Ivy Newton-Gamble's Blog: Everyday African Food, page 4

Myths About Africa

Africa is a Country

People often refer to "Africa" as if it is a country rather than a continent. Well, it is a continent and home to 54 independent, unique countries with South Sudan being the latest addition in July 2011. Each country has its own currency, flag, anthem, history, cuisine, music, identity and blend of cultures. In fact more than 2000 languages are spoken in Africa, and its 1 billion inhabitants are made up of over 3000 distinct ethnic groups. Africa is also bigger than most people think it is, even if they know it covers 30,221,000 sq km (11,679,000 sq miles). If you combine the USA, China, India, Europe and Japan – they all fit into Africa. In fact the USA fits into the African continent three times! More Africa Facts… 

Africa is Dangerous and Violent 

With wars, revolutions, pirates and child soldiers making the news, it's really no wonder that the myth about Africa being a dangerous place is a common one. If New York City was judged by reading the New York Post, few tourists would dream of visiting. Of course bad news is news, so you don't get to hear enough about the good things that happen on the continent. How often do you hear about Botswana or Ghana in the news? How often is the middle class in Africa given any air time? Never really. As a visitor to Africa it's likely you'll avoid certain countries — no one would suggest you spend a week at the beach in Somalia. There are countries, some cities and borders that are very dangerous, but given the size of the continent, it is not hard to see that there are many perfectly peaceful and safe places to visit. Violent crime against tourists in all African countries is quite rare, and personally I feel a lot safer walking around Accra than Amsterdam. As a visitor you are much more likely to be killed with kindness than anything else. 

Africa is Poor and Disease Ridden 

Poverty is obviously something that will strike you as a visitor to many African countries. But African countries are not all poor. It's the distribution of wealth that's the biggest problem. South Africa is an incredibly wealthy country. In fact its GDP outranks that of Belgium and Sweden. It has many natural resources, a good education system, excellent universities, sparkling business districts and very advanced hospitals. Unfortunately much of its population does not get to share the wealth. Did you know that Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria are all richer on paper (as per GDP and PPP) than Denmark and Norway? There are middle class people in every African country commuting to work every day, complaining about taxes and watching their kids play soccer every weekend.  Diseases take millions of lives every year in Africa because the poor lack access to childhood immunization programs and basic health care, not because the continent is infested with scary illnesses. Successful immunization programs have made huge strides in reducing polio and measles in the last decade. AIDS is prevalent in countries like South Africa, but we all know what to do to avoid it. As long as you are up to date on your vaccines as a visitor, you are unlikely to catch anything more tropical than a sunburn. Avoiding malaria is easy when you take prophylactics and have the money to sleep under a mosquito net.

African Politicians Are All Corrupt 

Corrupt politicians aren't exactly unique to Africa, but the continent does seem to have more than its fair share. At least Nelson Mandela showed the world that Africa is capable of producing an honest leader. Some of the political crises in Africa can be blamed on colonial legacy but most of it reflects greed and corruption on the part of incumbent presidents and political parties. 2011 elections in Uganda and Cameroon, left the incumbents securely in place after questionable tactics and ballot counts. But the North Africans have certainly shown the way forward, starting with the Tunisian revolution and (so far) ending with the toppling of Libya's Gaddafi. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia along with 2 other women received the Nobel Peace Prize. And Zambia had a successful and fair election with a change of ruling party. 

Africa Has No History 

It's a common misconception that Africa has no history beyond its people scrabbling about trying to survive in a harsh environment. But consider the ancient Egyptian monuments, the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia, the Fes medina, and you obviously have proof of Africa's rich history. In the 11th Century a flourishing kingdom we know now as Great Zimbabwe was built in southern Africa. Its walls are still standing today. In the 12th Century, while Oxford and Cambridge were just getting founded, Timbuktu in Mali already had three thriving universities and more than 180 Quranic schools. The San Bushmen living in the Kalahari desert may appear to be "living in the stone age" but they've been trading and inter-marrying with their neighbors for millennia. There are hundreds of caves all over southern Africa decorated by San ancestors that date back 20,000 years. No culture lives in a vacuum, every culture is dynamic. There's plenty of history in Africa, we just don't learn enough about it. If you'd like to see some of Africa's ancient civilizations, check out these great sights. And see About.com's African History site for more. 

