Ainehi asked me to write a little blurb for the re-launch of her blog. So I thought I would try and come up with something fun about my self, my cooking, and photography.
Finding Photography:
My journey to things I love doing started in the crazy weight loss inducing days of grad school. Seriously, if you really want to loose some weight, enroll in an arduous Master’s or PhD program. Around the time I started my Master’s in Engineering, my cousin got me my first camera. All the pressure of meeting crazy deadlines and the piling up of unwritten papers gave me heartburn. Who would have thought that a little electronic gift would allow me to explore the world in a whole new way and help take my mind off the stress of grad life. There was always Redbull and shortbread to get me through tough times, but photography was always there, a creative outlet and a hardy friend. That’s how my love for photography started.
Falling for Food:
As for how I came to love cooking, that’s a different story. I’ll have to say it’s an innate thing that was lying dormant, waiting for an opportunity to be let out. My grandmother ran a famous buka (restaurant) on Broad Street in Lagos. My aunt still runs it. It was cool to find out last summer that my mum loved cooking as a young girl. Ok, back to the present. Tired of eating Chinese, subs and pizza, I had to find a way to diversify my culinary experience. But then again, it was just a matter of wanting to eat healthy. So, I picked up a couple of cookbooks, a pot, a pan and few knives and started trying new dishes. I wanted to experiment. I wanted to try something different from what I had been eating for the past 16 years. Nigerian food, which I had growing up seemed far too familiar for my increasingly eclectic taste. Maybe that’s why if you visit my blog, 1morespoon, you won’t find too many Nigerian dishes. Love for cooking has also made me curious about new ingredients. These days, I can go to the mall and not spend a dime. But when I’m at the grocery store, I’m like a kid let loose in an ice cream shop. So many ingredients at my fingertips! A flood of ideas running through my head! There’s been a few mishaps here and there: like when I tried cooking on a hungry stomach and ended up with a cut, 10 stitches, and a re-attached fingertip. All in all, though, cooking has been a fun experience.
A little recipe to go with my little blurb inspired by my friend Eve.
Shrimp and couscous salad
Ingredients
1 cup of radishes, sliced
1 cup of celery, sliced
1 cup of tomatillos, chopped
1 cup of tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of red onions, sliced
1 cup of cooked / canned sweet corn
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
2 tbs of nam pla ( thai fish sauce)
3 tbs of fresh lime juice
2 tbs of sesame see oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of shrimp, deveined and peeled
2 tsp of old bay seasoningCouscous
1 cup of pearl couscous
1 1/3 cup of chicken stock
2 tbs of butterDirections
- Cook the couscous in the chicken stock over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Pour the couscous on a plate and spread to allow to cool faster.
- Mix the shrimp and old bay seasoning together.
- Saute the shrimp in a pan until they just turn pink.
- Drain and reserve.
- Mix all the remaining ingredients together.
- Chop the shrimp, if desired and add to mix.
- Serve warm or allow to chill in the refrigerator.
For those allergic to shrimp, you can replace it any other kind of meat you like or make it vegan without any. Enjoy.
Andrea Nagel April 09, 2014 14:22
Great! Go on:) - Both! And also, if it is not to boaring for you, some Nigerian dishes. I´m curious ;)