tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220884492024-03-12T19:46:45.109-05:00BetumiBlogBETUMI: The African Culinary Network (<a href="http://www.betumi.com">www.betumi.com</a>) connects anyone who delights in African cuisine, foodways, and food history.Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-18736333284344071302023-02-04T12:24:00.001-05:002023-02-04T12:27:22.464-05:00Adinkra Coconut-Gari BiscuitsYes, it's ANOTHER adinkra cookie recipe. This time, though, I've ditched the gluten-free flour (about a cup of regular flour), but added reconstituted dried shredded coconut, evaporated milk, and 2 tablespoons of butter. It's a little harder to work with the dough, and it takes longer to bake, but it was based on the gari biscuit recipe in our The Ghana Cookbook published by Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-49317033735248723722023-01-29T15:02:00.004-05:002023-01-31T08:46:02.911-05:00Wearable ArtJust a note that celebrated seamstress/designer Abbamaku in Ghana just designed some "artist wear" for my sister without ever meeting her. Will she really wear these fabulous outfits to paint in? Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-30579451821867777762023-01-26T16:13:00.003-05:002023-01-26T16:17:15.494-05:00Lost and Found: Barbara Baeta's Historic Recipe CardsIn the 1960s and early 1970s, Willis E. Bell was a celebrated photographer in Ghana, West Africa. In 1972, he photographed a dozen "cookery cards" for a popular Ghanaian chef and caterer, Barbara Baëta. This was the same woman featured in Laurens van Der Post's influential African Cooking in the Time-Life series of cookbooks of the world" featuring in a photoFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-18246887544829021832023-01-25T11:19:00.005-05:002023-02-01T13:48:35.685-05:00Sister Linda recently sent me a painting that she started as a rough sketch and turned into a lovely reminder of four books I have written on/about Africa, and Ghana in particular: A New Land to Live In: the Odyssey of an African and an American Seeking God's Guidance on Marriage (Intervarsity Press, 1977), written after my marriage in Ghana to Kwadwo Osseo-Asare in 1972;A Good Soup AttractsFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-38980726450717406732023-01-19T12:20:00.002-05:002023-01-19T13:53:18.386-05:00 So what IS tiger nut flour?Ghana’s popular “tiger nuts,” are also known as chufa nuts. They are not actually nuts, but come from a nutsedge plant with tubers that grow underground (cyperus esculents). In Ghana the tubers are chewed freshly picked (but not swallowed, like sugar cane) or made into a delicious traditional “tigernut pudding" (atadwe&Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-34078948415997056782023-01-18T15:26:00.003-05:002023-01-18T15:26:43.202-05:00Vegan, gluten-free Adinkra biscuits: Okay, here are two more versions: lemon (with lemon juice and zest), and groundnut (peanut) with peanut oil and cream peanut butter).Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-55671490955890310342023-01-15T16:29:00.002-05:002023-01-15T16:29:45.421-05:00Yesterday I shared a photo of my gluten-free, vegan, vanilla Betumi Adinkra cookies (biscuits); today it's chocolate. When we had our workshop in Ghana several years ago, (July 2019) the participants challenged me to develop other options, such as lemon- or peanut-flavored versions. I'll try those this coming week. Hope to see you again.Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-79956333042297873922023-01-14T12:12:00.001-05:002023-01-14T12:14:17.559-05:00A Long Time ComingI realized yesterday putting these on a rack to cool, that my 5-year dream of a gluten-free version of a shortbread biscuit (or, as we Americans say, "cookie") made from non-gluten ingredients available in Ghana and featuring Ghanaian adinkra symbols, is a reality. Today I'll whip up some chocolate ones ;-)Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-36552674576462204672022-12-03T13:47:00.001-05:002022-12-03T13:55:37.775-05:00 November 30, 2022 Never Give Up!Kwadwo is back in Ghana until January, while I'm still in Pennsylvania. I continue to work on the adinkra biscuits. With Kwanza just around the corner, I wanted to update everyone on where they stand. Once I determined I had to start over printing the stamps with a transparent PLA filament, and stainless steel nozzle, and cover each cookieFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-84580734573847041222022-11-05T14:52:00.002-05:002022-11-05T15:17:56.471-05:00 November 5, 2022We've been back from Ghana for over a month (though my husband Kwadwo is heading back there in a couple of weeks). I'm now thinking about the holidays--Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Kwanzaa. I've been continuing to work on upgrading the adinkra cookie stamps--as you may recall, since 2019 I have been developing a vegan, gluten-free Ghana Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-29108196669964082632022-09-05T06:48:00.002-05:002022-09-05T06:48:41.893-05:00 Observations on Ghana after 29 months away1. Very few people are masked, but most will put on a mask in our house if asked.2. There are frequent places with hand sanitizer.2. 1. It is heartbreaking to see the steep fall of the local currency, the Cedi.3. The weekday traffic is unbelievable, especially in the evenings. Road conditions are deplorable, and there is Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-59862113616855591382022-09-01T09:23:00.000-05:002022-09-01T09:23:41.191-05:00 August 26, 1972 to August 26, 2022Fifty years ago (!), we married in Ghana. Almost 3 years ago we left Ghana abruptly when then-President Trump threatened to close the US borders.It's good to be back. We spent several days at Lou Moon in the Axim area, and are now back in Tema at the house son DK (Yaw Dankwa) built decades ago as he began his architecture journey. All 3 children are now Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-45826472667030495542022-03-04T15:53:00.001-05:002022-03-04T15:54:03.066-05:00Sankofa and Gye Nyame Cookie Stamps On Adinkra Stamps Here's the latest on the efforts to go online with BETUMI's Kitchen. It turns out we must redo the original set of Adinkra stamps. To be absolutely sure they are truly foodsafe, we needed to order some FDA-approved, no additives PLA (that's a compostable type of plastic usually made from cornstarchFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-62779320605222323072022-02-16T14:52:00.003-05:002022-02-16T14:52:54.158-05:00BETUMI is BACK!It's been a wild couple of years. I was in Ghana in 2019 and 2020 workshopping BETUMI's Adinkra Biscuits and Gluten-free Cookie Dough when then-president Trump threatened to cancel flights back to the U.S. and I abruptly left.All plans for the online store were also abruptly cancelled. Here are some photos taken in July 2019 with a workshop group in Tema. Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-58250411331795489582021-09-22T11:37:00.003-05:002021-09-22T11:37:40.694-05:00They say plagiarism is a form of flattery. It is also a blatant form of theft.The photo at the top right is from a scanning of page 7 of the illustrations in our The Ghana Cookbook. With co-author Barbara Baëta, the book came out at the end of 2015 and has since gone through several printings. Recently, I was appalled to see on Amazon.com several books all Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-74196377944921066442020-06-07T08:42:00.000-05:002020-06-07T08:42:39.393-05:00Akpi Seeds
There has been a continued interest in locating an online source for akpi seeds.