Africa is Filled With Dangerous Animals Roaming Freely 

It's true that rhinos graze just a few miles from the center of Nairobi, East Africa's biggest city. And there are golf courses in South Africa where the water hazards are home to crocodiles. Hyenas still appear in Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe, so it's best not to walk around at night. But, for the most part, Africa's wildlife is basically confined to national parks and reserves, including Nairobi's rhinos. You are likely to see the odd ostrich and baboon by the side of the road in southern Africa, but elephant, giraffe, lion and buffalo do not roam around towns or in suburbs. There is just too much competition for resources with a rapidly growing population. Keeping what remains of Africa's wildlife safely in reserves and national parks also helps protect farmers from wildlife destroying crops and eating their cattle. That's not to say you'll feel like you are driving around a large zoo when on safari, national parks and protected areas are often larger than many European countries.

Africa is Technologically Backward 

The idea that technical innovation is lacking in Africa is laughable to anyone who has spent a little time there. In Ghana I've watched entire cars being re-built from scrap by "fitters", all without an engineering degree. Walk through any school playground in Zambia and you're bound to see a child play with a home made toy car complete with steering capabilities. What some African nations lack is access to education and resources, innovation is in plentiful supply. Many people responded to the Malawian boy who Harnessed the Wind, but this is actually the type of story that could be told many times over, just check out the Afrigadget blog. If you visit any country in Africa, you can't help but notice that everyone is chatting away on their cell phones. Cell phones are in fact being used in hugely innovative ways throughout Africa. Kenya has established a highly effective mobile banking system, opening up rural areas to credit in ways that has revolutionized small businesses. You see traditional Maasai in their bright red shukas texting one another current cattle prices and health care workers sharing valuable immunization data with one another. It's Always Hot in Africa 

If you've only visited West Africa, I'd say it would be entirely appropriate to say "it's always hot in Africa". But that's where this myth stops. It snows in Africa, yes it does. Both northern and southern Africa experience cold winters with frequent frost, as well as hot summers. Mountains, plateaus, cold oceans, warm oceans, rainy and dry seasons — all affect weather patterns in individual countries as well. It is fair to say that conversations about the weather in much of Africa tends to focus more on whether its dry or wet, than about the temperature being hot or cold. More about the weather and season in Africa.  

Africa Needs Aid (and Celebrities) to Help it "Develop" 

It's questionable how much good aid money has done for African countries, and it's not just because it has ended up in the wrong hands. Mainly it's because projects are often ill-defined, ill-conceived and ignore any input from the people they aim to "help". A lot of aid, while given in the right spirit, has actually been somewhat detrimental to African development. For a start, aid money has subsidized some very corrupt governments and crippled efforts to increase government transparency. Real "fair trade" agreements would help a lot more than aid. Steady employment, a stable economy and access to credit would also benefit most people looking to better their lives. Certainly celebrity visits are not the answer. We'd find it a bit odd if a Nigerian superstar came over to Chicago and started handing out money to those on welfare. We all know that it would not make the problem simply go away — life is a bit too complicated for easy solutions. There are many unsung local heroes making a difference in communities all over Africa. So it's also unfair to think that the poor in Africa are simply sitting around waiting for handouts. Having said all this, there are some charities that truly make a difference, but it would be nice to see them based in Africa and not in New York or Silicon Valley.  http://goafrica.about.com/od/peoplean...

Mango Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups diced mango
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make a well and add remaining ingredients. Mix until well blended. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan and let stand 20 minutes. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Joyce Banda: Malawi's first female president

Joyce Banda, who has made history becoming Malawi's first female president and only the second woman to lead a country in Africa, has a track record of fighting for women's rights. 

She took power over the weekend following the death of 78-year-old President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died in office after heading up the southern Africa country since 2004. 

