KitchenMata.com

02/11/2018

12/09/2018

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes is a new variety of potatoes richly fortified with Vitamin A , which also acts as antioxidants.
This specie of potatoes comes with the following benefits;
It can be eaten Raw or cooked
Tastes exactly like Carrots
Contains high immune system booster
Can be cooked and mashed for baby food
Sweeter than the regular Sweet potatoes
Matures 90 days after cultivation
1kg cost 1500 Naira(for consumption)
Bundle of Vine (for cultivation) is 2500 Naira(contains over 100 Vines in a bundle)
Hurry while stock last.Limited stock available. Call us on 08038974204

22/03/2018

10 rules for a balanced diet

Get down to and maintain your desirable body weight
Reduce your total fat intake, particularly your intake of saturated fats and trans fats
Ensure adequate intake of mono- and certain poly-unsaturated fats
Reduce your intake of foods high in cholesterol
Increase your fibre intake
Use sugar and foods high in simple carbohydrates in moderation
Use less salt
Eat a variety of foods
Drink alcohol only in moderation and regularly rather than in binges
Drink enough water or other fluids throughout the day (let thirst be your guide - remember that drinking too much water can actually be dangerous.

Avoid the following foods:

Fats and oils:

Butter
Hard brick margarine, brick cooking fat, lard
All fried foods
Coconut and biscuits containing coconut
Mayonnaise.

CULLED FROM HEALTH24

15/08/2017

Good day all. Your favorite page has been off for while because we were re branding and relocating.

In the light of this, we have actually come up with a plan and structure that will not only be of benefit to our amazing followers but also empower enterprising individuals.

Kitchen Mata is launching the sale and of Garri and Red oil at a very good price with the best quality from Ebonyi state.

We hope to get vendors in different states that can work with us in distribution and sourcing of good market targets.

Expansion in the area of other agricultural products welcomed when evaluated and found to have a good demand and consistent supplies.

Interested partners are really welcomed in this ground breaking idea and plans.You can also put up a suggestion or question here.

To reach us on this , call 08038974204 or our office address above if you are located in Abuja.

Let's come together and move agriculture and farm products to the next level, even as we empower ourselves

02/03/2017

Kitchenmata, in collaboration with Hiopps Consulting is putting up a cooking workshop which will feature practical lectures on how to make selected local delicacies and selected pastries like shawarma. We plan to make it happen in the six geo political zones of the country but hope to kick off first in Abuja and Kaduna. Interested participants can contact us through inbox or on our page for comprehensive details.

21/02/2017

Today, we are going to teach our face book followers how to prepare the popular EDIKAN-IKONG.

EDIKAN-IKONG is the native to the Coss River and Akwaibom people of the South South Nigeria. It simply translates to Vegetable Soup.

INGRIDIENTS:

*STOCHFISH (medium size)

*DRIED FISH

*HALF CUP OF CRAYFISH

*MEAT OF CHOICE

*PERIWINKLE

*SLICED WATER LEAF

*SLICED UGU LEAF (PUMPKIN LEAVES)

*RED OIL

*SALT AND PEPPER

*KPOMO

*KNOOR SEASONING

PREPARATION
Parboil meat with the ingredients (salt, seasoning, onion).Cook for 30 minutes. Allow meat to get soft.
Wash the fish and stock fish and add to the cooking meat on fire. Also wash the ugu and water leaf and put in separate bowls. Don't add them together. Wash properly to avoid sand.
To the boiling meat and stock fish on fire, add the crayfish. Add knoor cubes, salt and pepper to taste. (If needed).Cook for 10 to 15minutes and be sure the whole combination is boiling.Let there be very very little water remaining in the boiling combination. Almost dry.
Add the water leaf and the periwinkle.Stir and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.When the water leaf starts bringing out water, add the Ugu leaves, stir,cover and cook for 4 minutes. Lastly, add 20ml of red oil, cover and cook for another 3 minutes.Taste for salt and seasonings.
Your Edikang Ikong is ready to serve with Semo, Wheat, Eba, Pound ed yam or fufu. THANK KITCHENMATA LATER AND KINDLY DROP YOUR FEEDBACKS HERE FOR US TO SERVE YOU BETTER.
YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR THE PREPARATION OF YOUR FAVORITE NIGERIAN DISH. THE FOOD WITH THE HIGHEST REQUEST WILL BE POSTED WEEKLY.

05/01/2017

CHICKEN SHAWAMA

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish made with very thin cuts of meat, seasoned and threaded on skewers and grilled. The grilled meat is then served on a warm pita with tomatoes, lettuce or cucumbers and a creamy yogurt sauce.

I think of it like a Middle Eastern taco. Traditionally beef, chicken, goat, lamb, or turkey is used in this dish. I used chicken breasts for this particular recipe.

This was a very easy meal to prepare. I seasoned the meat with Shawarma Seasoning and let it marinate in the fridge, on the skewers, during the day and prepared it on my grill for dinner.

The yogurt sauce was a mixture of yogurt, tahini, lemon juice and some dried dill w**d. I find tahini on the isle with the Asian foods at my market, if you cannot find it - just leave it out - it's nice to have, but won't ruin anything if it is missing.
Helpful Hint: To slice the meat really thin, partially freeze chicken breasts until they are firm, but not frozen solid. Use a sharp knife and cut very carefully. The partially frozen meat will make it easier to hold and slice.

Ingredients:
• 1 LB boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Shawarma Seasoning
• 4 whole wheat pitas - 6" round, does not need to have a pocket
• 1/2 cup Reduced fat or fat free Greek yogurt, plain
• 2 Tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dill W**d
• Cooking Spray
• Tomato slices and cucumber slices or chopped romaine lettuce
Directions:
1. In a medium glass bowl, combine chicken strips, lemon juice, Shawarma Seasoning and olive oil. Make sure all pieces of chicken are coated with the seasoning.
2. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least an hour, but all day or overnight works too.
3. Thread chicken strips onto wooden skewers. Hint: If you are going to use a gas or charcoal grill, soak the wooden skewers in water for 1/2 hour before using them to prevent them from burning.
4. Prepare sauce by combining yogurt, tahini, granulated garlic and dill w**d and stir to combine.
5. Lightly coat grill pan with cooking spray and place chicken skewers onto hot grill.
6. Grill for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until meat is cooked through and toasted on the outside.
7. Warm the pitas on the grill, microwave or oven. Don't toast them - just warm them so they can be folded.
8. Arrange chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers or lettuce and yogurt on the warm pita, fold (like a taco) and serve.
Serves: 4

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories 405
Protein 36 g
Carbs 44 g
Fat 11 g
Sat Fat 2 g
Fiber 6 g
Sodium 445 mg
Sugars 5 g

05/01/2017

How to checkmate the safety of Food for children ages 5 and under???

