" Come Eat"

Food Bazaar

2011-10-06T10:56:00.005-04:00

This month has been one of excessive and unrestrained food indulgence. Me and my Foodie Bestie have taken decadence to a new level. When food called anywhere within the Metro Atlanta area and it was vegan/vegetarian friendly, we were there. Eyes wide, stomachs and appetites even wider. From the neighborhood Mexican spot, to Vegetarian Sushi in the Highlands (and that we hit up 3x). Italian in Midtown (4x), to West Indian in South-West. Shall we mention desserts? Desserts that had us hitting the pavement from Kirkwood to Fourth Ward, all the way to Stone Mountain. We put it in for the Foodie Home-team this month.

To bring in October, me and the family attended The Field of Greens Festival (check them here http://www.fieldofgreensfestival.com/). The festival is an annual event celebrating local foods. This year's highlights included "Meals From The Market" and "The Chef's Tent". Meals from the Market allowed patrons to meet local farmers and try some of their produce prepared in simple, easy to make recipes. Each Chef/Farmer had a information card that included stats of their farms and the recipes they served at the event. The Chef's Tent which Field of Greens is famous for, boasted 30 of Atlanta's and Athens' premier Farm-to-Table Chefs, all under one tent serving up samples of signature dishes from their respective restaurants.

The Festival was productive, my bias being that this year's Festival was to raise funds for SlowFood Atlanta, and our farm, Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms. There was an interactive children's section where they could make their own healthy snacks and also a play area and animal petting area. For children it was a great social event, for a vegan, umm, there was much to be desired. With the exception of the Meals from the Market, most of the food (especially in the Chef's Tent) was not vegan nor vegetarian friendly. For it to be named Field of Greens I did expect there to be more Green. However, if you are a foodie with no special diet or food aversions this was Local Foodie heaven. There was a nice variety of vendors selling goods from food products to clothing and I was able to cop a really cool poncho made in Guatemala. Would I recommend this Festival? Sure, why not. If you don't mind the 40 minute drive and you're a meat eater.

To soothe my conscious our next stop was Bazaar Noir's Vegan-Vegetarian Taste of Atlanta 2011. I have to admit this event was a bit more my speed. Vegan Vendors from the Greater Atlanta area came together to celebrate good food, good fashion, good music and community. The highlight of this event for me, was the introduction of Young Chef, Iaame Duniani (youngchef.blogspot.com). 11 year old Chef, starting his cooking journey and doing it in a lovely way. He served up an Ethiopian Wat, with Green Salad and Injera. The other treat of the night was FTP's (ftpcatering.com) Vegan sweets table. I walked away with their signature Bean Pie (yes a whole pie).

The Taste of Atl, was a nice event. I would have liked to see more food vendors and food variety, but I was grateful for the chefs that were represented. Truthfully, even with the handful of chefs present (and I hear more arrived after I left) they covered Live Foods, Soul Food, Foods from the Diaspora and Vegan twists on classic dishes. Who can find fault in that? Not me. All Love

My Kitchen Sounds Like: Yesterday's Machine by Saturn Never Sleeps

New Maitu logo and design..

2011-07-07T11:21:00.003-04:00

All Thanks and Love to Sister Renay for the new MaituFoods cards and Logos..forwarding on
For graphic work inquiries link Renay at renaylon@gmail.com

Home

2011-07-05T19:53:00.007-04:00

I cried the first time I saw the ocean, reminiscing on her East African sister. Then sweet and sudden it hits you...that smell. That familiar aroma of fresh clams being roasted on a makeshift grill. The scent of the sea mixed with the smell of sweat from hardworking people. The fragrance of labor, of determination, the scent of hope in the midst and in spite of struggle. The coast. The water altar of working class people from working class places, who bleed for a dollar and struggle towards rest. Where we come for consolation and to lay our burdens as well as our bodies down at the shore. Eyes set on the majestic horizon, where dreams trod. Today the sun is kind and the winds they breeze through, mimicking the tides sway. And with them they carry the sound of children and the thump thump of Mexican Banda and Mariachi music from a muffled car sound system. The Grand Prix is in town, so the beach and streets are packed. We shuffle to our own individual rhythms to find our piece of concrete and continue on to our destinations. Street missionaries hold up signs citing "Repent for the End is here". As the wealthy sit on gated patios of seafood restaurants, unsmiling, Vans and skinny jean clad teenagers on skateboards, laugh and zig-zag through the sea of pedestrians. I'm home. Long Beach. I salute you. Its been a long time.
I can remember being a youth running in our courtyard. Every afternoon, once we children were spent from play, my downstairs neighbor would call all of us to her doorstep for a quick munch. I can still conjure up the toasted smell of flour tortillas quick fried in butter and stuffed with scrambled eggs. These days I choose to be a vegan, however i can still appreciate the tenderness and kindness associated with the gift of a meal. I never knew that woman's name, nor did we speak the same language, but the memory of her giving resounds in my mind, even now. As I sit and reflect on this memory, taking in the fullness of home, I realize there is no better way to honor this then through my own giving. Tonight's meal will be Enchiladas.
This meal holds a history for me. It's full of a richness of a people. A richness of cultures intermarried to create this beautiful decadent cuisine. It goes back all the way to the Valley of Mexico, peopled by the Mayan civilization and finds a richness in my family's hometown of Coastal Texas. The men and women of my family took this dish and made it their own, depending on the individual tastes. This is not fine restaurant cuisine. It's what you'll find at a dinner table, surrounded by family, carrying all their experiences and emotions, ready to be comforted by great food. More times than I can remember I watched my mother at the kitchen table, sweating from the heat of the over, grating, chopping and mixing for hours to prepare this dish. It conjures up memories and sounds of neighbors blasting the music of their culture. I would sit in the living room, my head feeling as if it were on the verge of exploding and the very walls seemed they would crumble each time a horn sounded. I recall a people, dancing, celebrating, ululating, singing, loving, at the moment indifferent to a work week that was a day away. And this is the food that comes from that.
In preparing the dish, I take my place in line with the men and women of my family and other families who've all prepared enchiladas with their own signature style. Now I offer mine, Vegan Enchiladas, signed, ME. Love

Vegan Enchiladas

2 cups of black beans (cleaned and cooked until tender, with onions, garlic, bay leaf, Mexican seasonings)
Tortillas (corn or flour) for this recipe I used flour. (taco/fajita size)
2 cups of red chile enchilada sauce (pretty easy to make, but store-bought is not bad)
Vegan cheese (rice, soy or coconut)
1 bunch of spinach chopped and lightly steamed
1/2 yellow onion diced
2 scallions chopped
Handful of cilantro diced

Into each tortilla add black beans, spinach and cheese (desired amount). Roll each individual enchilada and place ends down into casserole dish. Repeat until the casserole dish is filled. Cover the entire casserole dish and each enchilada generously with the red chile sauce. Top with diced, onions, scallions, cilantro and leftover cheese. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted. I usually serve this with fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and Spanish rice. For variations add olives on top or diced chiles. Also this same recipe can be used with corn tortillas. However, when I use the corn tortillas I dip each individual tortilla in the chile sauce before stuffing and then also sauce on top. Injoy!!

Ackee Tacos

* My interpretation of a breakfast taco using ackee in place of egg or tofu.

3 red or russet potatoes, chopped.
1 can of Ackee
11 soft corn tortilla shells
fresh pico de gallo
2 avocados diced
1 clove of garlic diced
1/2 onion chopped

First smother potatoes in sunflower oil with onions until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Saute garlic in sunflower oil, add ackee and Mexican seasonings. Cook until warmed through. Also in sunflower oil (about a teaspoon) lightly toss and "fry" corn tortilla shells until slightly crispy. Once the shells are heated, stuff with potatoes, ackee, avocado and pico de gallo. Injoy!!!

My Kitchen Sounds Like: "Working Ways" by Stephen Marley feat. Spragga Benz. Revelation Pt.1

Spring-Summer Feeling

2011-06-09T16:15:00.005-04:00

I've decided to share this simple juice recipe that our family has been using for the last few years. It's a great energy booster, cleanser and aid for digestion. The aloe, collards and rosemary part of the recipe we received from a mother in Kenya, and the lemon and pineapple we received from Eugene's mother. We combined the recipes added a oranges (because we had an orange tree in the backyard) and now its a trusted part of our health regime.. Enjoy!

1 aloe leaf
1 ripe lemon
*1 orange
1 sprig of rosemary
20 ozs of pineapple juice
20 ozs of water
handful of collards or spinach

Remove skin from aloe, using only the inside flesh. Cut the lemon and orange into quarters. Wash rosemary and collards. Slice collards thinly. In a blender add all ingredients and blend well. The mixture will be a bit gritty and pulpy, so strain through wire mesh strainer to desired consistency. I usually strain twice.

Injoy!!

My Kitchen Sounds Like: "Undo" by Bjork, Vespertine Lp

Why Food and Music?

2011-03-31T13:21:00.009-04:00

Information. Food and music are information. Both are primary sources of knowledge as it relates to our sojourn on this planet. Every seed, every plant, within its DNA there is the intelligence of Earth, from the ancient of days to the pre-sent. Music is the heartbeat, the pulse of life itself. It's the rhythm, the ebb and flow of this journey. Food represents light, and music is sourced through sound. Light and Sound, the manifestations of which all life and all sense of being comes into existence and is experienced in this realm. Through sound and light our perceptions are shaped, and those things tangible and intangible have medium. When mystics take on disciples and conduct of livelihood is taught the focus is on silence (or focusing our internal sound/meditation) and diet. Essential, for as the cliche has informed us we are what we eat and most certainly we are the things we take in.

