Restaurant & Cuisine

Your Food Magazine March, 2012.

Ksh 300 only

Vol 10: ISSUE 14/45.

A Florence Wainaina and Njeri Kirika Magazine publication 2012.

NOTE from the Editors

INSIDE
pg 3 Flos love affair with fruit pg4 An Oasis of leisure to visit and a recipe to try in this hot weather.

This months issue is filled with delights from a collection of ethnic dishes,fun-filled kiddie meals that are sure to get the young ones excited to be seated at the the dinner table.We have ventured out to the wild country on the semi arid plains of Ongata Rongai to sample some of the wonderful delights other than the commom choma.

pg 5 Cultural delights pg6 QUICK MINUTES: Featuring our guest Chef Gichamba to tell us about career, life and family life pg7 Food for Diabetics: what you should know Back story: Coffee Cupping:Whats in your cup and how do you like it?

Inspiration for our readers looking for careers in the food business will be delighted to meet with business man and coffee barrister Kenneth Kirika and his wife Nancy on an satisfying journey to using great talent. We get to meet a new chef every month in our Quick minute segment for our future career Connoisseurs who may want to know how to get started. Many requests have been about getting healthy diets for different health problems and courtesy of a nutrition doctor Maureen Lengete.we start this segment this month but welcome more suggestions of what you our readers want to see in future issues. Yours faithfully, Florence wainaina & Njeri Kirika

Please write to us your comments,suggestions and ideas on Email: Info@restaurantandcuisine.com Post Box: P.o Box 55543-00200 Nairobi

Tel:(020)-555689/555690/555691

Page 2.

March Issue 2012

Foodcritic by Florence Wainaina

A Love Affair with Fruit

most man made diet pills don't work. The African Mango is a natural weight loss product that works with your body. While you might read the labels on bottles to find the ingredients, most food supplements containing this slimming plant use the Latin name, Irvingia gabonensis. The hype about the African mango isn't just fictional stories where one person lost 10 pounds in two weeks using the supplement. There is credible scientific study behind it. Several studies on the African mango involve the role the plant plays in weight loss. None of these involves eating the fruit, which is similar to a mango, but rather consuming the seeds. The seeds have a very high fiber count as well as a high mucilage content. What left after the seeds are ground, the mucilage, makes a great thickening agent but, it just might be the reason behind all the fantastic weight loss, lowering cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Oben, Ngondi, Momo, Agbor and Sobgui, researchers working at the University of Yaound used a small test group of 40 obese people ages 19 to 55 were used by Cameroon. They divide the group in half and gave one half the dika seeds, the seeds of the African Mango, and the other half they gave a oat bran placebo. The researchers made sure to keep those on the study on the exact same diet. stomach contents slows down the digestion of the food. This keeps blood sugar levels from spiking, gives a longer lasting feeling of fullness and acts like other soluble fibers to help lower the bad cholesterol and increase the beneficial cholesterol. Irvingia gabonensis seeds also contain an ingredient that makes the bodys leptin more effective. Leptin is a hormone the body contains that tells you to quit eating; youre full. Fortunately obese people have the same amount of leptin in their body but unfortunately they also have a much higher level of C-reactive Protein(CRP) that attachs to the leptin and makes it useless. The African mango shows signs of lowering the CRP in the body, thus making the leptin available. This means that the person that previously didn't feel full now feels fuller sooner. Our body is a system of checks and balances and without the proper nutrition, the system

My love affair with fruit may have started when someone told me that colon cancer was caused by lack of necessary roughage in our diet. As far as I knew everyone around me was affected by cancer. History has also shown that man made diet products don't do nearly as good a job at causing weight loss as natural products do. Lately, I have had a weight loss fascination when I learnt about the miraculous African Mango If you have ever taken a diet pill that hips you up only to let you crash down a couple of hours later and worse still you don't lose any weight then you know what I mean when I say

yumkid.com

gimmesomeoven.com Surprisingly those taking the African Mango seeds showed an incredible two and a half times more weight loss during the first two weeks. That same weight loss pattern continued throughout the length of the study. The thick sweet ambrosia that the African mango adds to the

March Issue 2012

Page 3.

