Vegan, 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).

Yesterday 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.

A Long Time Coming

I 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 ;-)

 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 cookie stamp with a food-safe coating, I had to go back to the printer, so-to-speak. Unfortunately, New Leaf Initiative didn't make it, so I am now working with a local group called The Rivet.

I am beginning production again.

I also need to restock materials for the Ghana-friendly, vegan recipe for making the cookie/biscuits.

I did manage one taste testing, with generally quite positive results--some thought too sweet, some not sweet enough. Go figure.   

 It is slow going, but I'm ready to restock the gluten-free ingredients and start making batches. If you'd like to taste test (for now, only in the US, please), drop me a line at fran@betumi.com. I also hope to develop several other adinkra cutters.

So long for now.

 November 5, 2022

We'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 friendly tiger nut flour blend (also coconut oil, cassava, plantain, cornstarch, sorghum, corn and tapioca, etc.  flours) and simultaneously developing some new adinkra cookie stamps. In addition to the sankofa and gye name versions. I tested them out in Ghana in 2019. That was 3 years ago!

This process has taken an inordinately long time--trial and error, trial and error, repeatedly. Just when I thought I was home free, some folks advised me that I need to "dip-coat" the cookie stamps to seal them against bacteria. I also wanted to streamline the 3D print process so sought out some more help locally.  While I carried some of the new, duly dip-coated stamps to Ghana in August, my stove in Ghana broke down and prevented me from making them there.

I'm back in Pennsylvania now, though, and still plan to start up again in time for the holidays. Check back here to keep updated.

Little by little, the chicken drinks water. . .

 Observations on Ghana after 29 months away

1. 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 little official presence and continuous "roadwork." Cars 

drive  4 or 5 abreast, with no supervsion. Heading to the  Takoradi airport, traffic was    

completely blocked by a huge truck that fell over in what should have been the other lane on a muddy, impassable road, full of 

potholes, and ordinary people just sit passively in their cars for hours.

4.  Official roads are often bypassed  by "shortcuts" through muddy, unpaved, dangerous

      roads that do not really seem shorter,  and "workers" begging for handouts as they

      "work" to keep the roads passable.

5.  "Uber" in Ghana has proven unreliable. "Bolt" seems a bit better. Several times we have called Ubers who give us an arrival time and state that they are "here" when they are no where to  be found. 

6.  Despite all these things, people in Ghana are gracious, and generous in many ways.

7. They love loud music and have little sense of noise levels, whether during all night prayer

    meetings, workdays, or location (residential or commercial). Chickens crowing, dogs   

   barking at all hours are common.

8. Ghana appears nauseatingly "religious," but it is all too often a facade. Certainly there are good and pious people, but the political leaders and government officials appear to be  largely

     corrupt and out to make themselves rich while duping the public.

9. Loans and "big promises" and projects are a way of life, but there appears to be

    a lack of follow through and integrity.

10. Despite all this, Ghanaians can be unfailingly generous, courteous, cheerful, and kind.

 August 26, 1972 to August 26, 2022

Fifty 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 grown, along with our 2 adopted nephews, Sam and Ernest. Spouses and partners, and grandchildren (Kumiwah and Danso) have entered our lives.

My (Fran's) love affair with Ghanian cuisine continues, and after several years of covid, I am eager to pick up where I left off--3-d printing a line of adinkra cookie stamps and vegan, gluten-free, Ghana-friendly cookies/biscuits.

And cooking for more people than just Kwadwo and me ;-)

Hope to see you here again soon.

Fran Osseo-Asare

Sankofa 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 cornstarch derivatives).

Also, we need to print with a stainless steel nozzle (not brass), and then the stamps need to be properly sealed with a food-grade sealant.

Working on that now, but it'll take a little time--filament and nozzles ordered, and a fellow maker is helping experiment with making a threaded handle so the stamps are interchangeable. Fran is learning a lot about Ultimaker Cura and Blender softwares, and 3D printing. Will keep you all updated.

