Say (smoked) cheese!

Smoked mozzarella, Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar and custom cheese orders are now available in Dakar!

Dakar has a wide international presence, but smoked cheese was nowhere to be found… until now, that is. The cheeses are hardwood-smoked with a mixture of local woods, including mango wood.

This week Shawn will have smoked Emmental (4500 cfa / 500g) and smoked Gouda (7000 cfa / 500g) available for purchase in Point E. Call 77-385-99-02 (English or French) for pricing and to place your order.

Unsure of what to do with smoked cheese? Four words: smokey mushroom Swiss burger. HEAVEN!

Chick Faux La sandwich

Tonight I tried a copycat recipe for the famous Chick Fil A sandwich, a favorite that we miss from the US. Here’s my Dakarified version that got thumbs up all around.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Marinade:
1/2 cup pickle (cornichons) juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika or piment fort moulu
1/2 tsp sugar
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (Poulet Express!)

Egg dip:
1 egg
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. milk powder

Coating:
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. milk powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

Peanut oil

4 buns from Shady Shack + butter
Pickles
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Cut each chicken breast in half so you have four thin slices. Wrap in plastic wrap and pound until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Put chicken and all the marinade ingredients in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and shake. Place in fridge for at least thirty minutes to let chicken soak up the marinade.

Put enough peanut oil into a deep frying pan to cover chicken halfway (about 1/2-inch) and start to heat. In a bowl, whisk together the egg dip mixture. In another dish, combine the coating ingredients.

Dip chicken into egg mixture and cover. Immediately place into the next dish and coat completely. Shake off excess, and place in oil. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

Fry in peanut oil until chicken is cooked and the coating turns a nice, golden color, about four minutes on each side.

Butter the insides of the bun and toast for just a minute.

Put together your Chick Faux La sandwich and dig in!

Vegetarian recipe: Mocha Granola

Today we continue a recent monthly feature: a vegetarian recipe, made from ingredients available in Senegal. Our guest is P. and she blogs at For the Love of Fulani. This recipe isn’t what you might think of when you hear ‘vegetarian’, but by the technical definition it fits, right? I saw it on her blog and loved it! So I asked her to share with us.

I used to buy granola all the time in the States and eat it for breakfast with fresh berries and yogurt. When I moved to Senegal I went for almost a year before I finally found some muesli, which I promptly devoured. But because we live so far away from convenient plentiful shopping I couldn’t ever buy enough to make it until our next shopping trip. So when I came across this recipe I was elated. I mean coffee and granola in one bite?! How can you not love this?! Unless you don’t like coffee . The amount of coffee is completely adjustable depending on how strong you like it and if you happen to have espresso powder then use about half of the amounts listed below.

Enjoy your mocha granola with a nice scoop of fresh plain yogurt and a teeny tiny drizzle of local honey (you know to help with all the allergies the rains can bring)!

Mocha Granola

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sliced walnuts or almonds
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup honey
3-4 tbsp. ground instant coffee
¼ cup ground flaxseed (optional)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
4-6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Place a large skillet over low heat. Add the chopped hazelnuts and almonds. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the oats and canola oil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the oat mixture to a large bowl and stir in the honey, espresso powder, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake, stirring every few minutes, until the granola is light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Move the granola to one side of the baking sheet and using a spatula press gently into a thick slab.  Let cool to room temperature.  Break the dried and cooled granola into small clusters, mix in the chopped chocolate, and store in an airtight container.

*If you prefer a more subtle coffee flavor, use 2 tablespoons of coffee powder. For a more prominent flavor, use 3-4 tablespoons.

Amazing paella (& more) in Yoff

If you’ve seen me in person this week, you’ve probably already heard me babbling on about our lunch in Yoff last Sunday. Following a Facebook message from a lovely woman named Blanca, we went to Hôtel Ocean to try Paloma’s paella and arroz negro.