The truth is.... You just cant because the factors necessary for foods to get to our table from the farm are things we cant control. But we can address issues relating to our side of the food handling processes... Ahn ahn!!!
this is where we talk briefly about FOOD POISONING...

What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning (also known as foodborne illness or food-related illness) is caused by eating food that has been contaminated by humans, pest, insects, bacteria, viruses or parasites. Food can become contaminated by these microorganisms at any time before you eat it, including at home during:
• handling
• storing
• cooking
There are many signs of food poisoning, but most types cause one or more of the following:
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• stomach pain and cramps
• fever and chills
Symptoms can start within hours after eating the contaminated food, or sometimes not until days or even weeks later. Usually, people recover quickly and completely.
However, food poisoning sometimes causes serious complications, including death. This is the case for people who are more at risk for both food poisoning and related health complications, like children aged 5 and under.,,

04/01/2017

KITCHEN TIPS CONT'D

*TO BOIL A CRACKED EGG, ADD A PINCH OF SALT

*TO CLEAN IRON COOK WARE, SCRUB WITH SALT AND DRY/CLEAN PAPER TOWEL

*WHEN STORING EMPTY AIR TIGHT CONTAINERS, THROW IN A PINCH OF SALT TO AVOID DAMP SMELL.

*NEVER PUT ORANGES OR TOMATOES IN FRIDGE, LOW TEMPERATURE DEGRADES THE AROMA AND FLAVOR OF THE FRUITS.

*TO BANISH ANTS FROM KITCHEN, GET THEIR HOLE AND USE VASELINE.

*TO KEEP POTATOES FROM BUDDING IN A BAG, ADD AN APPLE IN THEM.

*WATER FROM BOILED PASTA OR POTATO WHEN COOL IS GOOD ON PLANTS FOR NUTRIENTS.

*VINEGAR HELPS MEAT THAW.

*ADD PINCH OF SALT WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR MILK TO KEEP IT FRESH FOR SOME DAYS.

*DROP AN ICE CUBE WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MUCH FAT IN STEW AND SCOOP OUT.

30/12/2016

KitchenMata

Nutritional elements of fish
Fish is highly nutritious, tasty and easily digested. It is much sought after by a broad cross-section of the world's population, particularly in developing countries. It is estimated that around 60 percent of people in many developing countries depend on fish for over 30 percent of their animal protein supplies, while almost 80 percent in most developed countries obtain less than 20 percent of their animal protein from fish. However, with the increased awareness of the health benefits of eating fish and the ensuing rise in fish prices, these figures are rapidly changing.
Fish products are comparable to meat and dairy products in nutritional quality, depending on the methods used in preservation and preparation. The protein content of most fish averages 15 to 20 percent. Fish also contains significant amounts of all essential amino acids, particularly lysine in which cereals are relatively poor. Fish protein can be used therefore to complement the amino acid pattern and improve the overall protein quality of a mixed diet. Moreover, the sensory properties of an otherwise bland diet can be enhanced through fish products, thus facilitating and contributing to greater consumption.
Whereas cereal grains are usually low in lysine and/or the sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine), fish is an excellent source of these acids. A fish supplement can significantly raise the biological value of a cereal-based diet.
Also, fish meat is generally a good source of the B vitamins and, in the case of fatty species, of A and D vitamins. Some freshwater species such as carp have high thiaminase activity so the thiamine content in these species is usually low. As for minerals, fish meat is a particularly valuable source of calcium and phosphorus as well as iron, copper and selenium. Saltwater fish have a high content of iodine.
In addition to essential amino acids and proteins, fish nutritional attributes relate to the quality of lipids and vitamin and mineral content.
In human nutrition, fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acid - important for preventing skin diseases - are considered essential as they cannot be synthesised by the organism. In marine fish, these fatty acids constitute only around two percent of the total lipids - a small percentage compared with many vegetable oils. However, fish oils contain other "essential" polyunsaturated fatty acids which act in the same way as linoleic and arachidonic acids. As members of the linolenic acid family (first double bond in the third position, w-3 counted from the terminal methyl group), they also have neurological benefits in growing children. One of these fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (C20: 5 w 3), has attracted considerable attention since Danish scientists found a significant presence of it in the diet of a group of Greenland Eskimos who proved virtually free from arteriosclerosis. Convincing evidence exists now for the significant role fish and fish oils play in decreasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and in improving foetal brain development.
PLEASE SEE THE LINK BELOW FOR OUR Market Dynamics & Regulations IN RELATIONS TO FISH IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADING

Posted 7th June 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
23
Common periwinkle (Isam or Nfin)
The common periwinkle or winkle, Littorina littorea, is a species of small edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc that has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles.

This is a robust intertidal species with a dark and sometimes banded shell. It is native to the rocky shores of the northeastern, and introduced to the northwestern, Atlantic Ocean.

Description
The shell is broadly ovate, thick, and sharply pointed except when eroded. The shell contains six to seven whorls with some fine threads and wrinkles. The color is variable from grayish to gray-brown, often with dark spiral bands. The base of the columella is white. The shell lacks an umbilicus. The white outer lip is sometimes checkered with brown patches. The inside of the shell has a chocolate-brown color.
The width of the shell ranges from 10 to 12 mm at maturity. with an average size of 16–38 mm.
Shell height can reach up to 30 mm, 43 mm or 52 mm.
As a result of its robust nature, Littorina littorea can be highly variable in phenotype with several different morphs present. Its phenotypic variations may be indicative of a speciation event, as opposed to phenotypic plasticity. This is of particular importance to evolutionary biology, as it presents the possible opportunity to view a transitional phase in the evolutionary life of an organism
Posted 23rd May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Stockfish

Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by c
old air and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore, called "hjell". The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates; the work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.
Cod is the most common fish used in stockfish production, while other whitefish, such as po***ck, haddock, ling and cusk, are used to a lesser degree.
Over the centuries, several variants of dried fish have evolved. The stockfish(fresh dried, not salted) category is often wrongly mixed with the clipfish, or salted cod, category where the fish is salted before drying. After 2–3 weeks in salt the fish has salt-matured, and is transformed from wet salted fish to clipfishthrough a drying process. The salted fish was earlier dried on rocks (clips) on the foreshore. The production method of clipfish was developed by the Portuguese who first mined salt near the brackish water of Aveiro, and brought it to Newfoundland where cod (bacalhau) was available in massive quantities.Salting was not economically feasible until the 17th century, when cheap salt from southern Europe became available to the maritime nations of northern Europe.
Stockfish is cured in a process called fermentation where cold-adapted bacteria matures the fish, similar to the maturing process of cheese. Clipfish is processed in a chemically curing process called salt-maturing, similar to the maturing processes of other salt-matured products like Parma ham.
Etymology
The word stockfish is a loan word from Dutch stokvis (stick fish), possibly referring to the wooden racks on which stockfish are traditionally dried or because the dried fish resembles a stick. "Stock" may also refer to a wooden yoke or harness on a horse or mule, once used to carry large fish from the sea or after drying/smoking for trade in nearby villages. This etymology is consistent with the fact that "Stockmaß" is German for the height of a horse at the withers. "Stockfish" and "Stockmaß" therefore refer essentially to the same basic length.