OSOITA LODGE: AN OASIS OF LEISURE WITHIN THE HEART OF ONGATA RONGAI

By Florence Wainaina attentive waiter, who had made a point of explaining the different items on the menu which is mostly Indian specialty. We ordered for The Chicken Makhani which is Chicken cooked in Butter then is sealed in with spices and cooked whole. The outer grilled skin was mouth watering accompanied by Peppered French fries. The dish got a bit overwhelming when all the butter poured on into the plate and the rest of the dish just became too oily. However we also got to try the poplar house special Koroga, which is Swahili for a mixture of different kinds of meats barbecued and served with fresh spices. All in all I would recommend this haven of luxury to anyone looking for a quiet hide away from the noise of the city for a quiet lunch, romantic dinner or an overnight date. This Valentines treat yourself and a special friend to An Osoita outing.

(continued from pg 3.)

falls apart. Studies already prove that certain foods block the body's ability to feel full, therefore causing weight gain, so it makes sense that other foods can prevent that from occurring.

Osoita Lodge is a small but cozy place located just before Ongata Rongai Township along Olekasasi road about 1.5 Kilometers from Africa Nazarene University. The place has combined African and Indian themes in the spacious restaurant and Comfy Rooms for accommodation. The Restaurant has a very roomy atmosphere as that of a home with its plump cushions carefully placed on the carpeted floors and stone varnished walls. Bold colors of various Red and Yellow shades are used for the cushions and large curtains running along full length of the walls. In few minutes after we were seated next to the lush foliage covering the seasonal river that passes by the restaurant, I thought I was in the Nairobi National Park because of the Monkeys that chattered on the trees nearby. I got even more worried when we were advised 3/4 cup lime juice Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 cup sugar 2 liters lime carbonated water, chilled 1/2 cup maraschino cherry

not to pay attention to the monkeys or we would be competing for our food. The choice of location is ideal for nature lovers and those who like being in the midst of nature. We make this more interesting by a fusion of African and Indian cooking so that those looking for something foreign and local will not be disappointed said the Manager Bharti Singh. Our appetizers arrived in the most attractive fashion in woven dish covers served by a very

Picture by Osoitalodge.com/press

While there are no long-term studies or large studies using the seeds of the African mango plant, the present research indicates that the substances it contains may help me lose weight and lower any bad cholesterol while raising the good cholesterol. For insulin resistant diabetes, a supplement made of African mango seeds may provide an answer to weight loss problems as well as helping to control the insulin resistance.

Booking & Reservations

Osoita Lodge situated off Magadi Road before Ongata Rongai 1km into Olekassasi Township, Kenya Booking Office Tel: + 254 (0) 20 2437871 Mobile : 0721-242-711 (Safaricom) - Kenya Email: info@maasai lodge. com

Photograph by kitchendaily.com In a large bowl, combine lime juice and sugar substitute. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, stir carbonated water into lime juice mixture. For each serving, place 1 tablespoon cherry juice in a glass. Add crushed ice and about 1 cup of lime juice mixture. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a lime slice. Yield: 8 servings.

Summer Cherry Limade recipe: Healthy Quick Diabetic Friendly

Ingredients:
One serving (1 cup) equals 52 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, trace sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit.

Nutritional Analysis:

juice

8 maraschino cherries 8 lime slices Page 4.

March Issue 2012

instructables.com

Cultural Delights by Florence Wainiana

1 cup brown lentils

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion, diced small 2 carrots, peeled and diced 4 cloves garlic, miced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

Chapati(Serves 4)

This is a dish made all around the world but is special to kenyans because it is eaten in occasions and special days in some households. Here is a simple recipe we put together to learn how to make your own chapati. 2 cups of Flour 1 teaspoon salt Water

Picture by Osoitalodge.com/press

1/4 cup peanut oil (vegetable oil will do) 10 plum tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup tomato paste 1 cup vegetable stock or 1 cup water + 2 veg boullion cubes 1 cup frozen green peas 2 tsp ground cumin 2 teaspoons hungarian paprika 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon ground cardomom 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Spice Blend:

Ingredients:

Sift the flour and the salt into a mixing bowl. Add some water to make a fairly stiff dough, moistening your hands frequently to ease off the bowl. Shape dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it stand for at least hour. Divide dough into 4 or 5 balls and roll each out into a flat, round disk. Heat a large creased griddle or frying pan over medium until it is hot. Cook each chapati until golden; when you see tiny bubbles its time to turn them over. It should take about a minute for each chapati. Press them down with a wide pancake turner or the palm of your hand to cook evenly. Serve hot.