Consider how many memories are tailored with a certain song and the emotions evoked. The feelings elicited by food. A smell that draws you back to childhood or a favorite space and time in life. Food and music both possess the power to heal, to comfort and to transform our realities. They create and sustain environments. Nourish and develop our nations. We fight and war in the name of them, we love to love them. We live by and through food and music. They are the source of definition for culture.

Every herb, every leaf carries the life and light code that has the power to illuminate our beings and nourish these vehicles we have been given to maintain. Agriculture is the center of any civilization. We must eat to live and therefore food is at the foundation of pushing forward any nation, any family or person towards continuation. Food holds the history of a people. It shapes the nature of how we exist, of where we exist. It has the power to unite cultures and through the breaking of bread, doors of communication have opened. Food is the fuel, it holds the blueprint to shape, mold and sustain us. Food is life, it is light.

In music, we have the combination of human thought and expression, word and sound. With these elements together, we see power manifest. There is the transmission of past, present and the possibilities of future. Music is the pipeline. It is the ancient women of the Nyabinghi order, drumming to sound the alarm. Sending messages through the night to give voice to a united front for freedom. Music is history, scripture, lifestyle, frivolous pursuits or love unrequited. Music is the channel through which we share one to another. Bob Marley sings, "Help to sing another song of freedom, all I ever have, redemption songs" In that line he calls forward to the future and addresses the present. Expressed is a moment in time where redemption was the order, the request. He seeks a time of freedom, sealing history and presenting potentials for times to come. Script says life and death are in the power of the tongue (both what you eat and say). All life vibrates on its own frequency, to express its existence. Music is life, life is sound.

Think of the appeal of music and food. How they call to the senses. With no respect of person, caste, creed, color, or station in life, they entice us equally, to nourish and inspire. The tangy sweetness of a peach. The bits of sunshine you taste with each bite. Its as if your taste buds have been illuminated. The highs of Roberta Flack as she sings "When You Smile", reminding you of that smile that you know to be kin to the sun's rays. The cool bitterness and wet firmness of aloe. The accents and sharp drives coupled with the roundness of Nina Simone as she sings "Aint No Use". Intense information and sensory overload in the same instance. And the feel of it all, indescribable, full-bodied "nice-ness". :)

Yes, Food and Music. What better way to serve life? What grander way to fuel existence? Love.

In the last 2 months my family has been traveling. Kenya, Dubai, Atlanta, Los Angeles. I've eaten everywhere it seems. There is this spot in Los Angeles called Urth Cafe (google it). They serve a really awesome Portabella Mushroom sandwich. Yum!! Here is my tip of the hat to Urth Cafe. Ingredients: A really good Ciabatta loaf. Slice it horizontally and toast it, arugula pesto (recipe below), grilled portabella mushroom sliced, roasted red peppers, romaine lettuce and grilled artichoke hearts.

Arugula Pesto

2 cups of arugula leaves (no steams)

1/2 cup of pine nuts

1/2 cup of olive oil

7 cloves of garlic peeled

salt to taste

You have the option to toast your pine nuts lightly to get a roasted flavor. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until you have a nice consistent paste, or if you wish you can place the ingredients in a mortar and pestle, adding the olive oil slowly as you grind. Voila!! This will be the spread for your sandwich.

Grill portabellas, peppers and arugla. leaving some crunch to the veggies and some firmness to the mushroom. Spread the ciabatta with the arugula pesto and layer your sandwich as you see fit. Yum..quick and easy lunch. If you prefer to leave out the bread, you can always stir fry the mushrooms and saute them in the pesto. Place over a bed of romaine lettuce and add your favorite salad veggies. Injoy!!

My Kitchen Sounds like: The cosmos and "You Make Me Smile" by Aloe Blacc

Kenya: In Reverance of love

2011-03-24T19:38:00.013-04:00

I've hesitated despite the questions and demands to write this all, knowing that whatever I could muster up would only serve as an injustice to the huge realities of feelings, of thoughts, of expression reserved within for her. Kenya can't be described in words. She is taste, she is feel, she is experience. And I have yet to let go, to think out or fully unravel from the hold she has on me, in order to share with you. But here we are. For Kenya, forgive my shortcomings beloved one.

My First Taste: Passion Fruit Juice
My First Fruit: Tree Tomato
My First Meal: Habesha Ethiopian

Imagine a place...The sun has not yet risen, and the cock sings his song to announce the dawning of a new day. The adhan rings out, to remind us to stay mindful of pray. To keep us in thought of thankfulness and humility before the greatness of The Creator. My first taste I know will be passion fruit or porridge. My host has created a remix that couples coconut and a variety of spices to accompany the sour cereal. I know that in these first tastes I will be comforted. Reminded of the warmth of life and the beauty in awakening to new days. Yeah, I'm a food junkie. Completely indulged in my sense of taste. It envelops me and inspires these words. It has brought me closer to family after work days. It sparks laughter and rest. Here in Kenya, the taste are new and fresh. It taste like, feels like home.
If I am to begin anywhere it is with Tata's food. Our meeting was very brief with no words passed between us (however by the end of the night she would name me Wabura), only glances. But her food left an impression on me that has planted roots in my culinary memory. What sticks out was the Pilau, Mokimo and Chapatis. The meal pulled on the part of me that longs for comfort and believes in the power of subtleties. The beauty in simplicity. I was comforted by the familiarity of a family meal and enticed by the newness of food from hands that have known another existence, in another space and time. And the flavors, textures and colors that being in that space give way to.

Nairobi offered meals with the ones I hold near to my heart. Family. It offered the opportunity to cook from fresh, local produce. She was Diamond Plaza and Meru's bhajias with fresh avocado and lime juice. Nairobi was egg less chocolate cake. She was Florence's dengu, sukuma wiki and chips. Nairobi is fashioned with memories of apple mangoes that are kin to bliss, sticky, oily jack fruit, custard apples and pineapples that taste like sunshine. With you beloved one, me and my Sun have run on trails in arboretums, eating mangoes from street vendors seasoned with chili. Our feet red from your soil as we sipped remixed porridge in the morning and traced peace signs with bamboo sticks on your pathways. Our tag, to show that we were there, loving and living. I've trailed the foothills of Mt. Kenya, and breathed the same air that fueled life to Kimathi and the Mau Mau during their freedom struggle. I've walked the roads of Zion, looking for elephants and eating guava jam and fresh fruit bought on the side of the road. I fell in love with my imagination again watching shooting stars and tracing constellations. I knew fullness, my appetites satiated by the abundance that you are Kenya.

In Nairobi there is Aga Khan's Hawkers market. One of the most beautiful things a foodie can come across. Food, fresh fruit and vegetables everywhere. Anything you can desire. Bargains, haggling and the sweetest, sweetness of fruit I have ever tasted. I grew full from all the different varieties of mango I sampled at different stalls. It was perfection. Amazing perfection. And I stood in the middle of all that motion, so still and quiet. Overwhelmed by taking it all in.

And then, and then...there is Mombasa. Ahh, stealer of hearts. Mombasa, clear water beaches and street food. Sugar cane juice fresh and squeezed from a mill by hand with hints of ginger and lime. Mombasa was warm and tender nights. Something kin to bhajias made with potatoes, and battered in lentil flour called viazi via karai, bought in front of someones home, deep fried on the spot in the yard and served with chili paste. (Catch me singing "Best I Ever Had"). Coconut water and breakfast that's more like an adventure in taste; Black beans cooked in coconut milk (mbazi) and stuffed in pastry or mandazis, rice and coconut cakes, lentil bhajias and fresh fruit. Mombasa is pleasure, unapologetic, unabashed. Mombasa is kin.

And I can go on and on. I left you reluctantly and with much strife. And my last tastes, once again, Tata. Pilau, beans and cabbage. The most simple and filling way to say farewell. There is so much more to say. Immense thanks and apprecilove that I cant convey proper. So, beloved one, I salute you dear heart. Until, until..Love

Bhajias (potato)

1 potato sliced in thin circles. (you can even use the slicer on a food processor)
1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 cups of gram (lentil) flour
1/4 cup sliced coriander leaves
variety of spices to your taste. I reccomend any of the indian culinary spices.
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder *key element for bhajias to rise
sunflower oil to deep fry

With the flour and water, make a thick batter, similar to pancake batter. Stir in spices to taste. Add potatoes and make sure to coat completly. Get them completly gooey with the batter. Heat oil until its really hot. Careful not to burn, but make sure that is hot, to the point o fdeep frying. You can do a test by dropping a bit of batter in the oil. If the batter puffs up, the oil is ready. Place the bhajia batter in the oil by spoonfuls. They will rise and puff in the batter. Cook until they are a golden brown and are nice and crisp, about 3 minutes. Voila. Bhajias. Serve with chili paste, tamarind sauce any number of chutneys or my favorite kachumbari, basically salsa made up of tomatoes, chili, cilantro, garlic, onion and lime. The beauty of bhajias is that there are a many versions. A bhajia is really anything fried so try the flour batter mix with spinach or onions, really any vegetable you can think of. Injoy!!

My Kitchen sounds like "Zamaney" by JahCoozi and Ukoo Flani and "Lady of the Sun" by A Race of Angels

Ode to East Africa (beginnings of a long overdue love letter)

2010-11-24T20:38:00.004-05:00

My first encounter with East Africa happened the Summer of 2009. I was 3 months pregnant and this was my first time out of the country (heck of an initiation). I remembering being on the plane and looking down at Ethiopia, trying to see if I could see traces of people in what appeared to be an eternity of desert. Feeling that if by some chance, something were to happen to the plane, I could say "Look ma, I did it..I made it to Africa, and as a soon to be mom to boot." Fulfilled, and it just gets better.