Dishes
The baccalà alla vicentina, an ancient and traditional Italian dish native to Vicenza, is made from stockfish (confusingly notfrom salt cod, although salt cod is known in standard Italian as baccalà) and is served on or next to polenta. Dishes made from stockfish (locally called bakalar) are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve in Croatia, especially Dalmatia.
Stockfish is popular in West Africa, where it is used in the many soups that complement the grain staples fufu and garri. Also the main ingredient in the Igbo snack called "Ugba na Okporoko" or "ukazi" amongst the Ohafia people in Abia state in Nigeria. Indeed, in Abia stockfish is quite popular and a regular ingredient used in many local delicacies. Little wonder most importers of "okporoko" are based in the town of Aba in Abia State. Among the Umuahia people, at festive periods, the best staple is the Ukazi soup which must necessarily be very well garnished with okporoko or Cod as it is popularly called. The Bakweri, who are a fishing people of the English-speaking part of Cameroon, use stockfish in flavoring their palm nut orbanga soup, which can be eaten with a cocoyam pudding called kwacoco. The name okporoko for stockfish, among the Igbo of Nigeria refers to the sound the hard fish makes in the pot and literally translates as "that which produces sound in the pot".
Both stockfish and salt cod can be made into lutefisk.
Stockfish is typically sold in whole bales (100 lbs per bale) or half-a-bale, one-quarter bale or even one-tenth-bale.

Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Garri

Garri (also known as gari, garry, or tapioca) is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling 'garri' is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo and 'gari' in Ghana.
Process

To make garri, cassava tubers are peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash. The mash is placed in a porous bag and allowed to ferment for one or two days, while weights are placed on the bag to press the water out. It is then sieved (or sifted) and roasted by heating in a bowl. The resulting dry granular garri can be stored for long periods. It may be pounded or ground to make a fine flour.
Eba is a stiff dough made by soaking gari in hot water and kneading it with a flat wooden baton. Kokoro is a common snack food in Nigeria made from a paste of maize flour mixed with gari and sugar and deep-fried.[
Garri comes in various consistencies, which can roughly be categorized into: rough, medium and smooth. Each type is used for a particular meal.
As a snack or light meal, garri can be soaked in cold water (in which case it settles to the bottom), mixed with sugar and sometimes roasted peanut, with evaporated milk sometimes added. The amount of water needed for soaked garri is 3:1. Garri can also be eaten dry without water, but with sugar and roasted peanut added.
In its dry form, garri is also a nice accompaniment for soft cooked beans and palm oil. This food mix is called Yor ke Garri in the Ga language, in Ghana. This food is usually eaten with fried plantain, commonly known as kokor. The combo is a common meal for lunch.
For a full meal, garri is usually cooked by adding to hot water and kneaded into dough. This is then eaten with different types of thick, leafy vegetable stews, melon seed stews, peanut stews etc.
Smooth garri (known as lebu to the Yoruba) can also be mixed with pepper and other spicy ingredients. A small amount of warm water and palm oil is added and mixed with the hand to soften up. This type of garri is served with fried fish. It is also served with frejon on Good Friday.
Variations

In West Africa, there are two types; "white" and "yellow" garri. The yellow garri is prepared by frying with the addition of palm oil to give it a yellow colour; while white garri is fried without palm oil.
Yellow and white garri are very common all over Nigeria. A variation of white garri exists, popularly known as Ijebu-garri. This variation is produced mainly by Yorubas of Ijebu origin, in Nigeria. A great many variations exist of both white and yellow garri.
In Ghana, garri is judged by its taste and grain size. The sweeter types with finer grains are more valued over sour, large grain varieties. Commercial food vendors on the other hand prefer, coarser grains with high starch content as this yields more quantity when soaked in water. In addition, buyers often look out for crispier grains when trying to determine its freshness.
Garri can be eaten without further cooking by placing in a bowl and adding cold water; Ijebu-garri is made to have finer grains, and a pleasantly sour taste, making it very suitable for consumption in this way. Sugar or honey is then added as well as chunks of coconut, groundnuts, tigernuts and cashew nuts. Milk may also be added. Most garri, however, is cooked by adding to boiling water and stirring to make a stiff paste or porridge, which among the Igbos is known as utara, and among Yorubas as eba. Utara (or eba) is normally eaten with soups, of which several different kinds are available. Most parts of Africa where cassava is grown have an equivalent staple dish.

Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Yam (vegetable)

Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Oceania. There are many cultivars of yam. Although some varieties of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are also called yam in parts of the United States and Canada, it is not part of the family Dioscoreaceae; rather it is in the morning glory family Convolvulaceae.
The true yam is a versatile vegetable. It can be barbecued, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, baked, smoked and when grated it is processed into a dessert recipe. Yams are the staple crop of the Igbo people of Nigeria, in their language it is known as ji, and they commemorate it by having yam festivals known as Iri-ji or Iwa-Ji depending on the dialect.
Yams are a primary agricultural and culturally important commodity in West Africa, where over 95 percent of the world's yam crop is harvested. Yams are still important for survival in these regions. Some varieties of these tubers can be stored up to six months without refrigeration, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. Yam cultivars are also cropped in other humid tropical countries.
Yam tubers can grow up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet in length and weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lb) and 3 to 6 inches high. The vegetable has a rough skin which is difficult to peel, but which softens after heating. The skins vary in color from dark brown to light pink. The majority of the vegetable is composed of a much softer substance known as the "meat". This substance ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams.
Because of their abundance and importance to survival, yams were highly regarded in Jamaican ceremonies and constitute part of many West African ceremonies. Certain species of yams are a competing phytochemical source. Yams are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Palpifer sordida.


2012 Top 10 Yam Producers
Rank Country Production
(tonnes)
1 Nigeria 38,000,000
2 Ghana 6,638,867
3 Ivory Coast 5,674,696
4 Benin 2,739,088
5 Togo 864,408
6 Cameroon 520,000
7 Central African Republic 460,000
8 Chad 420,000
9 Papua New Guinea 345,000
10 Colombia 361,034
Source:
UN Food & Agriculture Organization [7]
Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
The Need for an UPGRADE in Agriculture

Need for an UPGRADE in Agro-Investment

In the last few years, much has been said about the need to promote investment in agriculture. Clearly, Nigeria is not short of ideas and models on how to facilitate investment in the agricultural sector.

