Kuka Soup - Nigeria

Nigeria

Seeing how a majority of the African girls registered on our fledgling online dating network are from Nigeria, we figured a bit of home cooking might freshen your palette a bit. Break out the ladle because we are going to whip up a batch of kuka soup. For this particular recipe, there are a few tools you will need to get the job done. Make sure you have:

• A pestle and mortar to grind ingredients into a fine paste. Although not nearly as authentic, a food processor will do as well.
• A large pot for boiling, of course.
• Kitchen knives capable of cutting through flesh.

Kuka soup is a traditional Nigerian dish so the ingredients, not so surprisingly, are mostly indigenous to the West African region, particularly the baobab leaf. The baobab leaf is a staple of the Savanna lands below the Sahara. It is sometimes steamed and eaten like spinach, but more oft than not, the baobab leaf is used in soups, sauces, stews and the like. 

For this particular recipe, we are going to use the baobab leaf to make enough soup for four. If you can't get your hands on the beloved baobab leaf (450 grams worth), you can always substitute it with file powder (8 tablespoons worth), which is ground up sassafra leaves. At any rate, these are the other ingredients you will need and should be able to procure without too much hassle:

• ground up okra (450g)
• 6-8 fresh tomatoes
• 2 small onions
• a slab of fresh fish of your choice
• 2 fresh chili peppers
• 12 tbsp of palm oil
• 2L of fresh water
• table salt

Now that you have your ingredients at the ready, let's get to cooking, shall we.
DIRECTION

1. For starters, you will want to give that fish of yours a thorough rinsing just for sanitary reasons. One can never be too safe. Once you are done washing the fish, go ahead and add whatever seasonings you would normally when preparing fish. Salt and pepper is a safe bet. Once you have finished seasoning, cleave the fish into relatively thin sliced filets and set them aside on a cutting board or baking sheet.
2. Next up, you are going to mash those small onions, fresh chili peppers and juicy tomatoes into a fine paste. That's where your trusty pestle and mortar come in handy. Again, a food processor works just as well if not better.
3. Take that large pot and lace it up with the 12 tablespoons of palm oil and the 2 liters of fresh water. Time to fire up that stove and bring the pot of water and oil to a boil. Once you hear the water percolating, reduce to a simmer.
4. Hope you are ready because there's no turning back now. Toss in the fish filets as well as the pureed veggies and allow it to cook for a good 20-25 minutes.
5. Remember the baobab leaf and the ground up okra? Now's the time to introduce the real flavor of kuka soup. Stir it in and continue to do so for the next ten minutes.
6. Using your best judgement, shut off the stove when you think the soup has reached a nigh-feverish pitch. Take that trusty spoon of yours and have a licks. Season to taste and voila, kuka soup is served.

Kuka soup can be served with rice or even tofu if you prefer. West Africans would typically add a side of cassava greens and spinach, but feel free to apply this dish however you see fit. Cooking is a gift meant to be shared. Let us know how this recipe worked out for you. Until next time, my friends.  

Africa's Snowiest Slopes

Believe it or not, but there is such a thing as snow in Africa. However rare it may be, there are but a handful of mountain ranges in continental Africa that see enough powder to be considered a snow resort of sorts little less a ski destination. If your expectations have not been lowered yet, I regret to inform you that of the three possible places to experience snow in Africa, one of them has been auctioned off.

Tiffindell in South Africa

Up until 2009, Tiffindell, a 101 hectare property located in the southern region of Drakensberg (South Africa), was Africa's Whistler. Apparently, it was't just the short-sighted bankers involved in the antics that brought about the economic crash of 2008. Today, the fate of the ski resort is mired in legal disputes between the current owners and the liquidators with money, of course, being at the root. Although snow still falls on Tiffindell slopes, no one will be allowed to enjoy it until that legal situation gets sorted.

Oukaimeden in Morocco

In the meantime, the only other place worth the trek would be the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco where there are actually two ski resorts - Oukaimeden and Mischliffn. With Mischliffen being the lesser developed of the two, we will word economize and focus a bit on Oukaimeden. Located about 45 miles south of Marrakech is Africa's highest elevated ski resort at a dizzying 3,258 meters above level.

As far as ski spots go, Oukaimeden is not by any means a massive park. There are somewhere between 20-25 runs with 11 lifts to haul you and your gear up and across the various slopes. Compared to the 100 plus runs you would be entreated to at a Whistler or a Swiss Alps, the number pales in comparison. Still though, as the saying would have it, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." If you are in Africa (particularly the north) and you get the sudden urge to strap on some skis and hit the slopes, Oukaimeden in Morocco is your go-to destination.

There is tricky part the less worldly travelers often overlook. You have to time your trips wisely as the seasons differ depending on what side of the equator you find yourself. Had Tiffindell still been an option, the best times to see snow and ski would have to be between the months of June and August, the winter months of the southern hemisphere. North of the equator however, the limited window is open only from January to February.

Suffice it to say, if skiing is your passion, the only reason for hauling your gear to Africa would be for bragging rights to say you surfed the slopes of humankind's birthplace. The main motive behind publishing this article was to demonstrate that Africa is not any one specific terrain and climate. There are untamed jungles, sun-scorched deserts, burgeoning metropolises and even snow-capped mountain ranges. Did you know there were athletes representing African countries in the winter games? No, well I suppose that's an entry for another time. Stay tuned to the blog.