My plane snuck into Nairobi, my final destination at night, a few hours late from Heathrow. There she was cloaked in darkness, hidden from my expectations and only aggravating them with angst and anxiety. I would have to exercise patience and hold tight until the morning with just my quick catches of scenery ("Yo, was that a Fanta billboard?"). But before morning's revelation, she would open her arms of hospitality, like mother, like sister, like friend... My travel beaten, pregnant body was nourished by her food, laughter and a warm bath. In that instance I knew I was in love with her, and this would be a lifetime courtship.

I remember her in flashes and colors, tastes and sighs. Like the first taste of passion fruit (wow!!). Or the memory of walking her streets and the greetings of "dred" from a passing man. So quick that had it not been for my companion, I would have missed it all together. I was absorbed in the act of trying to make sense of the produce street kiosks and oncoming traffic, not to mention the richness of pedestrians and street vendors.

My husband speaks of her like she's co-wife. I see her traces and influences in his paintings. After spending time farming her land, he speaks of her as only someone who has known her intimately can. She is constant in his conversation, and through their relationship, she has become like kin to me. I remember him coming back, excited that his boots were caked with Kenyan soil. Those same boots once worn, were filled with soil and planted in our front yard with flowers, in constant remembrance.

Sometimes I see East Africa and she is like a blur, so quick our time together (2 weeks). Other times, she's so close in my memory , I can smell her near me and there is no time or space to separate us. And she has been for me, what fantasies should be. Lush, inviting, challenging, as pursuable as she is attainable. Those two weeks are forever with me. They seem to have been too soon and I left feeling like a piece of myself stayed with her. It is the season, the time for reconciliation. East Africa, we are on our way to see you again. Soon. Love.

Shiro
** The first time I had Shiro was at Habesha, a restaurant in Nairobi. It was the richest, most decadent thing I had ever tried up until that point. I've loved it since....

5 tablespoons Niter Kebbah (check earlier blog for recipe)
1 small yellow onion, diced small
2 tomatoes roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves smashed
1 tablespoon of berbere
1/2 cup of Shiro/chickpea flour (can find at Ethiopian Market)
3 cups of water
salt to taste

In a medium saucepan saute onion, garlic, tomatoes and berbere in Niter Kebbeh on low heat. Stir occasionally for about 10-12 minutes until you have formed a sort of tomato sauce.
Add the shiro flour, salt and water and stir really well, making sure to get rid of any lumps. Bring to a light boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hr or until the mixture has thickened. Injoy!! We did : )

*Finished meal of Shiro, Greens and sauteed Potatoes on Injera.

*Shiro prep and ingredients.

*Fresh Collards and Broccoli from the garden.

*Niter Kebbeh prep and ingredients.

My Kitchen Sounds Like: Gigi on Shuffle...

Winds of Change..

2010-10-28T12:45:00.002-04:00

Autumn is here (insert “All Falls Down by Sly) and just as sure as things will fall, we are guaranteed that in accordance with natural order, things will build up.

Fall offers the opportunity to store up and prepare for Winter’s arrival. Our sustaining foods like squash/gourds, grains, and sturdy leafy greens, arrive on the scene, and we are blessed by the harvest. We are nurtured by the lessons, the beauty and color of change.
If nothing else this is a time and space for us to reassess, and there is the reminder that all pushes forward ever.

Lately in America (and Europe), ones have been faced with the growing issue of food security and the rights and question of self-sustenance. For years we have ignored food legislation, turned a blind eye to food policies in foreign countries, because we felt we were safe in our squares. All that time spent cultivating skills other than the basic ones, such as the self sufficient means to secure food, clothing and shelter, are folding over on us. People are beginning to understand that food business is no joke business.

On the Congress floor once again is legislation that has the potential to restrict our means to grow our own food and utilize or purchase herbal supplements and alternative (natural) forms of healing. It has been reported that Europe has already passed and enacted this legislation.

More than being fearful or complacent we have been blessed with another opportunity. The opportunity to reconsider and prioritize. To step into our potentials and roles of self governance. Step by step. Be it planting a seed, watching it grow and controlling your harvest. Sparking food and lifestyle cooperatives that strengthen our family and communal bonds. Or any number of activities that push us towards self-responsibility and reliance. It is the time for us to educate ourselves, to inform ourselves, but most importantly to turn towards means of healing and sustaining ourselves. The winds of change are breezing through and have carried the message that no matter which way the wind blows we are equipped to push forward in strength and I-tality. For-Iva and Iva. Love.

For the fall..Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 cups barley (1/2 red and 1/2 white), cooked
handful of pinenuts
handful of dried cranberries and/or raisins
1/2 can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 onion diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 medium sized acorn squash
vegetable broth

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

In medium saucepan saute onion and garlic in 1teaspoon of olive oil on med/low heat.
Stir continuously, so as not to burn. When onion has become translucent, add barley, pinenuts, cranberries/raisins,curry powder and coconut milk mixing well and coating thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut acorn squash and half. Remove seeds. Stuff squash insides with barley mixture.

Drizzle the top of squash with olive oil and a bit of vegetable broth and place in casserole dish.

Bake for about an hour (or until squash is tender). Drizzling every now and again with a bit of vegetable broth.

Garnish with cilantro. Injoy!!

My Kitchen Sounds Like: “Bushman” by Midnite, “All Falls Down” by Sly and The Family Stone and “So Jah Seh” by Bob Marley.

Let your food be your medicine...

2010-09-01T11:23:00.010-04:00

Recently, I have been building on herbs as it relates to the Ayurvedic system of healing and living. It was a joy to receive the reminder that a number of the herbs and spices we use to add color and flavor to our foods on a day to day basis contribute to our health and well-being. We are at the time of reason and understanding where ones are exposed to the knowledge that we are what we consume and expose ourselves to. In that, it becomes vital that we take the time to have a working knowledge of the foods that we find ourselves constantly consuming (as well as all other environmental factors..).

Recently in MaituFoods' radio interview with the Wombyn University collective(www.blogspot.com/sistahgoddess), we mentioned a recipe for Ackee. In that one recipe alone we referenced several herbs good for stimulation, cleansing and healing. In addition there is a herb-infused oil common in Ethiopian cuisine known as Niter Kebbah that contains herbs good for digestion, liver function, etc. The combined recipes utilize herbs such as ginger,thyme, cardamon, ginger, turmeric etc. These aforementioned herbs are ones that for many of us are commonly used in our kitchens, especially as we broaden our taste and views of cuisine to include the whole of the diaspora.

So we see that there is always an opportunity for health, always opportunity to expand our knowledge base as it relates to the foods we eat. It also sheds light on the reality that there have always been systems and sciences in place that have ancient origins as it relates to food and nutrition. Its no coincidence that curries carry a variety of herbs good for invigoration and digestive function. And this is something that exists everywhere. As common as the palette cleansing parsley on your plate at restaurants (no its not decoration), or the bowl of anise at Indian establishments. That cup of mint tea, to promote appetite and aid digestion...and we could go on and on...from ginger to garlic, cumin to fenugreek.

As the knowledge expands and the need increases, we are steady on the path of finding ways to bring what we do to a higher vibration. This includes equipping ourselves with those things that are necessary for our continuous growth. Ensuring that we are actively consuming that which raises our vibrations, is a step towards that realization. For we overstand that a sound body aids a sound mind and sound spirit. Wishing abundance and health, light and sound. Love

Ackee (quick recipe)

1/4 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
thumb of ginger diced (or grated)
2 cups of Ackee (can find at international foods market)
1/4 teaspoon each of thyme, cayenne pepper, ground pimento, paprika and fennel
salt to taste

In a saucepan heat the coconut oil on medium heat. Add diced herbs and onion. Let stir fry until onions begin to turn translucent. Stirring to make sure not to scorch the garlic or onion. Add in two cups of Ackee and stir fry. Reduce heat to low and add about 1/4 cup of water to simmer. At this point add salt to taste. Simmer food on low, until most of the water has evaporated. Once done couple with rice, potatoes or steamed veggies.

Niter Kebbeh (spice infused oil)*

1/4 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
cinnamon sticks ( I use two)
cloves ( I use up to 5)
3 pieces of cardamom (again to personal taste)
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of oil ( I use sunflower)

Heat oil in saucepan on medium heat. Add herbs and spices. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once done remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes (I usually allow it to sit for at least an hour). Strain and store in refrigerator until ready to use. I put this oil on rice, in legume dishes as a seasoning, it goes well on pasta and salads..etc..
*traditionally this oil is made with butter, for those wanting that taste you can always substitute conventional butter for soy margarine.

My Kitchen Sounds Like: In High Tide by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers

Building with Wombyn Studies

2010-08-13T17:29:00.003-04:00

Come join MaituFoods this week as we sit down with Wombyn Studies, to discuss Planting Sacred Spaces and The Future of Food. Call in with your vegan cuisine and gardening questions. We will be live online www.blogtalkradio.com/sistahgoddess Sunday, August 15, 2010 starting at 1pm est.