This morning I discovered over a dozen replies in the comments section of my postings
by a source I can neither confirm nor deny, but for all who are interested, here it is:
"You can order Akpi seeds, Wholesale/Retail @NATURYTE (Call/WatsApp +2347080890865 or DN www.instagram.com/naturyte)"
Good luck.
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-31467098125309362982020-02-03T10:51:00.000-05:002020-02-03T19:20:30.577-05:00Oh, Happy Day! A New (Ethiopian) Cook in Town
Ever since Nigerian Sore Shields moved from State College to go back to school and closed The African Market (near Websters, back around 2009), State College has boasted no source for authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Sore used to sell frozen stews to Ethiopian students. Even then, there was NO local source of authentic locally made teff injera, the wonderful but perishable stable of EthiopianFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-57801154094989970342019-08-22T12:00:00.004-05:002019-08-22T12:00:58.438-05:00Finally Hello, friends, for an update on the BETUMI adinkra cookie stamps, check http://betumi.com/betumi-market/. A Limited Edition selection of the stamps are currently available.
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-56356198174125938792019-07-22T08:50:00.001-05:002019-07-22T08:54:14.023-05:00Workshop Tomorrow, July 23rd!
Naomi helping get ready today. I had more requests than I could accommodate, but expect 10 folks to come for the 2-hour workshop.
Wish us luck! I've never actually baked the biscuits/cookies in Ghana before (never even used my electric oven), so it will be exciting to see how it goes.
Mawusi (the seamstress staying here) helped out with the pot holders and some of the aprons. Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-7708162870814315802019-07-12T06:05:00.000-05:002019-07-12T06:05:05.817-05:00Biscuit Project UpdateI feel kind of like that old saying "all dressed up and nowhere to go," except it should be "all set up and no way to start."
After a several day delay (due to United and South African airlines), I arrived in Ghana determined to discover why the solar panels and inverter were not working at my house. It's a long process, and the power has been off twice in the interim.
I'm reluctant to go aheadFranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-61765339446778026542019-06-10T14:53:00.003-05:002019-06-10T14:55:48.443-05:00Adinkra Shortbread (vegan, gluten-free) Biscuits: One, Two, Three
After almost two years working on the Ghana-friendly flour mixture and recipe, and perfecting the Akinkra stamps, BETUMI now has a (copyrighted) version of two stamps ready to be shared (commercial manufacturing is in the works). Fran plans to be in Ghana (Tema) during July, and if time, stove, and electricity cooperate, is planning a workshop (free, but invitation only) while there.
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-5281059801107681892019-04-16T15:22:00.001-05:002019-04-16T15:22:27.963-05:00Food from Uganda: Achiro's TasteWhile lamenting the paucity of Ugandan cookbooks to some new acquaintances at a recent wedding, Dr. Brenda Okech said, "Oh, I can send you one when I go back home to Uganda."
This was in December, 2018. In March another woman confirmed my address and said months ago she was given a book to mail to me.
It arrived soon after, and I'm pleased to present it as the latest addition to the Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-16643384370493330842019-03-25T10:23:00.000-05:002019-03-25T10:23:04.030-05:00Evolution of Instant FufuThere are several exciting signs in the culinary entrepreneurial world in Ghana. Here is one of them.
RE contemporary twists on traditional foods
FUFU: Making fufu the traditional way is wonderful, but strenuous and Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-73220564579819605602018-12-03T12:50:00.001-05:002018-12-03T12:50:27.808-05:00Tap Chop: 1969 Addition to the Africa Cookbook ProjectFrom time to time we receive additions to the BETUMI Africa Cookbook Collection launched at TED Global in Tanzania in 2007. I remember when a fan sent in his mother's collection of Barbara Baeta's West African Favourites Cookery Cards, currently on loan to Aperture for its traveling exhibition Feast for the Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography
Many of the items are mimeographed paper Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22088449.post-24319660756478099292018-04-28T12:20:00.001-05:002018-04-28T12:20:37.635-05:00In Praise of Over-ripe Plantain Loaf
In early 2010 I posted about ofam, a tasty savory over-ripe plantain loaf from Ghana that is also described in The Ghana Cookbook. It uses only 7 ingredients: over-ripe plantains, good quality red palm oil, hot pepper (I use habanero) fresh grated ginger, flour (I use white rice), grated onion, and a little salt. Unsalted dry roasted peanuts make a great garnish or accompaniment.
Now Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17554083006239895938noreply@blogger.com0