Directions:

Boil the lentils for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Directions:

In a large pot, over med heat saute the onions and carrots for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spice blend. Saute 5 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato paste and mix, then add the water. Simmer Until bubbling. Add the cooked lentils and green peas, simmer 15 more minutes.

Tip: You can try different combinations of flour. For example 1 whole grain flour & cup all purpose flour OR 1 cup whole wheat flour & low-fat soy flour....

Thia is a traditional senegalese drink served at any time of the day.

Hibiscus Punch
Ingredients:

instructables.com

Ethiopian Spicy Tomato Lentil Stew (Serves 6 8)

by IsaChandra

Photograph by kitchendaily.com

March Issue 2012

This is a traditional spicy ethiopian stew which is eaten as an accompaniment to flat-bread called Injera,but in this case we reccomend trying the chapati with this stew for your family and guests.

Combine water and hibiscus in a large nonaluminum Dutch oven. Cover and let stand 2 hours. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve, reserving punch; discard solids. Add sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves;

Preparation:

8 cups water 1 cup hibiscus pods 2/3 cup superfine sugar

chill.

Page 5.

In focus: Chef Gichamba of Africa Nazarene University What is your favorite dish? Githeri, njahi? Lobster or prawns? Either way, you will need someone who knows how to prepare the food well, if not yourself. You wonder why world renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsey, Tom Coliqio and Jamie Oliver remain at the top of their game and always leave food critics dumbfounded by their exquisite dishes. Well, if you really think about it, I do not think that we understand the dedication and effort that cooks and chefs do. I guess, there is the assumption that food is just food. I mean, what could possibly be so difficult? Just get the ingredients, chop some of them up then apply heat to it and magi-

Njeri: What are some of the foods that you enjoy working with? Chef Gichamba: Well, there are so many that I do not mind working with, but some of the ones I enjoy is sea food, game meat, vegetables and traditional dishes. Njeri: Sometimes do you find cooking boring? Chef Gichamba: No. cooking is a very profession. If you get bored with one you can switch to another. You cannot really get bored. There is a whole world of things that you can do incase what you are doing is not satisfying or boring. You can decide to be a pastry chef, or go into hotel business and open your own resturant. it all depends on your vision and objectives. The world is yours.

Quick minutes with A Chef

by Njeri Kirika

cally, you expect the flavors and colors to fuse together and become a wonderful meal. Well, just like any other profession, you need the skill first of all. Weather it comes naturally to you or if you had to go to school to train. Secondly, you need the passion. This is why, we find out what really it takes as Chef Gichamba of Africa a Nazarene University shares with us his life as a chef. dishes. Njeri: What made you decide to become a chef? Chef Gichamba: I love cooking. Coming up with new recipes and trying them out just keeps me on my toes. Njeri: Where did you do your training? Chef Gichamba: I trained at East Africa Power and Lighting Training College. This was the main course because it took me about two years. But I did a few courses before I enrolled for the two year course. Page 6.

enjoy is sea food, game meat, vegetables and traditional dishes. Njeri: What inspires you? Chef Gichamba: when I cook, I usually have in my mind what the customer wants. Once that is realized, I work on meeting that expectation. So for me, I really appreciate the person who makes the order. This way, when I cook a meal the right way and meet the expectations of the customer, I feel inspired to do better. Njeri: Does the kitchen get hectic? Chef Gichamba: there is saying that goes- if you cannot work under pressure, you cannot make a good chef. As a chef, you have to adapt to the pressure of the kitchen otherwise you will break. You have to find ways in following the schedule so that you are able to meet those deadlines. Always be on time no matter what. Njeri: Have you ever injured

Photograph by kitchendaily.com

yourself in the kitchen? Chef Gichamba: no. I have only had minor injuries like cutting myself. But it is something that cannot be taken care of with some Dettol and an elastoplasts. I have never had a serious injury that has put me out of work. Njeri: What is your motivation? Chef Gichamba: it is the satisfaction of the client. Once you have finished preparing meal and the people you are cooking for are satisfied with the food, I am content and glad that I could make someone else happy. That is what inspires me. There you have it. So, it is not

just the skill that gets you to enjoy what you are doing, you have to have drive, vision and above all the passion. If you do not enjoy cooking it is not possible to please and surprise your clients. As chef Gichamba has mentioned, if you are not the sort of person who can work under pressure, then it would be easier to find another career. If you feel you can take heat, go on and pursue cooking. Yes, you can have all the skill in the world, but if your heart is not in what you are doing, you will never get the satisfaction of seeing your creation amaze and astound the world.