Freedom

2010-07-05T10:15:00.009-04:00

"We take these steps towards freedom, for all those who have been oppressed.."- Common

One of my favorite songs is "Time Traveling' by Common. It's a tribute to Fela Kuti and just to freedom in general, be it in expression, in creativity or in living. Yesterday, America celebrated its Independence, with Spirits, animal sacrifices and fireworks. Usually its a day for our family to stay still, stay quiet and reflect upon life and its abundant properties. We were privileged on yesterday to celebrate a 2 year Solar return, family, children, new life (Love Love, to Zion who chose to come through yesterday, and to Valerie..YAY!! you are a mommy now) and laughter. And as the world outside of the family gates, celebrated the birth of the colonization of our native ancestors and indigenous people on this continent, we celebrated the generations and continuation of life, bold, beautiful and uncompromising.

I am so grateful to the youth. I smiled and I laughed until my cheeks were sore from the act. Yesterday I also ate. Ate until I could no longer handle the task of putting the fork to my mouth. It was Indian buffet day. I must repeat it, just to savor the memory...Indian Buffet Day...Channa, Spinach, Dal, Fritters, Mixed veggies in coconut sauce, chapatis...and on and on. And it didn't stop there. I have been going through taste bud meltdown. It happens amongst cooks/chefs. You cook so much, taste this, taste that and then it happens, your tastebuds experience overload and everything taste like blaaah. So this weekend, that Indian buffet refreshed my tastebuds so a natural progression happened...Mexican. I went home and created a Mexican cuisine extravaganza. It included Vegan Tacos and Nachos. For the nachos I mixed up a batch of my jalapeno cashew and almond cheese..Yum!!! It was the perfect palette pleaser. The only regrettable thing being that the health food store did not have a single ripe avocado, so there was no guacamole. But perhaps that was the universe's way of ensuring that I did not go insane from heightened taste and sensual gratification :)

My husband, a culinary wizard in his own right, not to be out done, surprised us this morning with brunch. When I describe it as creative genius, trust it is no exaggeration. This beautiful soul of a man, took Ackee ( a tree fruit, commonly used in the Caribbean and coupled with Saltfish) and seasoned with Jamaican seasonings and whatever else he put in that pot (his cooking secrets are coveted information), then he made a vegetable medley of squash, tomatoes and broccoli and then topped it off with home fries/potatoes. This is the good life. I cant help but express the thought that everyone should be eating like this. Its basic, its ital/vital, its nutritious, its inexpensive and not time consuming at all. Yo, I love this life. Good Eats. Love.

In honor of my Sun, who loves chickpeas, Channa Masala a la' Jovi.

Channa Masala a la' Jovi (real quick)

3 cups of chickpeas (cooked until tender beforehand)
1/2 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of cilantro diced
2 tablespoons of coconut oil (throw in a little palm oil it gives it a nice kick, but also adds satfat for the uber health conscious)
1/2 ripe tomato diced
3 tablespoons of Garam Masala
about 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water.

In a cast iron or stainless steel skillet/pan add oil, heat on medium heat. To the oil add onions, garlic and Garam Masala. Stir until onions are somewhat transparent and Garam Masal has browned a little.
Toss in chickpeas and mix well, making sure to coat the chickpeas thoroughly. Next add water or broth and let simmer on low heat for about 6-8 minutes with lid. After about 8 minutes you'll want to stir in the tomatoes and cilantro and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with Brown Basmati Rice, chapatis and a nice side vegetable like Cauliflower.

My Kitchen Sounds like: "Elsewhere" by Kevin Mbugua, "Hold Yuh" by Gyptian and "Time Traveling" by Common.

Good Works

2010-05-15T17:33:00.003-04:00

There is this roots song I like on the Bambu Station compilation called "Good Works." In the song the brother says that "Jah loveth the good works they will always stand, from the hands of the righteous man." Whereas I strive to stand upright and keep a pure heart and clean hands, in no way do I liken myself to the righteous. I, however feel the weight of the lyrics. I pray that with the works that we do that The Most High finds them worthy and sees that we strive towards good works in our daily living. Today was one of those days. And at the end of it, I feel so full.

Black Star Academy had their closing ceremony today and MaituFoods served as the vendor. The youth and staff there are doing a terrific job and it was an honor to serve in the manner in which we did. It wasn't easy. LOL!!! They had quite a menu. These sisters wanted (and received) about 80 spinach spring rolls, about the same if not more lentil patties, a coconut black bean pot, brown rice, broccoli, and gravy. My gosh. And I was suppose to pull this off. I overslept after a spent Friday and woke up at 6:15am with not one carrot shredded, one bean sorted or one pot of boiling water with 4 hours to get it all done, arrive at the venue and set-up and I still had to go to the store because I needed some extra items and sensed I would run out of oil. I am looking at everything in the kitchen, on every shelf, in every corner, thinking how am I and why am I doing this??? LOL!!! Praying my 15month old will not wake up, because to cook in this humid weather with 22 pounds of him on my back is only going to make it harder.

Top it off my husband had a gardening volunteer event today within thirty minutes of dropping me off that he had to prepare for, so I couldn't make him late or hold up his process (didn't succeed at that, thank you for your patience and help love). But when life hands you lemons, grate it for some zest and make a killer sweet potato pie with a hint of lemon and ginger. So I turned up some Fela and somehow danced this meal out. The hubby went out for the extra items, my mother in law helped with vegetable washing, prep and dishes, the baby stayed in chill mode on my back and we got out of here, all fingers and toes in tact and made it to the venue with enough time to set up and sit for about 3 minutes.

I didn't sit down the 3 hours I was there. Isn't God the greatest???

So we ended up having a little extra, and even though I had a sister that wanted to buy whatever we had leftover (apologies Mama Alysia), I had to show my gratitude to my husband for his help and sacrifice this morning. So I decided that we would take the extra food we had and feed the volunteers at the garden event down the street. My mother in law grabbed the mini-van, double parked it in front of the venue, and we snuck (lol) the extra food out of the venue, laid a tablecloth in the van and laid all the food out. When we arrived to the farm, the workers had been out there for a few hours, so I know they were hungry. We popped that trunk open and just started serving plates out of the back of the van. Whatever they wanted, however much, in whatever combination. It was a just service. Here the youth and elders took time out of their Saturday morning-afternoon, to beautify and serve their community with a vegetable garden. And they worked. What we did was a small thing in comparison. By being fruitful, and working the earth, they are assisting in something that is of abundance for all. What those beloved people did was spiritual work. I see and I honor you all, that came out to Providence today to lend a hand.

And now here I am, day over, everyone (including the baby) worked. All I want to do is curl up with a mango popsicle and my book Opposite House by Helen Oyayemi, throw on some Nina Simone and just chillax...

I hope The Most High is pleased with our work. Love

I cant even think of a recipe today..soon

My Kitchen Sounds like: Every Fela song I own on shuffle.

Forward Ever/So Long April/Out My Mind Just In Time

2010-05-01T08:59:00.003-04:00

April....I am so glad to say goodbye to April. With those April showers came tears, the ending of relationships,goodbye to old friendships and the closing of chapters. On a less personal note or maybe not, I had a couple of recipe disasters, a few menu changes and the end of April, the coming of May also marks the last month of school. Whew!!! I have never been so ready to release a month. May, you shall be like that piece of parsley on the plate. Unknown to some, you serve as more than garnish. No, no no no no. You my friend are there to freshen breath and cleanse the palette, for the next flavor. In short, you are there to open the door for new perspective. I am so looking forward to the new flavor and perspective of forward movement. There is a beauty in change once we learn to accept it. When one door closes, trust a dozen more open, or less distracted you see beauty of the space you are already in.

Just saw a documentary called "How to Live Your Food". It was ok. A story of a zen priest who is also a chef. So he imparts these pearls of wisdom while baking bread. Personally I found "Ratatouille" and "Coco before Chanel" more profound and inspiring, but I did grab a couple of jewels. Like being totally present when you are cooking and understanding the emotional connection between you, your food and who you are feeding. What I drew from that, is how much food is a transmitter, a communicative medium of life force energy, of emotional energy and so forth and so on. A direct quote from the priest was that "cooking was working on yourself and other people." Which is why there is little room for miscommunication. lol. However, by virtue of the fact that communication is open to personal interpertation, there will be a huge array of perspectives and preferences. There are times when I just want a simple, "I loved it or I didnt quite like it." But there are times when you will get a, "I loved it, but..." I am attempting to understand there is a growth in the "but"

Kenya has been popping up alot lately. And not in obvious ways. Of course I am in daily communication with a loved one or another from Kenya in some capacity. But thats not what. Its been bleeding over into other facets of our lives. For instance I am huge reader. There are always at least 5 books I am dealing with at any given time. So I am browsing the bookstore for a good book for the children and stumble on two books "A Grain of Wheat" and "Matigari" by Ngugi wa Thiongo, at two different ends of the bookstore. Then the jewel (and the reason for this) "Unbowed: A Memoir" by Wangari Maathai, which I found at the library while looking for a Helen Oyayemi book. Wangari Maathai has had a presence in our reality for some time now in one capacity or another. So of course I have been eating it up. And the thing that has been the most compelling for me is her recall of history and not just history but the history of agriculture in Kenya and more namely for the Kikuyu people. And in that she has given an accord of eating and sustainability practices (aha!!! we hit the jackpot). So she comments on how the Kikuyus were/are an agrarian community and as a result were largely vegetarian. Crops she mentioned were peas, beans, arrowroots, millet, maize, roots, green vegetables, sugarcane and pyrethrum. Of course there was livestock (cows, goats, chickens),but the diet was largely vegetarian. Elder Wangari spoke on how colonialization and immigration brought the introduction of new foods and cuisine into the population. Foods heavy with salt, sugar, fat and oil. She links this to new diseases associated with nutrition (or nutrient deficinecy as I would say). And with the work that we are doing, I just give thanks when I find jewels like these to re-affirm what is already known and present. The parallels speak volumes. We consider the impact of "diet" on Africans in America and the Diaspora and the decline of our health, because of how and what we eat. The hand of colonialization and slavery in that. Then even further in dealing with land, and the British imposing on land and then forcing Kikuyus into land reserves and working on land they no longer "owned". How that links to the land grab of Native Americans and their population decline and the establishment of sharecropping with Africans in America (african-americans). Its amazing how in all of our revolutionary talks we fail to give righteous accord to food, its growth and how its consumed. You control a people's food. You control a people. I give thanks for souls like Wangari Maathai and the seeds they have planted.

