With the production of African cocoa beans in a serious decline, the future of chocolate is questionable. A crop that's naturally grown in the rainforest, two-thirds of the world's cocoa beans are now harvested in in West Africa. However, the African soil degrades quickly, shortening the lifespan of the plants to 30 years or so.
Last week before
interviewing Marcus Samuelsson, I ate his African spiced lamb chops and mango lime couscous. The pairing was delicious: the meat was moist and succulent and the couscous flavorful and exotic.
While the ingredients were not grossly insane, the method for eating the dish was out of the ordinary.
Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef
Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of
Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant,
Merkato 55.
Tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef because it's affordable and feeds a crowd. Besides being lower in cost, tri-tip is also incredibly flavorful with a lower fat content. If you have never experimented with it before, I suggest you do so tonight.
I was flipping through a catalog and stumbled across these
African Safari Martini Glasses ($42 each). Each one is hand crafted in South Africa and would make a great gift for the safari lover in your life. Having said that, I just can't get behind these.
Harissa
A hot sauce from Tunisia that is usually made with garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway, olive oil, and hot chilies. It's a great companion to couscous and is used to flavor soups, stews, and other main dishes. The paste is sold in tubes or jars in most Middle Eastern grocers and gourmet markets.