There has  been a bit of a snag with the Woo Commerce software to run the store, too, but that is being taken care of, as well as working on listing inventory.
As my favorite Twi proverb says: kakakra, akokɔ bɛnom nsuo,” Little by little, the chicken drinks water. 

Little by little, we'll get there.

BETUMI 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.

                        *  *  *  *  *

But. . . to quote e. e. cummings out of context:  "Winter's not forever, even snow melts . . ."
And so, during Black History Month in the U.S. it seems appropriate to celebrate baking with a new West African twist: biscuit (or cookie) cutters stamped with timeless, ancient symbols  for the omnipotence of God (Gye Nyame) and the importance of remembering the past when going into the future (Sankofa) "Go back and fetch it." We are now in the process of reactivating the site and updating it, eager to share what we've learned. 
Check back soon.

Fran Osseo-Asare

They 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 purporting to be "new"  or "essential" or "ultimate" "Ghana Cookbooks" by unknown-to-me authors.
I am generally thrilled when new West African books appear  on the scene, usually by respected African culinary experts like Pierre Thiam or Zoe Adjonyoh.  

However, it irritates me when folks with no credentials (or  else, bots?) crank out dozens of copycat books on popular topics.  It took me decades of learning to gain my knowledge.

I first noticed Amazon.com listing several dubious books claiming to have expertise on Ghana's cooking--all seem to be by individuals who crank out dozens of books on a variety of unrelated subjects.  I noticed the first one because it blatantly appropriated one of my personally taken photos from The Ghana Cookbook. "Wilfred Dawson" also plagiarized freely from my work. 

I sure don't feel flattered.

Akpi 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.

Oh, 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 Ethiopian meals.

That has  all changed with the arrival of Chef Etayehu Zenebe in Centre County! Etayehu has been in the area over a year now, and quietly begun preparing and selling her injera to individuals and groups, requiring only that orders be placed 4 days in advance (to allow proper fermentation of the  dough), AND that customers pick up their orders themselves since she works out of a rented commercial kitchen. She is very hard-working and generous.





She prepares both vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes, as well as injera. I envy her her skill which far surpasses my own. Here is a typical example of some vegetarian dishes she shared with us yesterday (from right to left).

Tikur Gomen (black cumin seeds with collard greens)
Tikil Gomen (cabbage)
Misir wat (red lentil stew)
Azifa (green lentil dip)

And, of course, Injera (Ethiopian sour flatbread) at the top.

Her food has been featured at  Tap Root Kitchen. 



For more information, she may be reached by phone at 717-618-2346 or email at   zenebeetayehu@gmail.com.

Finally

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. 

Workshop 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. It's a cooperative project.

Biscuit Project Update

I 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 ahead with the workshop until I know we have reliable power for the refrigerator and oven, so . . . someone is coming again tomorrow  (Saturday) to take the 8  batteries to be charged (at least a 3-day delay) and we can investigate further. I'm still here for 2 more weeks, so IF we get the power issue fixed, will schedule the workshop sometime during the week of the 22nd of July to the 27th. Let me know if you have a preference for the day and time. Right now, I'm very flexible.

The house is in Community 18, Tema (Baatsona), and I can send you my phone number if you give me yours. I'm planning on about only 5 or 6 people, so let me know if you are still interested.

As you know, two of my favorite proverbs are: "the road doesn't stop the bird," and "little by little the chicken drinks water." Here's to innovation paired with culture!

Adinkra 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.

Why "Ghana-friendly," you ask? It's sad to me that folks think they HAVE to import cutters,  wheat flour and butter in order to have delicious, crispy biscuits with indigenous designs on them. Vegan, because  shortbread biscuits (cookies) need no eggs, and this version needs no butter.

The workshop (assuming it happens) will begin with a discussion of gluten-free baking and the chemistry behind it. Believe me, one cannot just substitute any old flour for wheat. It's an art.

We'll then discuss:

#1) Preparing the gluten-free flour mixture: the various flours, starches, and flavors

#2) Preparing the biscuit (cookie) doughs using the flour mixture (Hint: think flavors like coconut, ripe plantain, pure vanilla, chocolate, sugar. . .)

