cooking updates :)

Here's a pic of the Oaxaca bar, which took longer than it should have to bake 'cause I can't get used to this gas oven!  I love the caramel flavor of the top layer, but I thought a) the chocolate filling needed more of the signature flavors and b) it could have done without the coffee.  A kickin' chocolate-cinnamon-chipotle bar would have bowled me over.

As for the yogurt biscuits, I messed up the recipe.  I didn't check the size on my matryoshka measuring cup and dumped in 3/4 cup of yogurt where 1/2 cup should have gone!  Disaster corrected with extra flour by the heap, but I didn't realize what had happened until too late and didn't compensate for the other two ingredients.  I love the tang the yogurt brings, though, so I'm keen on making these again.  

Both of the local grocery stores stock several brands of locally made, Lebanese-style yogurt, which I used for this recipe.  It's a challenge, though, using the yogurt before it ferments.  I don't know what it is, but this stuff just doesn't stick around more than a day or two - and sometimes it's already bubbly by the time I first open the container.  I wish it were more consistent, as I'd like to eat yogurt here more often and don't like having to stick to the imported, sweetened, UHT stuff.

I have three eggplants (aubergines, whatever) to use and I have found three recipes to do so!  They'll have to wait for tomorrow, though, as tonight we're going out for tilapia and banku to celebrate a friend's birthday.  Blue Gate is pretty well-known, it's just four zigzags from my house, and they do a nice plate of fish 'n fermented-corn/cassava 'n veggies 'n avocado.  It's one of my favorite Ghanaian dishes lately.  It's much lighter than anything else - it's just grilled fish, starch and optional veggies - unlike another favorite, red red.  That's beans (stewed in oil, I think) with some mild spices, served with spoonfuls of palm oil and garri (cassava "flour," I guess, seed-sized, which acts as a thickener).  Almost always served with plantains.  Fried in oil.

Here's the banku and tilapia from Blue Gate.  They were out of avocado this time.  The tilapia's rubbed in ginger, I think, before it's grilled.  So if I were comfortable eating fish skin, it'd be lovely... The red stuff's a killer pepper sauce and yes, it's covered in warmed salad.  Delish.

And here's my red red lunch from not too long ago:

Yesterday the shelves in our wardrobe gave out, probably because we put too much clothing on 'em.  Still - they are designed to hold clothing.  The carpenter, who I called this morning, just showed up and put bigger nails in the supports.  And then I asked him if he could fix up our IKEA bed slats, which have been sitting broken since the day our shipment came in, when Jens put them into our locally-made bed frame and they snapped because they had no support in the middle of the frame.  

I was thinking of going for a run, but sat here thinking about it for too long and missed my window of opportunity.  If I go out now, there won't be enough time before it gets dark to have a full run.  

Perhaps tomorrow morning!