Scotch bonnet chillies – Some like it hot

When it comes to chillies, there’s only one for me, the scotch bonnet -the king of chillies! It comes in traffic stopping colours and livens every dish it touches. I love it because it gives both heat AND a delicious fruity flavour. It brings a lively zing to sauces, stews and soups and adds something different to lasagne and shepherd’s pie. For me it’s a must in marinades. Hot peppers are a defining flavour in African foods. In Ghana, we love it with onion ...

October 26, 2014

Tastes of Ghana course

Wednesday 15th October was ‘Tastes of Ghana’ day at the Novelli Academy, and what fun it was! From the minute the guests arrived till the moment they left, the energy and atmosphere was one I will remember for a long time!! We began with the usual welcome, teas, coffees and biscuits and chatted as guests wandered around the kitchen and enjoyed looking over the ingredients &nbs...

October 22, 2014

St Albans Street Food Festival

I had a fantastic day at the St Albans street food festival today. The weather, the food, the people, the energy - amazing ! The day was very well organised with food stalls from around the world. My planned demonstration slot was brought forward a couple of hours at the last minute and I shared with the crowd how to cook plantain pancakes - or tatale as we call it in Ghana. The crowd certainly enjoyed the tasters - plantain crisps (from green plantain), the tatale and the plantain ...

October 5, 2014

Yam at Staples Corner

Welcome to ‘Staples Corner’! I’m looking forward to sharing how I enjoy African staples like yam, plantain, cassava, cocoa yam, rice and sweet potatoes. They’re easy to find, easy to cook and a satisfying addition to your eating experience! I find they go down well with traditional dishes like savoury pies, roasts and stews, once you see how easy they are to cook, I’m sure you’ll find so many ways to enjoy them. Let’s start with yam. An excellent alterna...

September 20, 2014

Juicy ginger secrets

I love to start my day with a juice drink and my favourite juicing ingredients are combinations of apple, beetroot, celery, carrots, kiwi and of course, ginger. Ginger because it gives it that peppery rush that I love and of course it adds a lively kick. Beetroot and carrot give it a rich, deep orangy-red colour, apples and kiwi bring their natural sweetness. Whatever the combination, I always include ginger. Sometimes I make a ...

September 5, 2014

Crispy squid

It’s one of those quick and easy dishes that press my ‘satisfying’ and ‘comfort’ buttons. I love just about all seafood. Growing up next to the Atlantic Ocean we were spoilt for choice for fresh fish, straight out of the sea and brought to our door. In my recipe Crispy Squid with Pepper I simply season and fry it. My only challenge is to try to stop everyone ...

September 4, 2014

Welcome to my blog

Hello and welcome to my blog – A Plate in the Sun. It’s named after my first cook book simply because when I imagine a plate in the sun I think of enjoying fresh and delicious dishes in the sunshine, fun and relaxing times, summer, friends and all things good. I’m from glorious, sun-soaked Ghana in West Africa and grew up in Takoradi, in earshot of Atlantic waves crashing against the tropical shores. Add to that picture: palm trees, sand, ...

September 4, 2014