3. Chilling, rolling out, cutting and baking the biscuits (vanilla or chocolate):

                                                           

Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee or juice!

Contact me  at fran@betumi.com if you'd like more information, or are interested.

Food from Uganda: Achiro's Taste

While 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 Africa Cookbook Collection. It is by Ugandan writer Achiro P. Olwoch from Gulu, in Northern Uganda in 2013. Thank you to all involved in getting it to me: Dr. Okech, the friend Faith, who mailed it, and my new family member Bigz who provided the link among us.

It includes 92 recipes, some featuring Uganda's matooke (green plantains/bananas) or gonja (ripe plantains) [one of my favorite foods], and includes snacks, main dishes, desserts, including puddings, many kinds of stews, meat dishes, cassava, mushrooms, and fish, salads and sauces. Some are very traditional and some are more contemporary. I'm very grateful and eager to try some of them.

In addition, she gives information on how to stock one's kitchen and cooking guidance and tips. Throughout the book, as well as at the end,  she dispenses advice on life and living.

Thank you to all who helped get it into my hands!

Evolution of Instant Fufu

There 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 time-consuming. For a long time people have been trying to find ways to get the same taste and texture, but without all the pounding.

1.  When I was married in Ghana, I carried a mortar and pestle back with me to the U.S. in a shipment, determined to continue to prepare my beloved groundnut and palm nut and light soups with fufu. Alas, the temperature and humidity changes caused the mortar to crack and with it my dreams of home-made fufu in the U.S. 
2. But I discovered how to make American-style fufu using instant mashed potatoes and potato starch flour, and in February, 2007, convinced my friend, Dr. Naana Nti, to demonstrate proper technique for cooking it in a microwave, using my camera to create BETUMI's first video. 
3. I also discovered actual "fufu powder." BETUMI's initial post on it was back in April, 2006, when I did a podcast with the Ashanti chemical engineer Yaw Adusei, who travelled to State College to introduce me to his Mama's Choice fufu flour (and incidentally, conduct a taste test with another leading brand).
4. Over the years I experimented unsuccessfully with making fufu using plantain and cassava with a blender, or mashing it and stirring it. Last year I stumbled on Obapaa's terrific video demonstrating her technique of making microwave using a smoothie maker and raw cassava and green plantain! It was revolutionary, and soooo simple. I had always tried cooking the ingredients BEFORE blending them in a food processor or blender. She has given me permission to share it here:

The same day I saw her video I rushed out and bought some cassava (commonly called  yuca in our stores here) and green plantain. The result was enthusiastically approved by my husband.

5.  Early in 2019, during a trip to Ghana, he stopped in at the                  CSIR Food Research Institute store and picked up a few items,          including a plantain fufu flour with NO preservatives or coloring,        best prepared on a stovetop by adding water and stirring. Very          convenient if it is difficult to get fresh cassava, as it is in         Pennsylvania.  And I'm thrilled to get rid of those preservatives, and   extra ingredients.          

Tap Chop: 1969 Addition to the Africa Cookbook Project

From 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 booklets, such as the one I received yesterday, a 1969 booklet titled Tap Chop, 52 pages of recipes largely popular with Mennonite and other missionaries. It is a treasured bit of history. Thank you to Dave Beppler, formerly in Nigeria.

In 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 that plantains are becoming more readily available (after years of begging my local grocers to import the yellow--ripe plantains--I am happy to say that I can now find them locally at Wegmans, Giant, and Weis! A great thing since in the winter the green ones will not ripen properly here in central PA. 

When I was in Ghana in March, Paulina Addy gave me a can of organic, high quality palm oil (thank you), and I decided yesterday that, since spring is almost here finally, it was time to open the can and make some ofam. I plan to serve it at a Penn State student symposium luncheon I'm catering next week. (My husband begged me to cut a little slice for a taste since he couldn't wait). Oh, and when made with rice flour, it's also gluten-free and sugar-free.

Note: I did find that in my new oven it took a bundt pan 45 minutes to cook (longer than the 30 minutes in my old oven).