So we move forward with this movement, towards healthy living and healthy eating. Knowing that yes sometimes its hard work, but its divine work. Here's to new perspectives, springing from old wisdoms. Forward and Fiyah!!!

So I have been talked to about giving up recipes for free. I dont expect that anyone reads this but friends, family and associates. But in consideration I will offer up recipes that I stumble across online and in recipe books that I like. Like this one..

Corn Pancakes

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2/3 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
2 cups milk (I use almond)
4 tablespoons oil
2 eggs (I used Ener-g egg replacer or you could use flax seed meal)
1 cup corn
4 scallions diced
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir together well. In another bowl combine milk, oil, "eggs". Mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until well moistened. The batter will be thin. Stir in the corn, scallions, red pepper flakes, and cilantro.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, measure and pour 1/4 cup of the pancake batter into a hot skillet.

Eat with Guacamole or Black Bean Salsa. YUM!!!!! I actually heavily modified the spices in the recipe. Just because I like a certain kick to my food. But the original recipe is quite nice and its flexible. Injoy!! Love.

My Kitchen Sound Like: "Heartless" by Kanye West (808s and Heartbreak), "Moon and Sky" and "Skin" by Sade, "Out My Mind, Just In Time" and "20 ft. Tall" by Erykah Badu and "Zelie" by Angelique Kidjoe ( I love this Song!!!! I play it on repeat at least 5 times before I hit next).

Out of chaos comes...

2010-03-22T21:44:00.003-04:00

Thankfully in my case tonight it was a good meal. Sometimes with all of this food business, plus maintaining my role as a wife and mother, its like I have to catch up with myself. I will add that to my eternal list of things to do. But all in all cooking is a blessing. There are still moments where I find myself excited about the possible outcome of a new meal experiment, how a new spice will go with an old favorite, how excited the children may be to see there favorite meal on the menu.

Over and over I keep hearing that in the food service business one has to get use to doing the same things over and over again. A client likes something, they want it and they want it the way they had it when they fell in love with it (wow its sounds like a relationship). I mean Mc Donalds, its the Big Mac, Burger King, the Whopper, me its the vegan cookies at Whole Foods (lol). I must say that I am still trying to adjust to this concept. See the joy for me in cooking is the creative challenge, venturing into new ground, new cultures, new tastes, new textures. Its the new colors and smells. Its "my thing". Having a bad day, stressed out...I'm running towards the kitchen, to work it out and voila!!! we have a really good meal. For instance, today was a hectic one. I headed to the kitchen, turned the radio on real loud (Corrine Bailey Rae and Raheem Devaughn's new cds) and I just went all in. I've have been really feeling some Ethiopian inspiration. So I made lentils with berbere spices and peppers, baby bok choy fresh from the garden, brown rice and guacamole with seaweed. Yum!!! It was perfect and I felt 10...well 8 times better afterwards.

So the challenge. Food wise, I have been in a rut of sorts. Most people want the same thing. I swear I can make falafel in my sleep, lentil patties in a tornado, and pasta and potatoes, well the baby can make pasta and potatoes. The conflict is I appreciate that the food is cherished and well liked and some days I am in need of something new.

Something that babies probably wont like, because children for the most part, like it real simple when it comes to their food. For instance, last week we had a power outage on our block. We have an electric stove so there was no way we were cooking. I had to make sandwiches for the children. When I walked into one of the schools, one of the 4 years old, said "Mama JoVonna, thank you for bringing us bread." LOL!!! How should I have felt about that? LOL!!! The rest of the gang was "YAY!!!! Sandwiches!!!"

Or another mystery. They love, what I feel are my mistakes. So, I have this thing where besides lentil patties, I have the strangest experiences with making patties/burgers. I mean they never come out the way I (keyword being I) want them to. I take all the well known steps from breadcrumbs, energy egg replacer, flax seed, flour...somehow they just never come out the way I envisioned them in my head. And still the people love them. Like my chick pea pancakes which were suppose to be chick pea patties. I'm really not quite sure what happened (will post recipe below, open to suggestions), but they ended up being like these strange pancake things, that of course the children loved. Well I suppose what am I complaining about, at the end of the day, its about the people being excited about the food.

I will just have to learn how to experiment on my own time and pray that my brain doesnt explode.

Chick Pea Patties/Pancakes (tips would be helpful)

1 pot of cooked Garbanzos/chickpeas
1 chopped onion
Berbere seasonings.
Ener-G egg replacer (the equivalant of, heck I lost count, maybe 6-8 eggs/lol)
breadcrumbs and flour to thicken and help stick together
salt to taste
a small amout of h2o
about 1 cup of oil.

So I didnt measure anything...I blended everything together by hand. Lightly oiled a skillet. Spooned large clumps of pattie mix into a skillet browned one side of the patty and then flattened it. Flipped it over and browned the opposite side. And the end result was Chickpea Pancakes (thanks Ananse Kurom for the name...smile). Love

My Kitchen Sounds like: Corrine Bailey Rae "The Sea" and Raheem Devaughn "Love and War: The Masterpeace.

Birthing Community

2010-02-18T19:31:00.002-05:00

It was a huge blessing, to have the opportunity, the privilege to find myself in the company of the men and women that I shared space and time with on last night. So Mama Sarahn, beloved, beloved mother and midwife (mine amongst many) facilitated a Meetup group. The families came together under the common interest of home and natural birthing. Housed by Sister Song, it was an honor to have MaituFoods as the first sponsor in this new organization. I have so many thoughts and ideas, sparked from the gathering. To see so many of us, united in the midst of cultural, race, class, gender and age differences was amazing. It's good to know that we have all come together under the banner of life, health and abundance. I see potential. I was introduced to many people in my community who offer services that I would never have known of if not having been in attendance last night. I am grateful..and look forward to solidifying the connections we made last night.

Celebrate life!!!!

My Kitchen Sounds like: Lizz Wright "The Orchard"

1 more day/ Happy Earthstrong Kaba

2010-02-15T12:25:00.002-05:00

Whew!!! Busy, busy week ahead. Lunch deliveries, preparing food for an event with Mama Sarahn (Greater Atlanta Homebirth Meetup Group, check it if you are in the Atl on Wed), all the usual, clean this, cook this, wash that, help with this...but most importantly.........ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! It's Kahen's Birthday tomorrow!!!!! Ah, my firstborn Sun, makes his first revolution. I am so so geeked. Kahen you are brown and beautiful. An amazing soul, and you light up our days and nights. Mama and Baba love you deeply. You have survived our first year and Mama's crash course parenting with all of your limbs, both your eyes, your nose, your brain intact. No major accidents or injuries. I am looking forward to your progression, little one. God be with us on the journey to 2. Praying for more sleep, more solid foods, walking and verbal communication...as you advance, keep the Most High close and know that you are that. Nakupenda Kababinghi. Your family loves you.

And to Baba, M2, both grandmas, big brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and close associates. We made it!!! Love to you all.

Ah!!!!!! I am dancing!!!

Chocolate Cake (from Vegan Goddess)

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups dry sweetener
1/4 cup water
2 cups nut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Ina blender, blend margarine, sweetener and water. Add this to flour mixture along with the milk and vanilla. Mix together until gently mixed. Pour into a lightly oiled cake pan and bake for 30 min.

****and to just go all for it

Chocolate Icing

1 cup cold water
5 tbsp flour
1 cup dry sweetner
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp cocoa powder

In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour constantly over medium heat until thick (about the consistency of glue). Be mindful not to burn it. Once thick, remove from heat and cool off completely before setting the pot in a larger pan of cold water or sink with cold water. While its cooling, in a medium bowl mix together the sweetener, vanilla, margarine and cocoa powder until well mixed. Add the cooled flour mix to the bowl and stir together until there are no lumps. Let cool on fridge for 30-60 minutes. Then ice cooled cake.

My Kitchen Sounds Like: The sound of my hands clapping and my feet hitting the floor as I dance in celebration of life...Love

3-N-1/Yum!!!/Leftovers/Guru

2010-02-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

YUM

In the words of my girl Mini Money/Ms. Lucas, "uh Yum!". So I have been working at this cheese recipe forever. Trying to figure out how to make vegan nacho cheese. See, I have a cheese recipe already, but it tastes more like an alfredo. Dont get me wrong I love it. I put it on all my recipes that call for cheese. But somehow it needed an adjustment for nachos and also change is necessary every now and then. So nacho cheese...it has become the favorite recipe of the family as of late. So what did I do????? I will never tell all. You'd have to just come and get some. But I will share the basic cheese recipe at the bottom.