The various strategic plans and programs are perhaps among the best designed for any developing country. And given the country's abundance of natural and other resources, how far are we from the day when Nigeria can substitute locally produced commodities for imports?

Critical stakeholders, including farmer associations, organized private sector players and the public sector, need to make irrevocable commitment to contribute their individual shares without prompting or coercion.

The current effort by the Government of Nigeria to provide 200 billion Naira through the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme; is a welcome step, one that must also be implemented in practice through transparent access to credit through bona fide agro-business initiatives.

THE UPGRADE must be clear and measured.

We at kitchenmata.com are poised to see this feat come to pass as we are targeting a 5000 member of major independent network of farmers to form our KFN mega plan for promoting the SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT of food items from the farm straight to the kitchen.

We are aiming at starting from the major players and top shots in the Agro-allied industries... and bring it down to the average farmer in remote areas
Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
What you must know about... BREAD
Bread is prepared by baking a dough made of flour (ground grain) and w

ater, and often other ingredients.

It may be leavened or unleavened. Salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are common ingredients, though breads may contain a range of other ingredients.

The term "bread" is generally assumed to mean a bread made with yeast. Other times it refers to quickbreads (raised with something other than yeast, commonly baking powder) and flatbreads (not raised at all).
There are many types of bread. Each type of bread has its own history, style, and of course taste. The more you experiment with different types of bread, the better you will be at creating new and interesting recipes.

White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed (and set aside) from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light colored flour.

This milling process can give white flour a longer shelf life by removing the natural oils from the whole grain. Removing the oil allows products made with the flour, like white bread, to be stored for longer periods of time avoiding potential rancidity.

The flour used in white breads may be bleached, that is lightened further, by the use of chemicals such as

potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, or chlorine dioxide gas to remove any slight, natural yellow shade and make its baking properties more predictable.

Some flour bleaching agents are banned from use in some countries.

Brown bread is a designation often given to breads made with significant amounts of whole grain flour, usually rye or wheat, and sometimes dark-coloured ingredients such as molasses or coffee.

In Canada and the United Kingdom it simply refers to whole wheat bread, except in the Maritimes, where it implies a bread made with molasses.

Whole wheat flours that contain raw wheat germ, instead of toasted germ, have higher levels of glutathione, and thus are said to result in lower loaf volumes.
A plain loaf, slices of which are known in Scots as plain breid (pronounced [plen brid]), is a traditional style of loaf made chiefly in Scotland.

It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread. There is no crust on the sides due to the unbaked loaves being stuck together in batches, baked together then torn into individual loaves afterwards.

This style of bread does not fit well in most modern toasters due to the greater height of the loaf. This was once the more widely available style of loaf in comparison to the now more common pan loaf.
Preparation

Creating the Dough

The basic procedure for creating bread dough is mixing the flour, water and any other ingredients together until a smooth dough is formed. The dough is then usually left to rest for 20 or 30 minutes; this period is called the autolyse. Then the dough is kneaded for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough feels well-developed and elastic (knowing when it is done comes with practice).
If milk is being used as one of the 'other ingredients' in the bread dough, it is interesting to note that bakers will often scald the milk first. It is thought that the scalding, by unfolding some of the milk's protein strands, helps to give a better texture, crumb and flavour to the bread.
Shaping Dough

Bread can be shaped into a multitude of shapes/styles. The following techniques are used to achieve the desired shape of a loaf: stretching, rolling out (with a rolling pin), rolling up (from a flat shape, to one that looks like a spiral from the side) and/or folding.
The tops of loaves are often scored with a knife to make hash marks prior to baking.
Rising Methods

Rising bread allows pockets of gas to form throughout, producing a lighter, more easily-chewed bread.
The traditional way to rise bread is by placing the dough into a moderately warm environment, with enough space to allow it to double in size. A good environment for rising bread is an oven; turning the oven on to a low setting for a few minutes prior to putting the dough in will encourage better leavening (but remember to turn the oven off for when the dough is in!). The dough should either be covered with a tea towel, or with a light coating of oil, in order to prevent its surface from drying out.
Nowadays, many commercial bread producers have proofer systems. These ensure an optimum environment for bread to rise.
Garnishes

The types of garnishes that can be applied to a loaf are as varied as the options available for ingredients that can go into a loaf; here are a few:
Sesame seeds: provide visual enhancement, added texture and taste
Poppy seeds: provide visual enhancement, added texture and taste
Herbs and spices
Cheese
Coarse sea salt
Diced garlic and/or onion
Some garnishes will stick better by doing the following: after the second rising, and before the bread goes into the oven to bake, paint the top of the bread with oil, milk or an egg white, then carefully apply the desired garnish(es) on top.
Baking

Bread is usually baked in an oven with heat ranging from 375°F to 425°F (190 - 218°C).
Steam Injection

Sometimes steam is injected into an oven while bread is baking, most notably in the making of baguettes. Rather counter-intuitively, this procedure helps to make a bread crust crispy. When steam is released into a hot oven, with no place to escape, some of it settles onto the surface of the loaf/loaves and has two interesting effects:
The surface is kept moist and stretchy at first by the steam, which allows the bread to expand. This will make for a lighter loaf.
When the steam that has settled on the loaf/loaves re-evaporates, it cools the surface of the bread, which allows enzymes some additional time to keep doing their magic before they deactivate from the heat. The enzymes break down long-chain carbohydrates into simple sugars, and this makes for caramelisation, which means added sweetness, a more complex flavour and a beautiful brown colour.
Because of the darkened colour of the loaf due to the second effect, the bread absorbs more heat, becoming darker still and drying out. So, finally we have the answer to how steam makes a crust crisp. Note though that this effect is only applicable in the early stages of baking. Injecting steam into the oven at later stages would re-moisten the bread.
Going Stale

Bread going stale is not just a matter of it drying out, although this is a part of the problem. The main reason for staling is the crystallisation of the starch molecules within bread, whereby the molecules lock together. This crystallisation takes time, so the longer the bread sits out, the more that it occurs, and the harder the bread gets.
Moisture in bread sits between the starch molecules, inhibitting the crystallisation process. Evaporation of this moisture therefore contributes to a speedier staling. Evaporation occurs more quickly in loaves with more surface area, which is why baguettes are known for going stale so quickly, and why a big thick loaf can sit on your counter for a day or two and still be edible.
Addition of fats to the recipe (butter, shortening, etc.) can delay the staling effect.
There are many ways to recycle bread that has gone stale, including bread puddings, bread porridge, dressing, croutons and kvas.




Posted 9th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
Nigerian Okra Soup (Obe ila) with Fresh Fish and Assorted Meat

Okra soup (also known as Okro soup or Lady's finger soup) is a delicious soup popular in several parts of the world. It is also a popular Nigerian Soup and known as Ofe Okwuru (Igbo), Obe Ila (Yoruba ), Miyan Kubewa in Hausa language.