Paella variations from week to week may be with seafood, mixta (seafood and chicken) or meat (chicken, veal and pork). The arroz negro (black rice) is made with seafood and squid and their ink gives the black colour and “sea” flavor. I loved it. Loved both, actually. And you can split your plate half-paella, half-arroz negro if you want.

The ambiance is very nice and relaxing, very laid back and casual. You can swim, sunbathe, then eat in your bathing suit. There are kids and adults, many Spanish, of course, but also French, Sengalese, Lebanese and as of last week… American! Swimming and lounging at the pool is complimentary with your meal.

The view is great from the swiming pool, but even better from the big terrace were you can enjoy a wonderful sunset.

Paloma cooks just in front of the swiming pool, so it’s an outdoor lunch in the shade of the terrace.

Note the meal is served at 2pm on Sundays only. (This is great for those of us with kiddos who nap mid-day!)

The price is 5000 cfa/plate. Drinks and desserts are ordered from the hotel and are at have normal prices: Coke 1000 cfa, beer 1500, coffee 1000 cfa, desserts 2500-4000 cfa.

Reservations are required, but we called at 9am on Sunday and it was still do-able.

To reserve, call Paloma (French / Spanish) at 77 814 9331.

We’ll probably be there when you go!

DWG Guidebook on sale for 5,000 cfa!

INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE – 50% OFF!

The DWG Guidebook is on sale now for 5,000 cfa. From medical care to household maintenance, office and business services, and beauty & health — plus restaurants, nightlife, hotels & resorts, and catering, it’s the essential advice for life in Dakar. (I agree. I memorized the thing when we first arrived.)

For information on where to buy it, write to guidebook@dakarwomensgroup.org.

Best coffee date in Dakar for parents… Zippyland!

Yes, you’re right. Dakar Eats is usually reserved for topics related to, well… eating. Keep reading though. You’ll see the link.

I have to admit that I went expecting not to be impressed with Zippyland. I mean really, most kids’ play areas around here have worn-out equipment with rusty nails and broken swings. And most things that are nice and clean cost an arm and a chubby toddler leg.

But I was invited to come review Zippyland so I went with (what I hoped was) an open mind.

I loved it. Better yet, my son loved it! So much so that I convinced my husband to take us there as a family the very next day. Six thumbs up from us!

The main play area is an outdoor playground with a wide variety of swings, riding toys and (safe) trampoline. There’s actual grass and the layout is such that you can sit on the terrace and enjoy an ocean breeze and a really good café au lait while your kids play. The rest of the menu features crêpes, paninis and sandwiches and light snacks and drinks.

The upstairs indoor play area is really quite large. (The photos really don’t do it justice. But at least you can get a preview of part of it!) Ball pit, slides, climbing areas, tunnels… All clean and in excellent condition.

From the moment you arrive, kind and attentive staff take care of your kids as much or as little as you’d like. I was really impressed by how well they interacted with the children – entertaining and engaging, but not forcing it if the kid wasn’t interested. Of course, if you want to get out there and play with your kids, you’re welcome to do so and they’ve even added new games and activities recently for those who do.

But on this lovely Saturday morning, my husband and I just wanted to enjoy our cafés in the shade while the wee one ran around having the time of his life for 3,000cfa/hour. Best of both worlds, I’d say.

On the Zippyland Facebook page and website you’ll find lots of information on their rates (hourly, passes, parties, craft workshops, movies in their adorable theatre…) and also the exercise classes offered for women in the upstairs gym – all brand new and with an awesome ocean view from an air-conditioned workout area. They are also offering a summer day camp that families who will be around the next months may want to check out.

Regular hours for the play areas are 9am to 7pm. Grab your date (don’t forget the kids!) and head on over. We’ll probably see you there!

Smoked cheeses?

Coming soon to Dakar! A new vendor will be selling his home-smoked cheeses. I had the Gouda and Emmental for a late snack last night and they were incredible. I may have also had some for breakfast on an English muffin with ham and egg.

Is this something you’d be interested in? If so, which cheeses? Now’s the time to give your 2cfa.

(And stock up on good crackers!)