I would be wrong if I did not shout out Sister Janelle. So, Sister Janelle is running things in Miami, serving up vegan pizzas (check her at http://theorganicsage.blogspot.com). The sistren is doing big things and I've heard from a good source that she is good at what she does. So if in the M.I.A, please, please, please link up with the sis. Ok, back to my story. So Sister Janelle and me were building about our respective businesses and we got on recipes, namely cheese recipes. I shared with her my cheese recipe and my dilemma in trying to figure out how to come up with a cheddar cheese equivalent. So we swapped ideas and found out we use very, very similar cheese recipes..catch is Sister Janelle shared with me the beautiful idea of using raw cashews as a thickener. So me being the being that I am, decided that the next weekend would be pizza weekend for the family. I went to the store, gathered all the usual suspects and just to get my kicks, added a bag of cashews. Project Pizza underway. I did everything like I always do, prepared the crust, made the marinara (with some adjustments I have added since posting the recipe), some pesto, diced up some veggies (peppers, olives, mushrooms, artichoke, onion) and then began the cheese process. I decided since my cheese recipe was still dope I would keep it, and then also do Janelle's adjustment. Hey it just meant more pizza for us. So I did things as usual. A lil garlic here, some almond milk there, a lil aqua, a lil nutritional yeast and then....dun dun dun!!!! CASHEWS!!!! Oh my goodness!!! If Janelle was nearby I would have thrown her a party. A pizza party. The cashew was a perfect addition. It thickened the cheese so when it baked it wasnt too runny. The flavor was great. YUM!!! Thank you Janelle for adding to the YUM!! repertoire. I tried the pizza out on the youth, they loved it. So Atlanta, looking for vegan pizza delivery. Soon come. And if and while you are in Miami, check Sister Janelle. Love.

Continuing with the Yum and hailing up my girl Mini Money. Coconut. I use every single part of the coconut. I love coconut. I shout Somini, because all I have to do for her is add coconut to the recipe and I got a winner. If you dont know Coconut is great for so many things. I remember reading an article about the uses of coconut. The water is good for electrolytes (pregnant mommmies this is good during birth), when Kaba had a fever I used it to cool him and keep him hydrated. We use it in smoothies along with the meat of the coconut. I use the oil for my skin and hair. Its a nice fat in recipes, like cookies (*damn there goes my secret), greens..whatever. I make coconut chili (big hit when vending), coconut rice and peas, coconut curry...its great for anything. So, imagine how my heart dropped when I was told that my son possibly has a coconut allergy. I saw the world of Thai food coming to a complete halt and together we mourned, the lost of coconut in my life. Well at least until Kaba is two and no longer breastfeeding. So for me. Go out there, find you a coconut and binge until the heavens cry out. Love

LEFTOVERS/GURUs

My mother use to say that food tastes better the next day. Why? Because "the flavors" (lol) soak in. There is alot of truth to the theory. If it was good once, it will most likely be good the second time around. My only issue with that is that, one of the best parts of cooking for me is going out and picking the ingredients. So, sometimes recreating with leftovers is like trying to create a new painting, using the same paint from the previous day on the same canvas. Its possible to create a masterpiece, but there is the potential that you end up feeling like, been here and done that. Which is why I have so much respect for people who can create something out of leftover ingredients or creating something from nothing. *Insert shout out to my cooking Gurus Akilah and Eugene right here**

I have witnessed my husband Eugene, go into the kitchen, when I thought there was nothing and create a meal, that I find myself waiting to get down to the bare essentials to duplicate. Genius (its part of his name). Last week he made this Sushi bowl. I think by accident but it was great. Absolutely great snack. Full of minerals and vitamins, good fat and flavor. Being a visual artist, his sense of color and presentation is off the chain. And when it comes to flavor. He never, ever fails. Ever. His art is the art of simplicity. Simple ingredients, simple meals. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Akilah. So for anyone who thinks I am a great cook. This woman is my cooking Guru. Who I look up to. My dear, dear sister Akilah. She is the only person who comes to visit our house and I make her cook, instead of preparing a meal for her. You think its wrong? You have not had her food. I can recall every single meal Akilah has made for me. Like in Brooklyn when she made white bean soup with jalapeno cornbread (YUM!!!) or the time, 5years ago, she made Cornmeal battered Seitan, Steamed okra and Sesame Udon noodles (I have pictures). Its like she takes nothing, absolutely nothing and makes something. The last time she cooked for me, I was pregnant she made BBQ Seitan and Spicy Kale Salad with Couscous. I still think about that meal. I mean there are so many stories. Like the time we made chinese food together and we didnt have sweet and sour sauce. She went in the kitchen took out white vinegar, maple syrup, cayenne and soy sauce and voila!!!, Sweet and Sour Sauce a la negro (lol). My sis Neff still swears by that sauce recipe. Or in college when we all lived together and were starving and she made home made ramen with spaghetti noodles, green onions and seasonings. I love this woman. My cooking guru Agoo goo/Akilah. Love.

Cheese Recipe

about 1 1/2 cups of Nut. Yeast
Garlic
Water
fresh almond milk
oil
salt

Blend all ingredients together and add to pasta..whatever. Add cashews to thicken.

Rice and Peas Recipe

2 cups rice
1 can coconut milk
16 ounces of red beans (cooked)
salt to taste
thyme to taste
1 onion diced

First add a bit of oil to the pan. Saute onion until almost translucent. Add rice, thyme and salt. Stir in beans. After stirring for a bit add in coconut water and water to make about 4 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed. About 25minutes.

Leftovers/Sushi Bowl

Leftover Brown Rice
Nori sheets
Avocado
Garlic Dressing (I make it homemade but you can use Soy Sauce to replace)
Cashews

Just cut the avocado into chunks, tear the nori sheets and then throw everything into a bowl. YUM!!! Instant sushi without the rolling.

BBQ Seitan

Seitan (precooked or buy gluten flour and spend the next 2 hours making up your own/my preference)***look at bottom for additional instructions
Favorite BBQ sauce
Seasoned Cornmeal
Oil

** I typically like to make my own seitan. So I buy the gluten flour, add water, knead until my hands fall off. Slice the seitan into chunks and drop the raw dough into a boiling pan of hot water with garlic, ginger and onion. Let it boil for about an hour until the texture is nice and chewy. Proceed.

Cut the seitan into thick strips. Place slices in a wet batter and then seasoned cornmeal. Fry the strips in oil until nice and crispy. Toss in BBQ sauce. Injoy!!!

I dont use this too much. Wheat can be an allergen. So whereas this recipe is great. Eat occasionally. Love

My Kitchen sounds like: "Umi Says" by Mos Def, "How Many Mics" by The Fugees, "Who Colt The Game" by Bob Marley and "Shug's Song" by Shug Avery.

Newest Family Member/Sarita's Playpen

2010-02-12T19:36:00.004-05:00

We are so pleased and blessed to welcome Sarita's Playpen to the Maitufoods family. Sarita's Playpen is a Child Development Experience Center located in Grant Park. Family owned and operated they offer many different services in child development and they serve a vegan lunch handled by Maitufoods. (Yay!!!) If anyone is in the Atlanta area and is interested, look them up. Thank you to the Director Rose and Family. We look forward to a healthy and abundant experience. Love

My Kitchen Sounds like: Kababinghi's (Kahen's)Drumming and Piano playing.

Pumzi/Wanuri Kahiu

2010-02-06T13:09:00.005-05:00

We are little without family and community. Looking into our family, our close companions, is kin to looking into a mirror to view our reflection. I am blessed to be surrounded by beautiful, beautiful souls. This sister of mine, to attempt to write an expression would diminish what's felt and the importance of this sister to our family. She is M2 (godmother) to our youth and just a beautiful influence and inspiration. Her creativity speaks volumes.

So what's the correlation to Maitufoods you ask?(I'm not just boasting on my fam). When I was looking for a name for the business, it was around the time Wanuri was writing the script for Pumzi, her latest film. I was very drawn to the main character for many reasons. I am a sci-fi buff and Wanuri has a good sense of imagination. Said all that to say, there was one thing that stuck out in the script. Maitu: the name of the seed and community in the film. Maa (truth) Itu (ours). Comes from the Kikuyu language, and its meaning is mother. So Maitufoods, MotherFoods, Our Truth Foods, was inspired by my sister Wanuri, by way of her film Pumzi. So for those who have been asking, seek no more, your answer has been granted. :)

Pumzi...wow what do I say about Pumzi. First I will say I love it. The layers, the images. The heroine is woman of color. The beauty of her is in her humanity. The film takes place in futuristic Africa. 35 years after the Water War (WW3). Asha, the main character is a curator at a virtual museum in the Maitu Community (ahh there it goes) that collects ancient, natural artifacts. By this time nature is extinct, water is scarce and without giving away the film, my interpretation is, its about Asha's journey back to life. Beautiful beautiful beautiful...check it. Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3elKofS43xM (trailer)
http://pumzithefilm.com/ (website)

My recipe for today was designed by GOD....WATER!!!!!! DRINK IT!!!

My Kitchen Sounds like: "New World Water" by Mos Def and "I'd Like" by Freshlyground

Connect Between Earth and Sky

2010-02-06T12:17:00.002-05:00

Being a woman is a beautiful, beautiful experience. One that I cherish. I am so grateful that by way of karma and the Most High's grace I came back as a sister this time. Within that I have found myself a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife and helpmate, a receiver, a nurturer by nature, but most cherished is the experience of Motherhood. Mothers, what can I say about mothers? There is so much more in the feeling than in the words. So much in the relation, than in the verbal conveying of what it is to be, to have a mother. I find myself now as a mother, having instances that call forth my own memories as a child and experiences with my mother and realize the weight, the beautiful implication of that role. All love and praise to mothers and fathers that allow and support mothers. Truly family is a blessed thing.