Some folks love their okra soup chunky, while others want it smooth, but all that really matters is that the soup comes out tasty and delicious.

Okra soup is very easy to prepare and you don't need to break the bank or have any cooking skills to make a delicious sizzling pot of okra soup. Below you'll see how easy it is to make this soup.

Okra is also great for weight watchers and has lots of health benefits.

Here's a video recipe on How to Make Nigerian Okra Soup

Ingredients
* 300grams Okra (Ladyfingers)
* 2 cooking spoons Red Palm Oil
*500grams Assorted meat(Beef, Shaki(Cow's Tripe), Ponmo(cow's skin), turkey, chicken(you can use anyone of choice or all if you choose)
*200 grams Assorted Fish (Dry Fish, Stock Fish,Fresh or Iced Fish )(you can use anyone of choice or all if you choose)
* 1 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
* 1 small onion bulb( for cooking the meat).You can add some to the soup if you want to.
* 2 handfuls of shredded green Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Spinach
* 2 big stock cubes (bouillon cube)
* Pepper to taste
* Salt to taste

TIP: If you are on a weight or health watch, you can substitute palm oil for stew oil from any red stews or use blended tomatoes. These are healthy alternatives , but it won't give you the distinct taste of palm oil.
So, I'll recommend you add just a tablespoonful of red palm oil to your tomatoes, ONLY if you want that distinct palm oil taste
Posted 9th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
Egusi... A genine Symbol of unique taste

Egusi seeds are the fat- and protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous (squash, melon, gourd) plants. Authorities disagree whether the word is used more properly for the seeds of the colocynth, those of a particular large-seeded variety of the watermelon, or generically for those of any cucurbitaceous plant. The characteristics and uses of all these seeds are broadly similar.

Egusi soup is a kind of soup thickened with the ground seeds and popular in West Africa, with considerable local variation. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leaf vegetables, other vegetables, seasonings, and meat. Typical leaf vegetables for egusi soup include bitterleaf, celosia and spinach.

Typical other vegetables include tomatoes and okra. Typical seasonings include chili peppers, onions, and iru (fermented beans). Typical meats include beef, goat, fish, shrimp, or crayfish.

In Nigeria, Egusi is very popular among the Igbo ethnic group of Southeastern Nigeria, the Ibibio people and the Efik people (Calabar people) of Southern Nigeria, and the Yoruba people of the Southwest of Nigeria.

Other ethnic groups in Nigeria including the Hausa of Northern Nigeria also use egusi in their local cuisine.
Yoruba people in general and quite notably the people of Ọṣun State, especially the Ijeshas love eating Iyan & Egusi (Pounded Yam & Egusi Soup).

A Plate of Pounded Yam (Iyan) and Egusi Soup
In the late 1980s, the Canadian government funded a project intended to develop a machine to help Cameroonians shell egusi seeds. A machine has been developed in Nigeria to shell egusi.

Ingredients for the Egusi Soup (a.k.a Ofe Egusi / Obe Efo Elegusi)
* 3 medium cups Egusi Seeds(melon seeds)
* Assorted meat ( shaki, cow meat, goat meat , turkey meat, chicken, pork meat etc)
* Assorted dry fish of choice (stockfish etc)
* Dried Prawns (optional)
* Red Palm Oil: 2 cooking spoons
* 1 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
* Bitter leaf(as desired)
* Ugu/Spinach(3 handful)
* Maggi/knorr bouillon cubes
* Pepper (to taste)
* Salt (to taste)

Cooking directions for Egusi soup

Before you cook the soup

* Cook the assorted meat and stock fish until done. Set aside.

* Clean the dried prawns by separating the heads&tails from the center.
Grind the heads&tails and set aside to use in the soup. Then soak the center in hot water , to soften and clean it.

* Grind the egusi seeds until smooth and then dissolve with lukewarm water to form a paste.

To cook the Egusi Soup

* Heat up the palm oil until hot, add diced onions and the dissolved egusi. Fry for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens.

* Add the bitter leaf and a little water or the meat stock. Add the prawns and leave to simmer for 5 minutes

* Now add the cooked meat and stock fish. Add the ground prawns(or crayfish), ground pepper and
bouillon cubes. Boil for 15 minutes.

* Add the sliced spinach leaves and simmer for 5 minutes and the soup is ready.

Posted 9th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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JUN
7
Nutritional elements of fish
Fish is highly nutritious, tasty and easily digested. It is much sought after by a broad cross-section of the world's population, particularly in developing countries. It is estimated that around 60 percent of people in many developing countries depend on fish for over 30 percent of their animal protein supplies, while almost 80 percent in most developed countries obtain less than 20 percent of their animal protein from fish. However, with the increased awareness of the health benefits of eating fish and the ensuing rise in fish prices, these figures are rapidly changing.
Fish products are comparable to meat and dairy products in nutritional quality, depending on the methods used in preservation and preparation. The protein content of most fish averages 15 to 20 percent. Fish also contains significant amounts of all essential amino acids, particularly lysine in which cereals are relatively poor. Fish protein can be used therefore to complement the amino acid pattern and improve the overall protein quality of a mixed diet. Moreover, the sensory properties of an otherwise bland diet can be enhanced through fish products, thus facilitating and contributing to greater consumption.
Whereas cereal grains are usually low in lysine and/or the sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine), fish is an excellent source of these acids. A fish supplement can significantly raise the biological value of a cereal-based diet.
Also, fish meat is generally a good source of the B vitamins and, in the case of fatty species, of A and D vitamins. Some freshwater species such as carp have high thiaminase activity so the thiamine content in these species is usually low. As for minerals, fish meat is a particularly valuable source of calcium and phosphorus as well as iron, copper and selenium. Saltwater fish have a high content of iodine.
In addition to essential amino acids and proteins, fish nutritional attributes relate to the quality of lipids and vitamin and mineral content.
In human nutrition, fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acid - important for preventing skin diseases - are considered essential as they cannot be synthesised by the organism. In marine fish, these fatty acids constitute only around two percent of the total lipids - a small percentage compared with many vegetable oils. However, fish oils contain other "essential" polyunsaturated fatty acids which act in the same way as linoleic and arachidonic acids. As members of the linolenic acid family (first double bond in the third position, w-3 counted from the terminal methyl group), they also have neurological benefits in growing children. One of these fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (C20: 5 w 3), has attracted considerable attention since Danish scientists found a significant presence of it in the diet of a group of Greenland Eskimos who proved virtually free from arteriosclerosis. Convincing evidence exists now for the significant role fish and fish oils play in decreasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and in improving foetal brain development.
PLEASE SEE THE LINK BELOW FOR OUR Market Dynamics & Regulations IN RELATIONS TO FISH IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADING

Posted 7th June 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
23
Common periwinkle (Isam or Nfin)
The common periwinkle or winkle, Littorina littorea, is a species of small edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc that has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles.

