Heather, professional chef, made a third trip to Niger in April 2008. She shared her love of food with us as she ministered to our stomachs and fed volunteers.
The Paper
The following is an excerpt from a paper that she wrote during her time in culinary school, just following her second trip to Niger, fall 2001. It is titled, "White People Have to Eat too!"
"The side of the road, Republic of Niger, Africa, 2001
The gathering crowd stared at us without reservation, the chatter and laughter from the cluster of black faces hung heavy in the hot, gritty air. Somehow we still managed to enjoy our roadside lunch of crunchy, sweet fari masa and smoky, peppery cecena ; but just how a motley bunch of Americans could eat comfortably while on display before half the population of a West African village we never did figure out. Apparently our interpreter had had enough. Suddenly he stopped chewing mid-fritter and shouted something to the crowd. There was some awkward foot shifting among the audience, murmured discussion, and the nearby huts at last drew all their inhabitants back home. When our host stopped laughing I asked him what the interpreter had said. He replied, 'He told ‘em, <White people have to eat, too, you know!>'
Not only was our group of 12 well-fed white folks eating in front of some of the world’s poorest people, but we were eating BLACK FOOD—the food prepared by the Nigerien street vendors. While most Europeans and Americans living in Niger preferred to eat the limited selection of packaged food imported from France, our “going native” created great curiosity (as if being the only white faces in the village weren’t novelty enough).
The humor of our interpreter’s comment struck me in the moment; two years later I realize that what started out as mere crowd control opened my eyes to the important lessons on cooking, and eating, and living that can be learned from African and African-American communities..."
You can read her paper in its edited form. (pdf document)
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While Heather was on the field, one of her recipes was published in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. We share that story and recipe with you below.
Fries that Surprise
By JUNE NAYLOR, Special to the Star-Telegram
French fries are a glorious gastronomic experience, whether you're talking about the most simple burger-stand sort, with salt and ketchup, or gussied up in fancy restaurants, with elegant oils and herbs. And lately, local restaurants are tricking out fries all sorts of ways, offering the little slivers of golden goodness smothered in melted cheese, tossed in gourmet seasonings and offered alongside decadent dipping sauces...
Lili’s Bistro Polenta Fries Recipe
ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced small
1/2 cup unsalted butter
10 cups water
1 tablespoons (heaping) chicken-base paste, such as Knorr’s
6 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Flour for coating
Vegetable oil for cooking, such as canola or peanut
instructions:
1. Saute red peppers in butter, then add water and chicken base. Bring to a boil.
2. Turn off heat and add cornmeal, sugar and spices. Stir until blended, then mix in cheese. Mixture will be very stiff.
3. Spread on a greased 18-by-13-inch baking pan and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Cut into three columns lengthwise, and then cut into sticks roughly 1-inch wide.
4. Flour each stick and cook in vegetable oil at 350 degrees till hot throughout, about 3 to 5 minutes. (They already are cooked so you only have to heat.) Or, you can also omit the flour and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until hot, about 10 minutes.
excerpt from the "Fort Worth Star Telegram"