Maitu, the Kikuyu word for mother, literally translated as Maa (truth) Itu (our) Our Truth, was started with the premise of honoring Mothers with service. Maitufoods initial service being preparing meals for postpartum mothers and their families. Its been a blessing and a gift to give to the families, the children, to these vessels of creation. I am grateful that The Most High has saw fit to allow me and the family to serve humanity and our community in this way. Its so intimate, its so personal. Dealing with food, which is vital for living. Yeah its great :) I honor any one who finds themselves serving the communities with their gifts. Be it in food preparing, food growing and establishing green spaces, midwifery and doula services, educators, instructors, story tellers, musicians, artists etc. It's all good works. Talking with my husband Eugene, last night we discussed the importance of setting out to be decent human beings. As social creatures we have many ideas of how to dos and what to dos, but if we can show our children examples of just being decent human beings, all else will be taken care of. I believe that. And for our youth, the very first influence, the first teacher and connect to the world and beyond is the Mother.

Mothers I salute you!!!!! Blessed love and prosperity!!!!

MAITUFOODS is happy to offer vegan meals for expecting and new mothers. As a mother I understand the importance and value of a meal that meets your nutritional needs. It's important that the food we eat, not only tastes good but also sustains us. Maitufoods is committed to serving fresh and nutritionally sound meals.

As a service we offer meal planning, food pick-up and delivery, as well as fresh water services.
Contact us at: maitufoods@gmail.com

Wangari Maathi Punch-Up (call me I will explain the name..smile)/check this history on her.

1 whole pineapple peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup fresh tamarind pulp
4 inch piece of ginger
water and flesh from 1 coconut

After peeling, coring and slicing the pineapple, Juice along with the ginger.
In a blender, blend together the pineapple-ginger juice, coconut water and flesh and tamarind pulp.
At this point I like to keep it pulpy and thick, however you can strain to desired consistency. Love.

My kitchen sounds like: "New Life" by Midnite

Community

2010-01-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

My sister Neff said to me during one of our talks: "Baba told me that if you feed your community, your community will feed you." Simple enough, and yet it was so right on in the moment. I had been pondering the last two years and the warm embrace and support that I have gathered from the community of people who support MaituFoods. There are times where I am overwhelmed by the thanks and appreci-love that I feel for the community of families and students at Black Star Academy, Pearl Academy, Ananse Kurom Learning Center and Akebon Home School Collective. What Neff said has rang true. As I have been blessed with the ability to feed my community, I in return am fed. There are countless days and experiences that I can recall where I have received so much from the children. Days where the family has arrived to deliver the food and the babies have burst with greetings when we walked through the door. Reaching for Kahen, sharing a childish joke, a hug, a question or a new lesson that they have learned. Or arriving at Black Star Academy and walking in on an experiment or some new movie the girls have created. The many jokes or teeny-bopper interests that they have shared. Or even more so when they share a piece of African or African Diaspora history with me that I had not been aware of, or some science fact. I am amazed at the intelligence and beauty of our youth. And to know that everyday they all are fed by food that my family has taken the time and energy to prepare and serve as our offering to them is a huge blessing.
So to the youth at Black Star Academy, Pearl Academy, Ananse Kurom Learning Center and Akebon Home School Collective, Mama JoVonna salutes you. Know that you are beautiful, creative, shining and blessed by the Most High. Love

*** A recipe sent by a family friend, she offered it as something to share...

Oatmeal Fruit Cookies
Mix:

3/4 cup butter (can substitute w/vegan butter such as Earth Balance)

1 cup sugar (half brown, half white)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup soy milk (can sub w/any other kind of milk or water)

In a separate container Mix:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Then add to butter and sugar mixture

Next stir in:

3 cups whole oats (not quick oats or instant oatmeal)

2 Tbs flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)

1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc...)

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (well drained)

1/4 cup dried shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp clove powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 18-25 minutes. Cookies will be quite soft when done but become more firm once cooled.

My Kitchen sounds like: "Africa Unite" Berhane Selassie/Robert Nesta Marley

Green: The color of everything good...

2009-12-31T10:44:00.003-05:00

I'm surprised this hasn't come sooner. The one thing I eat everyday in some capacity, everybody I know loves them, they are vital to a balanced diet and nutrition, packed full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein.....GREENS!!!!!

So the family went out to one of the farms that my hubby has installed in the city (Peace Garden;check it out ATL natives) and I have my 10 month old, (who loves being outdoors)and Baba is picking mustard greens for us to eat tonight. I ask him to hand the baby one to play with. I'm thinking he'll enjoy the texture, the color. Meaning he will probably squeeze it and rip it to shreds and then discard it (ya know; occupy his time and focus). We look up and he's actually eating the mustard green. Now for those of you who have had mustards, you know that they have a pretty nice kick to them. He loved it. Then again this is the same baby who likes spirulina and flax seed oil. It just shows that babies have alot more sense than we think they do, and if you introduce a child to things at an early age there is little that they will not open themselves to (for those moms who have a hard time giving their children vegetables).

Greens, Sukuma wiki, Kale, Mustards, Spinach etc..whatever, I eat them all. In all kinds of ways. Out on the farm, need a boost, some kick..grab a green leaf. Juice them put them in smoothies. My mom likes to mix turnips, mustards and collards. My good sister One, from Kenya, came through a couple of years ago, added some rosemary (and other spices) to a pot of greens, I served them to the children at the school and they were looking for seconds. The possibilities are endless.

Cheers to Greens!!!

Basic Green Pot

Any mix of greens you like (Collards, Kale, Mustards, Turnips)
1 med onion
2 cloves of garlic
vegetable broth or water
vegetable oil ( I like sunflower or olive oil)
salt to taste
cayenne

Saute onions and garlic in oil.
Add greens and stir for about a minute or so.
Add broth or water (whatever amount you desire, and also depending on the amount of greens)
season with cayenne and salt to taste.
cook for about 10-15min (depending on the green)

* This is a real basic mix...I often add herbal seasonings, ginger for a kick, tomatoes, mushrooms, experiment with different oils, bell peppers..etc..its really to your taste. I have never made the same pot of greens twice. Its really a free for all.

Collard/Pineapple Juice (cleansing)

1 pineapple or 2 quarts of pineapple juice.
1 bunch of collards
1 lemon
couple sprigs of rosemary

Blend all items together and strain to desired consistency.
Enjoy!!!

Calloloo Style Spinach

4 bunches of spinach (Italian spinach)
Red Bell Pepper
1/2 medium onion
vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
pinch each of thyme, cayenne, pimento, and ginger.
2 cloves of garlic

Saute the spices, red pepper, onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add in spinach and water.
Saute until spinach is steamed through.

Green Salad

Mix of seasonal greens (torn in pieces)
handful of sunflower seeds
nori sheets (torn in pieces)/optional
handful of pumpkin seeds
olive oil and citrus based salad dressing

Toss everything together and enjoy alone or with a meal...

My Kitchen sounds like "Kenyan Girl, Kenyan Boy" by East African Bashment Crew and "Forever" by Necessary Noize.

Like Water for Chocolate

2009-12-20T11:02:00.003-05:00

I remember the first time I heard the Common album, "Like Water for Chocolate", it instantly became one of my favorites. As Common albums go it was full of texture, well-rounded, colorful and full of variety. It has a real balance sound. Later it came to me from somewhere (not quite sure) that the title came from a book by Laura Esquivel, not only that but it was a movie. I saw the flick and was very moved by the story. It was a beautiful love story that had food at the center of its tale. The story's protagonist is a young sister named Tita. All her life Tita longs for her lover who she can't be with. The only way that she's able to express her passion and emotion is through the food she cooks. As a result of her immense passion, the people who taste her food are overcome with the emotions she feels every time they eat her cooking.

I got to thinking of the power of not only food to translate our innermost thoughts and expressions, but the power of emotion to come through in such a way. Although it makes sense. I mean what separates cooking from any other creative endeavor? When a painter paints, or a poet writes their emotion, their message, whatever their expression is comes across through their medium. If I sight further, it becomes imperative that we are thoughtful (upful) about what it is we are putting forward.

As a common practice, whenever I cook I am playing music. Music to vibrate my spirit, my mood upwards. Its a delicate matter. The ones who eat my food are not only getting my mood or my current vibration, they are receiving bits of my memory, my story, my thoughts and innermost expression. They are experiencing me. So, its a grand responsibility to ensure that I am at my highest (or striving to be so) whenever I step foot into the kitchen. Its a matter of fact. It shows in how parents and children respond to my cooking, or even how there has been a shift in how they respond to me since I started cooking.

Walking into the kitchen for me is sometimes like walking into a time warp, landing in my mother's kitchen. I smell garlic and onions. I smell sweet potatoes pies and lemon pound cakes. I can see me in the living room with a broomstick as my microphone singing and dancing a made-up routine to Betty Wright or Marvin Gaye, or if I was lucky New Kids on The Block (I liked Donnie, don't laugh.) So, when I step into my own kitchen now as an adult, in my mind's eye, I am back there in that secure place, 10years old, having a ball in my youth, waiting for what's coming out of the pot. I pray, God willing that when the people eat my food all that love, imagination, light, and youthful energy comes through...Bless

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon to taste
1 cup of sugar (I switch it up, sometimes I use turbinado)
as many dark vegan chocolate chips as you want (GO CRAZY!!!)
nuts (optional)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup oil (sunflower is nice and light)
vanilla extract (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nuts and chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla. Stir until well mixed and then add vanilla. (* at this time you can also add applesauce, my husband swears by this for moist cookies.).
Combine the ingredients of the two bowls. Stir well, but do not over stir. This is the time I usually abandon the spoons and use my hands (I like to get down and dirty, become one with my food). Mix and then spoon the dough onto a preheated cookie sheet.
For a softer cookie bake for 8-10 minutes. The longer you bake the harder they will get as the still cook and settle for a few minutes once they begin to cool...INJOY!!!