This is a robust intertidal species with a dark and sometimes banded shell. It is native to the rocky shores of the northeastern, and introduced to the northwestern, Atlantic Ocean.

Description
The shell is broadly ovate, thick, and sharply pointed except when eroded. The shell contains six to seven whorls with some fine threads and wrinkles. The color is variable from grayish to gray-brown, often with dark spiral bands. The base of the columella is white. The shell lacks an umbilicus. The white outer lip is sometimes checkered with brown patches. The inside of the shell has a chocolate-brown color.
The width of the shell ranges from 10 to 12 mm at maturity. with an average size of 16–38 mm.
Shell height can reach up to 30 mm, 43 mm or 52 mm.
As a result of its robust nature, Littorina littorea can be highly variable in phenotype with several different morphs present. Its phenotypic variations may be indicative of a speciation event, as opposed to phenotypic plasticity. This is of particular importance to evolutionary biology, as it presents the possible opportunity to view a transitional phase in the evolutionary life of an organism
Posted 23rd May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Stockfish

Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by c
old air and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore, called "hjell". The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates; the work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.
Cod is the most common fish used in stockfish production, while other whitefish, such as po***ck, haddock, ling and cusk, are used to a lesser degree.
Over the centuries, several variants of dried fish have evolved. The stockfish(fresh dried, not salted) category is often wrongly mixed with the clipfish, or salted cod, category where the fish is salted before drying. After 2–3 weeks in salt the fish has salt-matured, and is transformed from wet salted fish to clipfishthrough a drying process. The salted fish was earlier dried on rocks (clips) on the foreshore. The production method of clipfish was developed by the Portuguese who first mined salt near the brackish water of Aveiro, and brought it to Newfoundland where cod (bacalhau) was available in massive quantities.Salting was not economically feasible until the 17th century, when cheap salt from southern Europe became available to the maritime nations of northern Europe.
Stockfish is cured in a process called fermentation where cold-adapted bacteria matures the fish, similar to the maturing process of cheese. Clipfish is processed in a chemically curing process called salt-maturing, similar to the maturing processes of other salt-matured products like Parma ham.
Etymology
The word stockfish is a loan word from Dutch stokvis (stick fish), possibly referring to the wooden racks on which stockfish are traditionally dried or because the dried fish resembles a stick. "Stock" may also refer to a wooden yoke or harness on a horse or mule, once used to carry large fish from the sea or after drying/smoking for trade in nearby villages. This etymology is consistent with the fact that "Stockmaß" is German for the height of a horse at the withers. "Stockfish" and "Stockmaß" therefore refer essentially to the same basic length.

Dishes
The baccalà alla vicentina, an ancient and traditional Italian dish native to Vicenza, is made from stockfish (confusingly notfrom salt cod, although salt cod is known in standard Italian as baccalà) and is served on or next to polenta. Dishes made from stockfish (locally called bakalar) are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve in Croatia, especially Dalmatia.
Stockfish is popular in West Africa, where it is used in the many soups that complement the grain staples fufu and garri. Also the main ingredient in the Igbo snack called "Ugba na Okporoko" or "ukazi" amongst the Ohafia people in Abia state in Nigeria. Indeed, in Abia stockfish is quite popular and a regular ingredient used in many local delicacies. Little wonder most importers of "okporoko" are based in the town of Aba in Abia State. Among the Umuahia people, at festive periods, the best staple is the Ukazi soup which must necessarily be very well garnished with okporoko or Cod as it is popularly called. The Bakweri, who are a fishing people of the English-speaking part of Cameroon, use stockfish in flavoring their palm nut orbanga soup, which can be eaten with a cocoyam pudding called kwacoco. The name okporoko for stockfish, among the Igbo of Nigeria refers to the sound the hard fish makes in the pot and literally translates as "that which produces sound in the pot".
Both stockfish and salt cod can be made into lutefisk.
Stockfish is typically sold in whole bales (100 lbs per bale) or half-a-bale, one-quarter bale or even one-tenth-bale.

Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Garri

Garri (also known as gari, garry, or tapioca) is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling 'garri' is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo and 'gari' in Ghana.
Process

To make garri, cassava tubers are peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash. The mash is placed in a porous bag and allowed to ferment for one or two days, while weights are placed on the bag to press the water out. It is then sieved (or sifted) and roasted by heating in a bowl. The resulting dry granular garri can be stored for long periods. It may be pounded or ground to make a fine flour.
Eba is a stiff dough made by soaking gari in hot water and kneading it with a flat wooden baton. Kokoro is a common snack food in Nigeria made from a paste of maize flour mixed with gari and sugar and deep-fried.[
Garri comes in various consistencies, which can roughly be categorized into: rough, medium and smooth. Each type is used for a particular meal.
As a snack or light meal, garri can be soaked in cold water (in which case it settles to the bottom), mixed with sugar and sometimes roasted peanut, with evaporated milk sometimes added. The amount of water needed for soaked garri is 3:1. Garri can also be eaten dry without water, but with sugar and roasted peanut added.
In its dry form, garri is also a nice accompaniment for soft cooked beans and palm oil. This food mix is called Yor ke Garri in the Ga language, in Ghana. This food is usually eaten with fried plantain, commonly known as kokor. The combo is a common meal for lunch.
For a full meal, garri is usually cooked by adding to hot water and kneaded into dough. This is then eaten with different types of thick, leafy vegetable stews, melon seed stews, peanut stews etc.
Smooth garri (known as lebu to the Yoruba) can also be mixed with pepper and other spicy ingredients. A small amount of warm water and palm oil is added and mixed with the hand to soften up. This type of garri is served with fried fish. It is also served with frejon on Good Friday.
Variations

In West Africa, there are two types; "white" and "yellow" garri. The yellow garri is prepared by frying with the addition of palm oil to give it a yellow colour; while white garri is fried without palm oil.
Yellow and white garri are very common all over Nigeria. A variation of white garri exists, popularly known as Ijebu-garri. This variation is produced mainly by Yorubas of Ijebu origin, in Nigeria. A great many variations exist of both white and yellow garri.
In Ghana, garri is judged by its taste and grain size. The sweeter types with finer grains are more valued over sour, large grain varieties. Commercial food vendors on the other hand prefer, coarser grains with high starch content as this yields more quantity when soaked in water. In addition, buyers often look out for crispier grains when trying to determine its freshness.
Garri can be eaten without further cooking by placing in a bowl and adding cold water; Ijebu-garri is made to have finer grains, and a pleasantly sour taste, making it very suitable for consumption in this way. Sugar or honey is then added as well as chunks of coconut, groundnuts, tigernuts and cashew nuts. Milk may also be added. Most garri, however, is cooked by adding to boiling water and stirring to make a stiff paste or porridge, which among the Igbos is known as utara, and among Yorubas as eba. Utara (or eba) is normally eaten with soups, of which several different kinds are available. Most parts of Africa where cassava is grown have an equivalent staple dish.

Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
Yam (vegetable)

Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Oceania. There are many cultivars of yam. Although some varieties of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are also called yam in parts of the United States and Canada, it is not part of the family Dioscoreaceae; rather it is in the morning glory family Convolvulaceae.
The true yam is a versatile vegetable. It can be barbecued, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, baked, smoked and when grated it is processed into a dessert recipe. Yams are the staple crop of the Igbo people of Nigeria, in their language it is known as ji, and they commemorate it by having yam festivals known as Iri-ji or Iwa-Ji depending on the dialect.
Yams are a primary agricultural and culturally important commodity in West Africa, where over 95 percent of the world's yam crop is harvested. Yams are still important for survival in these regions. Some varieties of these tubers can be stored up to six months without refrigeration, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. Yam cultivars are also cropped in other humid tropical countries.
Yam tubers can grow up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet in length and weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lb) and 3 to 6 inches high. The vegetable has a rough skin which is difficult to peel, but which softens after heating. The skins vary in color from dark brown to light pink. The majority of the vegetable is composed of a much softer substance known as the "meat". This substance ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams.
Because of their abundance and importance to survival, yams were highly regarded in Jamaican ceremonies and constitute part of many West African ceremonies. Certain species of yams are a competing phytochemical source. Yams are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Palpifer sordida.


2012 Top 10 Yam Producers
Rank Country Production
(tonnes)
1 Nigeria 38,000,000
2 Ghana 6,638,867
3 Ivory Coast 5,674,696
4 Benin 2,739,088
5 Togo 864,408
6 Cameroon 520,000
7 Central African Republic 460,000
8 Chad 420,000
9 Papua New Guinea 345,000
10 Colombia 361,034
Source:
UN Food & Agriculture Organization [7]
Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
14
The Need for an UPGRADE in Agriculture

Need for an UPGRADE in Agro-Investment

In the last few years, much has been said about the need to promote investment in agriculture. Clearly, Nigeria is not short of ideas and models on how to facilitate investment in the agricultural sector.

The various strategic plans and programs are perhaps among the best designed for any developing country. And given the country's abundance of natural and other resources, how far are we from the day when Nigeria can substitute locally produced commodities for imports?

Critical stakeholders, including farmer associations, organized private sector players and the public sector, need to make irrevocable commitment to contribute their individual shares without prompting or coercion.

The current effort by the Government of Nigeria to provide 200 billion Naira through the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme; is a welcome step, one that must also be implemented in practice through transparent access to credit through bona fide agro-business initiatives.

THE UPGRADE must be clear and measured.

We at kitchenmata.com are poised to see this feat come to pass as we are targeting a 5000 member of major independent network of farmers to form our KFN mega plan for promoting the SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT of food items from the farm straight to the kitchen.

We are aiming at starting from the major players and top shots in the Agro-allied industries... and bring it down to the average farmer in remote areas
Posted 14th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
What you must know about... BREAD
Bread is prepared by baking a dough made of flour (ground grain) and w

ater, and often other ingredients.

It may be leavened or unleavened. Salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are common ingredients, though breads may contain a range of other ingredients.

The term "bread" is generally assumed to mean a bread made with yeast. Other times it refers to quickbreads (raised with something other than yeast, commonly baking powder) and flatbreads (not raised at all).
There are many types of bread. Each type of bread has its own history, style, and of course taste. The more you experiment with different types of bread, the better you will be at creating new and interesting recipes.

White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed (and set aside) from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light colored flour.

This milling process can give white flour a longer shelf life by removing the natural oils from the whole grain. Removing the oil allows products made with the flour, like white bread, to be stored for longer periods of time avoiding potential rancidity.

The flour used in white breads may be bleached, that is lightened further, by the use of chemicals such as

potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, or chlorine dioxide gas to remove any slight, natural yellow shade and make its baking properties more predictable.

Some flour bleaching agents are banned from use in some countries.

Brown bread is a designation often given to breads made with significant amounts of whole grain flour, usually rye or wheat, and sometimes dark-coloured ingredients such as molasses or coffee.

In Canada and the United Kingdom it simply refers to whole wheat bread, except in the Maritimes, where it implies a bread made with molasses.

Whole wheat flours that contain raw wheat germ, instead of toasted germ, have higher levels of glutathione, and thus are said to result in lower loaf volumes.
A plain loaf, slices of which are known in Scots as plain breid (pronounced [plen brid]), is a traditional style of loaf made chiefly in Scotland.

It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread. There is no crust on the sides due to the unbaked loaves being stuck together in batches, baked together then torn into individual loaves afterwards.

This style of bread does not fit well in most modern toasters due to the greater height of the loaf. This was once the more widely available style of loaf in comparison to the now more common pan loaf.
Preparation

Creating the Dough

The basic procedure for creating bread dough is mixing the flour, water and any other ingredients together until a smooth dough is formed. The dough is then usually left to rest for 20 or 30 minutes; this period is called the autolyse. Then the dough is kneaded for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough feels well-developed and elastic (knowing when it is done comes with practice).
If milk is being used as one of the 'other ingredients' in the bread dough, it is interesting to note that bakers will often scald the milk first. It is thought that the scalding, by unfolding some of the milk's protein strands, helps to give a better texture, crumb and flavour to the bread.
Shaping Dough

Bread can be shaped into a multitude of shapes/styles. The following techniques are used to achieve the desired shape of a loaf: stretching, rolling out (with a rolling pin), rolling up (from a flat shape, to one that looks like a spiral from the side) and/or folding.
The tops of loaves are often scored with a knife to make hash marks prior to baking.
Rising Methods

Rising bread allows pockets of gas to form throughout, producing a lighter, more easily-chewed bread.
The traditional way to rise bread is by placing the dough into a moderately warm environment, with enough space to allow it to double in size. A good environment for rising bread is an oven; turning the oven on to a low setting for a few minutes prior to putting the dough in will encourage better leavening (but remember to turn the oven off for when the dough is in!). The dough should either be covered with a tea towel, or with a light coating of oil, in order to prevent its surface from drying out.
Nowadays, many commercial bread producers have proofer systems. These ensure an optimum environment for bread to rise.
Garnishes

The types of garnishes that can be applied to a loaf are as varied as the options available for ingredients that can go into a loaf; here are a few:
Sesame seeds: provide visual enhancement, added texture and taste
Poppy seeds: provide visual enhancement, added texture and taste
Herbs and spices
Cheese
Coarse sea salt
Diced garlic and/or onion
Some garnishes will stick better by doing the following: after the second rising, and before the bread goes into the oven to bake, paint the top of the bread with oil, milk or an egg white, then carefully apply the desired garnish(es) on top.
Baking