Mr Mutharika's decision to appoint her as his running mate for the 2009 elections surprised many in Malawi's mainly conservative, male-dominated society - which had never before had a female vice-president. 

Equally surprising was her decision to publicly stand up to her boss - by refusing to endorse his plans for his brother, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mutharika, to succeed him as president in 2014 when he was due to retire. 

She was promptly thrown out of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party - and subjected to daily doses of derision at public rallies and on Malawi's state airwaves. 

A senior ruling party official openly said Malawi was "not ready for a female president", while First Lady Callista Mutharika said Mrs Banda was fooling herself that she was a serious politician - saying she was a mere market woman selling fritters. 

"She will never be president, how can a mandasi [fritter] seller be president?" Mrs Mutharika said. 

 Joyce Banda fell out with the late President Bingu wa Mutharika 

Mrs Banda took all this in her stride, saying she was glad to be identified with market women since more than 80% of Malawian women belong to that category: "Yes, she's right, I'm indeed a mandasi seller and I'm proud of it because the majority of women in Malawi are like us, mandasi sellers." 

She also resisted calls for her to resign as the country's vice-president - she was elected not appointed so she could not be fired by Mr Mutharika - and instead set up her own People's Party. 

Charity work 

Born in 1950 in the village of Malemia near the southern town of Zomba, Joyce Hilda Ntila was the eldest in a family of five children. 

Her father was the leader of Malawi's police brass band and her youngest sister, Anjimile, ran pop star Madonna's charity Raising Malawi until it closed in December. 

She left her first husband in 1981, taking her three children with her, because he was abusive. 

"Most African women are taught to endure abusive marriages. They say endurance means a good wife but most women endure abusive relationship because they are not empowered economically, they depend on their husbands," she told the BBC about her decision. 

Eight years later, Mrs Banda founded the National Association of Business Women, a group that lends start-up cash to small-scale traders - making her popular among Malawi's many rural poor. 

That work also earned her international recognition - in 1997, she was awarded, along with former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano, the US-based Hunger Project's Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger. 

She also set up the Joyce Banda Foundation, a charity that assists Malawian children and orphans through education - she has a degree in early childhood education. 

SackingsJoyce Banda cut her teeth in politics in 1999 when she won a parliamentary seat on the ticket of the former ruling United Democratic Front. 

She held a number of cabinet positions under former President Bakili Muluzi and Mr Mutharika during his first term. 

Who is Joyce Banda? 

•1950: Born•1981: Left her abusive husband•2009: Elected vice-president•2011: Fell out with President Bingu wa Mutharika but he failed to have her removed from her post•2012: Sworn in as president after Mr Mutharika's death•Southern Africa's first female head of state•Has large charity to help educate and empower women•Her father was a well-known musician; her sister was hired to work in pop star Madonna's school 

She puts her achievements down to her happy marriage to retired Chief Justice Richard Banda with whom she has two children. 

"My dear husband, Richard, has been the driving force behind my success and rise to whatever level I am now. My story and legacy is incomplete without his mention," she said. 

Mrs Banda's presidential challenges are huge: Aside from handling political divisions and possible opposition from Mr Mutharika's allies, she has to address Malawi's serious economic difficulties. 

It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day. 

And former President Mutharika fell out with most of Western donors - on which the country depends for financial support. 

The cutting off of direct aid resulted in the country's worst shortages of foreign currency, fuel and essential drugs. 

But she has immediately made her mark - sacking Malawi's police chief Peter Mukhito, accused of mishandling anti-government riots last year in which at least 19 people were shot dead, and Patricia Kaliati as information minister. 

In the wake of Mr Mutharika's death, Ms Kaliati had held a press conference saying Mrs Banda had no right to take over as president - despite what the constitution said. 

The head of Malawi's state broadcaster has also been replaced. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-afric...

