergy recipes. Other cooks and chefs should calibrate according to their locale, availability, and preference. Click on "Open Source Cooking" (http://www.virgyskitchenandgarden.com/p/kitchen-sample.html) for additional information. Thanks for visiting. Ni
Comments