Bread is usually baked in an oven with heat ranging from 375°F to 425°F (190 - 218°C).
Steam Injection

Sometimes steam is injected into an oven while bread is baking, most notably in the making of baguettes. Rather counter-intuitively, this procedure helps to make a bread crust crispy. When steam is released into a hot oven, with no place to escape, some of it settles onto the surface of the loaf/loaves and has two interesting effects:
The surface is kept moist and stretchy at first by the steam, which allows the bread to expand. This will make for a lighter loaf.
When the steam that has settled on the loaf/loaves re-evaporates, it cools the surface of the bread, which allows enzymes some additional time to keep doing their magic before they deactivate from the heat. The enzymes break down long-chain carbohydrates into simple sugars, and this makes for caramelisation, which means added sweetness, a more complex flavour and a beautiful brown colour.
Because of the darkened colour of the loaf due to the second effect, the bread absorbs more heat, becoming darker still and drying out. So, finally we have the answer to how steam makes a crust crisp. Note though that this effect is only applicable in the early stages of baking. Injecting steam into the oven at later stages would re-moisten the bread.
Going Stale

Bread going stale is not just a matter of it drying out, although this is a part of the problem. The main reason for staling is the crystallisation of the starch molecules within bread, whereby the molecules lock together. This crystallisation takes time, so the longer the bread sits out, the more that it occurs, and the harder the bread gets.
Moisture in bread sits between the starch molecules, inhibitting the crystallisation process. Evaporation of this moisture therefore contributes to a speedier staling. Evaporation occurs more quickly in loaves with more surface area, which is why baguettes are known for going stale so quickly, and why a big thick loaf can sit on your counter for a day or two and still be edible.
Addition of fats to the recipe (butter, shortening, etc.) can delay the staling effect.
There are many ways to recycle bread that has gone stale, including bread puddings, bread porridge, dressing, croutons and kvas.




Posted 9th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
Nigerian Okra Soup (Obe ila) with Fresh Fish and Assorted Meat

Okra soup (also known as Okro soup or Lady's finger soup) is a delicious soup popular in several parts of the world. It is also a popular Nigerian Soup and known as Ofe Okwuru (Igbo), Obe Ila (Yoruba ), Miyan Kubewa in Hausa language.

Some folks love their okra soup chunky, while others want it smooth, but all that really matters is that the soup comes out tasty and delicious.

Okra soup is very easy to prepare and you don't need to break the bank or have any cooking skills to make a delicious sizzling pot of okra soup. Below you'll see how easy it is to make this soup.

Okra is also great for weight watchers and has lots of health benefits.

Here's a video recipe on How to Make Nigerian Okra Soup

Ingredients
* 300grams Okra (Ladyfingers)
* 2 cooking spoons Red Palm Oil
*500grams Assorted meat(Beef, Shaki(Cow's Tripe), Ponmo(cow's skin), turkey, chicken(you can use anyone of choice or all if you choose)
*200 grams Assorted Fish (Dry Fish, Stock Fish,Fresh or Iced Fish )(you can use anyone of choice or all if you choose)
* 1 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
* 1 small onion bulb( for cooking the meat).You can add some to the soup if you want to.
* 2 handfuls of shredded green Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Spinach
* 2 big stock cubes (bouillon cube)
* Pepper to taste
* Salt to taste

TIP: If you are on a weight or health watch, you can substitute palm oil for stew oil from any red stews or use blended tomatoes. These are healthy alternatives , but it won't give you the distinct taste of palm oil.
So, I'll recommend you add just a tablespoonful of red palm oil to your tomatoes, ONLY if you want that distinct palm oil taste
Posted 9th May 2014 by Kitch Matas

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MAY
9
Egusi... A genine Symbol of unique taste

Egusi seeds are the fat- and protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous (squash, melon, gourd) plants. Authorities disagree whether the word is used more properly for the seeds of the colocynth, those of a particular large-seeded variety of the watermelon, or generically for those of any cucurbitaceous plant. The characteristics and uses of all these seeds are broadly similar.

Egusi soup is a kind of soup thickened with the ground seeds and popular in West Africa, with considerable local variation. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leaf vegetables, other vegetables, seasonings, and meat. Typical leaf vegetables for egusi soup include bitterleaf, celosia and spinach.

Typical other vegetables include tomatoes and okra. Typical seasonings include chili peppers, onions, and iru (fermented beans). Typical meats include beef, goat, fish, shrimp, or crayfish.

In Nigeria, Egusi is very popular among the Igbo ethnic group of Southeastern Nigeria, the Ibibio people and the Efik people (Calabar people) of Southern Nigeria, and the Yoruba people of the Southwest of Nigeria.

Other ethnic groups in Nigeria including the Hausa of Northern Nigeria also use egusi in their local cuisine.
Yoruba people in general and quite notably the people of Ọṣun State, especially the Ijeshas love eating Iyan & Egusi (Pounded Yam & Egusi Soup).

A Plate of Pounded Yam (Iyan) and Egusi Soup
In the late 1980s, the Canadian government funded a project intended to develop a machine to help Cameroonians shell egusi seeds. A machine has been developed in Nigeria to shell egusi.

Ingredients for the Egusi Soup (a.k.a Ofe Egusi / Obe Efo Elegusi)
* 3 medium cups Egusi Seeds(melon seeds)
* Assorted meat ( shaki, cow meat, goat meat , turkey meat, chicken, pork meat etc)
* Assorted dry fish of choice (stockfish etc)
* Dried Prawns (optional)
* Red Palm Oil: 2 cooking spoons
* 1 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
* Bitter leaf(as desired)
* Ugu/Spinach(3 handful)
* Maggi/knorr bouillon cubes
* Pepper (to taste)
* Salt (to taste)

Cooking directions for Egusi soup

Before you cook the soup

* Cook the assorted meat and stock fish until done. Set aside.

* Clean the dried prawns by separating the heads&tails from the center.
Grind the heads&tails and set aside to use in the soup. Then soak the center in hot water , to soften and clean it.

* Grind the egusi seeds until smooth and then dissolve with lukewarm water to form a paste.

To cook the Egusi Soup

* Heat up the palm oil until hot, add diced onions and the dissolved egusi. Fry for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens.

* Add the bitter leaf and a little water or the meat stock. Add the prawns and leave to simmer for 5 minutes

* Now add the cooked meat and stock fish. Add the ground prawns(or crayfish), ground pepper and
bouillon cubes. Boil for 15 minutes.

* Add the sliced spinach leaves and simmer for 5 minutes and the soup is ready.