Thiebou Yap (cheb boo yah-p) Fish Stew

Thiebou Yap

Yield 6 to 8 servings

 

Ingredients

2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets (tuna, mahi-mahi etc…)

1 small piece any type dried fish

3/4 cup cilantro leaves

4 scallions chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large  yam, peeled cut in 2-inch pieces

2 chayotes, unpeeled cut in 2-inch pieces

1 small eggplant, unpeeled cut in 2-inch pieces

4 large carrots, peeled cut in 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon annatto seeds

5 cups water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

12 preserved tamarind pods

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Place cilantro, scallions, garlic and half of the crushed or fresh pepper in a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. Add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Process until smooth.

2. With a small, sharp knife, slice horizontally through the center of each piece of fish, leaving one side attached. Fill the opening in each piece with about 1 teaspoon of the cilantro mixture.

3. In a large pot, heat either the palm oil and 6 tablespoons canola oil or the annatto seeds with 8 tablespoons canola oil. When oil is almost to the smoking point, add fish, being careful to keep the filling in the fish. Cook until fish is cooked on all sides but raw in the middle, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove fish from pot and set aside.

4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add water, 3 teaspoons of the salt and dried fish, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add longer-cooking vegetables to the broth first, then shorter-cooking vegetables. When vegetables are cooked, remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Season with salt.

5. Add fish to the cooking liquid. Simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Season with salt. Measure the cooking liquid. Return it to the pot and add enough water to make 5 cups.

6. Whisk in tomato paste and remaining crushed or red pepper. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and place tamarind pieces, if using, over rice. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Discard dried fish, if used.

7. Fluff rice with a fork. Place on a large serving platter, mounding it in the center. Place fish and vegetable pieces evenly over the top of the rice. Serve immediately.

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Apricot and Fig Blatjang

[image error]Apricot and Fig Blatjang

This is a traditional South African recipe for a classic condiment that's part-way between a fruit chutney and a jam made from a blend of apricots, figs, sultanas (raisins), ginger and chilli in a vinegar base.

Blatjang, pronounced blud-young, is a condiment traditionally served with bobotie and other meat dishes. It is a cross between fruit chutney and jam.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

3/4 cup chopped dried figs

1/2 cup raisins

1 small onion, finely diced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup blanched chopped almonds

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon dried red chilli pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and freshly-ground white pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the apricots, figs, raisins, onion and vinegar with just enough water to just cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. By this time the mixture should have reached the thickness of runny honey (do not over-cook as the mixture will thicken further when it cols).

Meanwhile, toast the almonds until golden in an oven pre-heated to 160°C (about 8 minutes). Combine the ginger, chilli and almonds in a food processor. Season to taste then process until smooth. Stir this purée into the fruit mixture along with the lemon juice. Stir thoroughly then transfer to sterilized jars, seal and store (this is best if matured for a few weeks before use).

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Chief Albert Luthuli

Chief Albert Luthuli 

 

Africa's first winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace and president of the ANC until his death (under mysterious circumstances) in 1967. 

 

Date of birth: c.1898, near Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)

Date of death: 21 July 1967, railway track near home at Stanger, Natal, South Africa.

Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli was born sometime around 1898 near Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, the son of a Seventh Day Adventist missionary. In 1908 he was sent to his ancestral home at Groutville, Natal where he went to the mission school. Having first trained as a teacher at Edendale, near Pietermaritzburg, Luthuli attended additional courses at Adam's College (in 1920), and went on to become part of the college staff. He remained at the college until 1935.

Albert Luthuli was deeply religious, and during his time at Adam's College he became a lay preacher. His Christian beliefs acted as a foundation for his approach to political life in South Africa at a time when many of his contemporaries were calling for a more militant response to Apartheid.

In 1935 Luthuli accepted the chieftaincy of the Groutville reserve (this was not an hereditary position, but awarded as the result of an election) and was suddenly immersed in the realities of South Africa's racial politics. The following year JBM Hertzog's United Party government introduced the 'Representation of Natives Act' (Act No 16 of 1936) which removed Black Africans from the common voter's role in the Cape (the only part of the Union to allow Black people the franchise). That year also saw the introduction of the 'Development Trust and Land Act' (Act No 18 of 1936) which limited Black African land holding to an area of native reserves - increased under the act to 13.6%, although this percentage was not in fact achieved in practice.