instructables.com

March Issue 2012

instructables.com

I remember vividly what happened to my aunt. We had gone for my grandmothers funeral, it was late afternoon and darkness was beginning to creep in. There were so many people who had attended the sad occasion. Everyone was in a somber mood and we had just finished laying wreaths of flowers on the freshly dug grave. I decided to sit in the house in order to get off my feet because we had started very early in the morning. My aunt came in to check on what was being done to clear the plates and chairs that had been left outside. As she was about to pass into the kitchen, she began to breathe heavily. She placed her hands on her chest, trying to catch her breath. I knew something was wrong. She quickly grabbed the shoulder of the sofa set in a desperate attempt to support herself. Her forehead broke out with tiny beads of sweat and her brown face became pale. Just then, my cousin walked in and immediately began clearing us all out of the sitting room. I did not know what was wrong with her. As we walked outside, I saw my uncle running into the house with a bottle of soda. A few minutes later, my aunt emerged, with my cousin on one side and my uncle on the other supporting her; she was led to the car and rushed off to hospital. Later on, my mum told me that my auntie is diabetic. We may know someone who is affected by diabetes or probably, you are the one who is suffering from it. One way or the other, if diabetes is not handled well, it can bring about serious consequences. Today, we look at

what diabetes is all about and the sort of foods you can eat in order to stay healthy. Maureen Kinoti of the Africa Nazarene University Nellie Montague clinic explains what diabetes mellitus (which is excess sugar in the body) is all about your body usually is able to administer small mounts of sugar into your

Food for diabetics

by Njeri Kirika

lot, you are always thirsty even after quenching your thirst and you get hungry even after you have had a meal, though symptoms may vary form person to person. For example, if you are obese, noticing that you are getting thin or always hungry may not be easy to spot. Or even now, because of the heat, people are

blood stream according to how you use it. In the case of diabetes, all the sugar is introduced into the blood stream at once which starves other organs in your body of the necessary sugar which causes the problem. Insulin, which is what your body uses to break down the sugar into glucose, is not producing enough. In my mind, I began thinking about my auntie and what happened to her. Her body probably had too much sugar. If the amount of sugar is not properly regulated, it can get dangerously high or low. Maureen continues to describe the classical symptoms of diabetes describe the classical symptoms of diabetes youre body gets thin, you urinate a

drinking a lot of water, or even if you are a fan of drinking a lot of water, it will not be that easy to spot. Now to the main focus, what sort of foods can diabetics eat in order to maintain their condition? You would think that diabetics should stay away from sugar completely, but Maureen clarifies diabetics firstly should eat complex carbohydrates which are foods that the body takes a while to break down like brown chapatti, brown bred, brown ugali. They should also eat plenty of fruits but for some in moderation like bananas and melons because of their sugar content. Basically, all kinds of food should be eaten in moderation. Not too much of this or that.
improvehealthinfo.com

And also, frequent small meals through the day in order to keep the body sugars regulated. So a diabetic can have some sugar but in moderation. The slice of cake I can have is not the same of a diabetic. So, you can also maintain your diabetes on a low budget in fact, people who are on low incomes have a better chance of maintaining their diabetes because everything they consume is already in moderation because of financial constraints. Those on a low budget are likely to eat healthier than those who have more money because of the grains that they will buy like green grams and sukuma wiki and sweet potatoes . Interesting, so I wondered what could I do to avoid getting diabetes? What could I tell my friends in order to warn them? maintain an average weight. Exercise a lot to cut down on the calories. Avoid highly processed foods and eat sweet things as well as salty things in moderation. Now you know.

Photograph by kitchendaily.com

March Issue 2012

instructables.com

improvehealthinfo.com

Page 7.

