Ramadan

A Taste of Senegalese Cuisine

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ceen jenWe had another dinner party last night, this time to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan.  About 20 of my friends visiting from Senegal and Benin came over to enjoy a traditional Senegalese fest of Ceebu Jën (literally rice and fish in Wolof), or Thiéboudiène.  This is the second time I have ever cooked this meal, and it came out way better than I thought it would.  My guests enjoyed and all was good for the celebration!

I originally learned how to cook this dish during a trip to Senegal many years ago.  Of course, I perfected my cooking technique by watching YouTube videos.  I used red snapper, brown rice, vegetables and potatoes substitute for cassava.  Here’s how to make it.

I also made Poulet Yassa (Senegalese chicken) and it came out fantastically!

A Taste of Tajine Cooking

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garden-vegetable-tagine-plated-660x440Last weekend we hosted an international potluck with some friends.  I asked everyone to pick a country and bring a dish representing its cuisine.  My guests picked Jamaica, Tibet, Greece, Senegal, and Argentina. I picked Morocco because I have traveled there before and fell in love with tajine cooking; so much so that I purchased a tajine pot while I was there.

Tajine is the name of both the pot and dish originating from North Africa.  The dish is generally made with meat, especially lamb or chicken.  I usually make the meat versions whenever I attend Ramadan dinners.  However, since most of my guests were vegetarians, I made a version with vegetables, and my dish also included dried dates, chickpeas and almonds.

Suffice to say, the dish was a hit with everyone.  I was asked to post my recipe.  It’s not really my recipe; I found it on YouTube.  So, without further ado…

I even had time to make a Spanish tortilla Moroccan style! Enjoy!