Chief Albert Luthuli joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1945 and was elected Natal provincial president in 1951. In 1946 he joined the Natives Representative Council. (This had been set up in 1936 to act in an advisory basis to four white senators who provided parliamentary 'representation' for the entire Black African population.) However, as a result of a mine workers strike on the Witwatersrand gold field and the police response to protesters, relations between the Natives Representative Council and the government became 'strained'. The Council met for the last time in 1946 and was later abolished by the government.

In 1952 Chief Luthuli was one of the leading lights behind the Defiance Campaign - a non-violent protest against the pass laws. The Apartheid government was, unsurprisingly, annoyed and he was summoned to Pretoria to answer for his actions. Luthuli was given the choice of renouncing his membership of the ANC or being removed from his position as tribal chief (the post was supported and paid for by the government). Albert Luthuli refused to resign from the ANC, issued a statement to the press ('The Road to Freedom is via the Cross') which reaffirmed his support for passive resistance to Apartheid, and was subsequently dismissed from his chieftaincy in November.

"I have joined my people in the new spirit that moves them today, the spirit that revolts openly and broadly against injustice."

At the end of 1952 Albert Luthuli was elected president-general of the ANC. The previous president, Dr James Moroka, lost support when he pleaded not-guilty to criminal charges laid as a result of his involvement in the Defiance Campaign, rather than accepting the campaign's aim of imprisonment and the tying up of government resources. (Nelson Mandela, provincial president for the ANC in Transvaal, automatically became deputy-president of the ANC.) The government responded by banning Luthuli, Mandela, and nearly 100 others.

Luthuli's ban was renewed in 1954, and in 1956 he was arrested - one of 156 people accused of high treason. Luthuli was released shortly after for 'lack of evidence' (see Treason Trial). Repeated banning caused difficulties for the leadership of the ANC, but Luthuli was re-elected as president-general in 1955 and again 1958. In 1960, following the Sharpeville Massacre, Luthuli led the call for protest. Once again summoned to a governmental hearing (this time in Johannesburg) Luthuli was horrified when a supporting demonstration turned violent and 72 Black Africans were shot (and another 200 injured). Luthuli responded by publicly burning his pass book. He was detained on 30 March under the 'State of Emergency' declared by the South African government - one of 18,000 arrested in a series of police raids. On release he was confined to his home in Stanger, Natal.

In 1961 Chief Albert Luthuli was awarded the 1960 Nobel Prize for Peace (it had been held over that year) for his part in the anti-Apartheid struggle. In 1962 he was elected Rector of Glasgow University (an honorary position), and the following year published his autobiography, 'Let My People Go'. Although suffering from ill health and failing eyesight, and still restricted to his home in Stranger, Albert Luthuli remained president-general of the ANC. On 21 July 1967, whilst out walking near his home, Luthuli was hit by a train and died. He was supposedly crossing the line at the time - an explanation dismissed by many of his followers who believed more sinister forces were at work.

 

Nyau Traditional Chewa Dance

This Day in African History on March 31

In 1955 

A state of emergency is declared by the French government in Algeria.

In 1960 

Under the recently declared state of emergency in South Africa (which followed the Sharpeville Massacre), 300 Black Africans are reported jailed and four more shot.


 

In 1992 

Sanctions are imposed on Libya by the UN after it refuses to hand over two men suspected of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie (22 December 1988).

In 1994 

The discovery, in Ethiopia, of a complete skull of Australopithecus afarensis is announced by Nature magazine.

Chicken Stew With Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds, cut up
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sherry or broth
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 to 10 small white onions, halved
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced turnip or rutabaga
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/3 cup flour mixed with 1/2 cup cool water to form a paste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the chicken pieces; brown on all sides. Add water, sherry, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Add onions, peas, carrots, turnip, potatoes and corn; cover and simmer for another 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the flour and water mixture; continue cooking until stew is thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve over rice, if desired.