The great rewards in cupping coffee

. A saying by someone I dont remember says Some things are better rich like Chocolate, men and coffee. coffee taster Kenneth Kirika, who is also a coffee processor, shared his expertise with us to help our readers understand how to judge not just the richness, but the good, the bad and the best of coffee at a cafe. The tasting occupation that is very unusual for many in the ordinary career circles, but for Mr.Kirika it is a hobby and it pays the bills. He has tasted the organic beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, Brazil, Columbia, Papua New Guinea,Indonesia and India giving tips about relishing the qualities of caffeine in different varieties. With a vast experience in his art, Kirika said the beans from different countries differ in their taste, smell and fragrance. These characteristics of coffee are based on the climatic condition of that particular country and the soil. Mr. Kirika, a resident of Thome along thika road, says that there should be a first coffee tasting opportunity for everyone because it is a chance for a lifetime. The taste of a coffee lingers on the tongue and in the mouth after every sip. The art of coffee tasting involves all the five senses and when you know the art, every sip is heavenly, said Kirika. Coffee tasting is a relatively unknown concept in Kenya and I hope the people would take keen interest in this art, he added. By Florence Wainaina www.nescafe.com NEW OR OLD TRADE Cupping coffee can be traced the late 1890s in San Francisco when two brothers named Reuben and Austin Hills started a coffee company under the name Hills Brothers. To insure that they were getting good quality beans they started getting samples of coffees that were available on the docks, roasting them and tasting them to determine if they wish to purchase the coffee. It wasnt too long ago that coffee cuppers were old men in that old building downtown where the wonderful smell of coffee emanated from. But the Specialty movement has changed that and as with everything the more knowledge we have the more we can make informed decisions. It also has improved the quality of the cup in many ways. It has those old men in coffee factories running scared as younger cuppers are coming up. In some ways we cup coffees just like the Hills Brothers did a hundred years ago. It is still the act of smelling (olfaction) and the act of taste (gustation) that determines our like or dislike of any given cup of coffee, this being true if youre sitting at the factory table or in a convenience store. Several factors have driven the improvement of the cupping technique, due in a big part to the modern day Specialty coffee movements (though not yet in Kenya). Whereas the commercial coffee companies that have been around since nineteen

hundred have steeped themselves in secrecy. The specialty movement has embraced the sharing of information about cupping techniques. A Business management graduate fromUniversity of Nairobi Business School, Kirika said thatAfrica, Latin America and Asia Pacificare wide producers of coffee and the beans from these regions are well acclaimed by coffee lovers for their excellent flavors. GOOD OR BAD TASTE

For more than a millennium now, people have been drinking coffee. You can hardly walk past two buildings in the city centre of Nairobi without encountering one or more conveniently placed coffee establishments. For all of its forms and varieties, it's one of the most consumed beverages in the world. A good, clean coffee aroma is the mark of a truly good coffee. However there are many flavors depending on the origin age and quality of the coffee beans. Aroma and flavor can be hard to separate. Aroma is mostly perceived through our sense of smell and allows the taster to distinguish different flavors of a coffee. When tasters talk about a balanced cup, they could mean that a coffee has the satisfying presence of aroma and flavor where no one characteristic is more powerful than another. Every variety of coffee goes well with varied food items, according www.coffeeadmirer.com

to Nescafe.com. "Brazilian is good with fruit tarts and dark chocolate while Indian coffee goes well with an omelette enriched with mushroom and basil, apart from dark and milk chocolates. According to Kirika said he got his family along to relish the first tasting event in Tanzania. "I learned about many unknown aspects of coffee from a coffee brewer and my personal favorite was the Colombian coffee with its distinct bitter flavor,'' His wife Nancy didn't miss to utilize all of the tips as she tasted the rich varieties and narrowed down on the Brazilian bean as her favorite. HOW TO BECOME A TASTER "Cupping" is when coffee tasters measure the uniformity of multiple cups of the same brewed coffee, keeping in mind the aroma, flavor and body. For the cupping test, candidates simultaneously grade blind samples of five brewed coffees using a standard 100-point scale. Candidates discuss tastes and aromas, grades are averaged, and scores too far from the mean mark is a failure. Cupping offers a unique challenge. "You have to divorce yourself from what you like." says Kirika Any coffee professional is eligible to take the exam, but industry experience doesn't necessarily provide an advantage. Local coffee pros who've passed the test generally agree that it is impossible to study for it. "It's not a test to prepare for," John Maina, a Roaster with Thika coffee mills says. "You do it in your daily job and understand it, or you don't."

www.nescafe.com

A Flo& Njeri production courtesy of ANU Publishers P.o Box 554849-00100 Nairobi,Kenya.Email:info@anuworks.ac.ke.