** this is really a base recipe. Every time I make these I come up with a new variety. Be free, subsitute one of the cups of flour for a cup of oats, add raisins, nutmeg and walnuts and you have an oatmeal cookie. Add cacao, coconut, dried fruit..go wild with these. There are no limits with this basic recipe.

My Kitchen sounds like "Like Water for Chocolate" by Common

Family Time

2009-12-17T16:38:00.004-05:00

Its that season again. And whereas we don't celebrate the holidays, our house is always full of family. Which means plenty and plenty of food. I love it. Especially because with each visit, comes another preference, another recipe that's passed down and placed in the arsenal (just in case).

This time of the year is also spent in reflecting over the year spent. If I look back, I can think of all the events that have shaped and moulded this year, and with each event there is a dish that equally sticks out. Like when my mother came for the birth of our son, I ate her vegan tacos and home fries almost everyday. Or when I had my blessing way, sister Camara made these really good lentils. I still can't figure out what she did. When Somini came from Kenya, there came Githeri (which instantly became my favorite) and Mukimo (not sure if I spelled that right) But Githeri is this dish of potaotes, red beans, corn and spices simmered...yum!!! I eat it all the time. Then there is Sarah's Kamut. Sarah a good friend of the family, came to our home fresh from a year in India. So one can imagine the explosion of tastes she experienced. She arrived with a willingness to serve and a wonderful, wonderful taste for curry. Kamut is a really hearty grain that takes about 2 hours to cook, but it is well worth the wait. So in the spirit of family, and in honor of our dear sister Sarah, this week's post will be Sarah's Cashew Curry Kamut. Beware this is spicy!!!!!!!

Cashew Curry Kamut

2 cups Kamut
1 cup cashews (whole, raw)
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 TBSP Ghee (vegans can omit this and add earth balance or other alternative)
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 TBSP sunflower oil (if needed)
1/2 TBSP salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 TBSP turmeric
1 TBSP curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 TBSP cumin seeds
2 TBSP Sugar (turbinado) or substitute with maple or agave
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

Kamut: Boil Kamut with 6 cups of water for 1 1/2 -2 hours. Once it comes to boil, simmer. Stirring occasionally

Curry Sauce: Heat ghee and coconut oil in a sauce pan. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, curry and cumin seeds. Saute for 10-20 seconds and add onion. Careful not to scorch the cumin seeds. Once onion becomes translucent, add cashews and raisins. Cook on low/med until onion has disintegrated and you have a paste.

Once Kamut is cooked add curry sauce, sugar, shredded coconut, and coconut milk (if desired). If its dry, you can add water. Stir well, serve hot and Injoy!!!
Serves 7 or if I am at the table 5 :-)

My Kitchen sounds like "We are One" by Ziggy Marley.

I love the weekend.

2009-12-05T21:41:00.002-05:00

I love the weekend. Well let me say I loved this weekend, and its not even over yet. Because of, the food alone I love this weekend. Yesterday I taught a cooking class and the student made Lasagna. Yum. So basically we took the simple marinara recipe and built from that base. It was a lot of fun. Especially since my student is a friend of the family and a fellow cancer who considers himself a "semi-chef" (whatever that means). So he spent most of the time telling me how he was going to improve on my recipe. I had to keep reminding him that he did come to me to be taught...it was all in good fun. We had our own little cooking war, as he tried to convince me and a good sister of mine (who are both vegan/vegetarians) of the necessity of meat, not only meat but deer meat. I love this life.

Then today, the family went to an Indian food buffet!!!! (Yay!! A cooking day off). I ate like eating was going out of style. I love Indian food, but more than that, I love Indian food that is all you can eat. Plates and plates of Aloo Gobi, Nan, Saggaloo, Dal...my gosh..I could go on, but I wont incriminate myself or my appetite.

Then to top it all off (this is starting to sound like a glutton fest), because we knew we would be in, due to the 25degree weather outside, we bought ice cream, cookies and cider (Sarah is my sugar sister) and had a blockbuster night. I can say at this hour I am full and satisfied. I give thanks for the family, the conversation, entertainment and just being home on this day.

Its amazing how food has the ability to bring us together. Think of how many great moments we have at the table. How many events in our lives have happened in the midst of food.

One of the movies we watched was Food Inc. Wow, a must see. It was a tear-jerker. You see how big the business of food is. I mean really, THE BUSINESS of food???? It's such a fragile matter, one in which all of our lives and livelihoods is linked into. It's seems important that we make ourselves aware. And if it is not our thing to get involved on a political or social level, that we at least take some time to plant our feet in the soil, to perhaps even take an active hand in growing our own food (www.gebsite.com). 1st commandment to humanity in the scriptures "Keep and tend the garden"...Love

My kitchen sounds like: The Philadelphia Orchestra

Can you send me that recipe???

2009-12-03T23:47:00.004-05:00

I get the question all the time, "so will you share the recipe?" I am always hard pressed to answer because, whereas I do look up recipes (quite often actually). I don't follow them all that well. I seek out recipes only to gather the skeleton items. For instance. I had a hard time making oatmeal cookies. No matter what I did the recipe would not come out right. So I went online checked out several recipes and found the basic elements of a cookie and then the basic elements of an oatmeal cookie. Took the skeleton, added a dash here, a pinch there of my own flavor, modified the recipe to my taste and voila I ended up with a perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies (Lol!!!). Hey it wasn't what I set out to do, but it works.

The point I am trying to make is recipes are great, especially for the beginner. You don't find yourself trying to re-invent the wheel, you can take simple basic items and add your own creative touch. So, do I share my recipes? Hardly ever. But I will always, always share the basic recipe that I may have drawn inspiration from.

Another question I have been asked frequently is after cooking for the business, do I still cook for myself and the family? Or do I like other people's cooking? Question 1. Of course, my family members are my taste testers. Trust, its better that way, because then by the time it gets to the public, its been tried and tested. Besides I come from a family of cooks, so the challenge is always on. About liking other people's cooking....ahhhh that's hard. Not generally. There are really three people who I walk away from a table and I am amazed. My mother, my husband Eugene and my sister Akilah. These are the people that I look to for ideas, recipes, help :) My mother is really good with on the spot, flavorful, everyday meals. Akilah is great at food that makes you feel good when you are eating it, her food is like a huge hug. Eugene, well he is Mr. "How About". How about adding this, or how about if you add that. He's great when, I am stuck. Or he has the ability to go in the kitchen and make 1 potato, a handful of Brazil nuts and cut okra into a gourmet dish packed with flavor.

Suffice it to say, this is a movement. MaituFoods has so much input from my everyday experiences and relationships. I'm grateful for that much. Because I can rest with the assurance that WE are putting so much of ourselves into making this endeavor complete and whole-hearted. I love doing this. I give thanks for the opportunity.

Garbanzo Patties

2 cups of cooked Garbanzo beans/Chickpeas

1/2 onion, diced

Salt to taste.

2 tablespoons of oil.

1 clove of garlic.

(I like to add different veggies, depending on my taste)
combination of your favorite spices and herbs to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until the mix is smooth.
There are two routes you can take this recipe. You can either spoon the mix into hot oil and brown the patties on each side (my favorite option), or you can add a bit of flour to the mix and form into patties and bake for 15min-20min.

Once done you can serve over rice with a nice homemade rue/gravy and a side salad.

My Kitchen sounds like: Sun Is Shining by Bob Marley (Kaya) "We lift our hands..."

Greetings from Planet Maitu

2009-11-29T22:34:00.002-05:00

MaituFoods was created out of a sense of love and need. Typical driving forces. Pregnant with my son, I was forced with the question of how to financially contribute to the household and make sure that the child on the way would be able to grow and develop in a space where he/she would not have to compete with a rigid 9-5 schedule and endure a mother with a typical workforce temperament. My husband and I both agreed that working from home would be the best choice. Now that, that was out of the way what would/could I do?

For months I searched my mind trying to find what I could do, that I would enjoy doing and it would allow me to be home and make an income. As things go, answers in life tend to just manifest, and when the right one comes you take note. (Yeah right ). Anyway, continuing with the story... My husband and I are driving around and he turns to me and says, "Why don't you make school lunches for the school down the street?, You like to cook, you're good at it." I'm thinking oh, please. Who's going to pay me to make lunches for their children. But it wasn't too bad an idea and by now I had exhausted myself trying to come up with ideas.

So I pitched it to the director. She loved it and we were schedule to begin service on the first day of school. Our first meal, we didn't have too big of a following. Maybe 3 students at the most. However, after the first meal everyone begin to sign-up and by the end of the first week, not only did we have all the students on the lunch program, we had faculty and staff and the day care next door.

So here we are a year later. Still expanding, still growing strong, still serving. This journey has been blessed and it appears is only just beginning. We invite you to come along...Welcome to MaituFoods...Come eat...

Simple Marinara Sauce

12 over-ripe tomatoes.
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or fresh basil leaves
salt to taste

First peel and seed the tomatoes. Then dice. In a deep skillet heat olive oil and brown garlic cloves. Add tomatoes to the skillet and allow to cook down for about 20 minutes. Next add the Italian seasonings/basil and salt to taste and allow to heat for about 5 minutes more. Voila!! Simple Marinara.
This sauce can be used over pasta or garlic bread. You can add fresh veggies or even use it as a sauce for Parmesan and lasagnas...

My Kitchen sounds like: Dolores by Miles Davis (Miles Smiles).