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Cameroon: Cooking Around the World with Camilla

More excuses...last week we were out of town for Spring Break and we had two friends along for the adventure. While I had planned the dinner, printed the menus, and purchased - and lugged - the ingredients with us, I did not fully understand what adding two more people to the table would mean in terms of time management and getting things from the kitchen to the table. So, I did not get many photos of the food before the hungry little kids dug in and began devouring everything on their plates. I guess that's a good thing...but not for my blogging.


Soupe à la Noix de Coco Camerounaise
(Cameroonian Coconut Soup)



This is a traditional Cameroonian recipe for a soup of potatoes, onions and leek in a coconut base. I skipped the leeks but added carrots and celery; also, I left it chunky and skipped the blender. It was a hit. Everyone polished off their bowls and everyone asked for seconds.


3 diced carrots
3 sliced celery stalks
1 diced onion
6 cubed red potatoes
4 C organic chicken broth
16 oz. coconut cream


In a large souppot, saute all but the last two ingredients in a splash of olive oil until cooked and beginning to caramelize. Add the chicken broth and coconut cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer till everything is warmed through.



Serve with some bread slathered with...


 
Papaya Jam
Though the papaya jam is a traditional element to a Cameroonian dinner, I couldn't find any recipes for it. So, I made up my own.
Peel one whole ripe papaya, add 1/2 C tangerine juice and 1 C organic granulated sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking until all the moisture has evaporated. Spoon into sterilized jars Seal tightly and store in the refrigerator.

I also used the jam as the topping for my...

Gâteau à la Patate Douce
(Cameroonian Sweet Potato Cake)
 
This was, as one of the kids said, like a pumpkin pie without the crust. And since on one of our friends is gluten-free, I used brown rice flour.

2 sweet potatoes, roasted, skinned, and mashed
1 C brown rice flour
1/2 C granulated organic sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C milk

Blend everything together to form a thick batter. Spoon batter into a buttered baking dish. Bake for an hour in a 350 degree oven, until firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish. Serve warm with a scoop of papaya jam on top.

Enjoy my tabletop travels. Join me in whipping up a dish or two. If you cook do cook a recipe from one of these countries, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to comment on the posts themselves or email me at constantmotioncamilla at gmail dot com.


This Knight of the Global Table Adventure is signing off for now. We're moving through the 'C's now. Stay tuned for Canada.

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