Memories Awakened By Old Photos

My first visit to Paris.

Dan and I have been going through old photos and we discovered these from the summer of 1976. We were heading to Africa for a summer of research on Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana with a stop in Paris on the way.  This would be my first trip to Paris.  While in Paris we visited with Hugues and Liliane Faure.  Hugues was the Director of the Laboratory of Quaternary Geology in France, and Dan had known him for a long time through their common research interests.    During our long weekend visit Hugues and Liliane took us to many lovely Parisian sites and to many restaurants where we had delicious French cuisine.  It was a lovely visit and for me a memorable introduction to this lovely couple and to Paris, a city I came to love.

Dan, and wth Hugues holding his son Olivier at Montmartre in Paris. (Photo by Liliane Faure.) 1976

Dan and I with Hugues at the Eiffel Tower. (Photo br Liliane Faure). 1976.

It is so nostalgic to reminisce.

Several years later Dan and I spent a summer of research at The Laboratory of Quaternary Geology in Luminy on the Mediterranean with the Faures.  More about that in another blog.

Groundnut Stew

Groundnut Stew.

Patrick comes over about twice a month to cook with/for me, and he usually likes to try some exotic dish.  Yesterday, he made groundnut stew.  I spent one summer in West Africa (Ghana) and a dish that we had frequently was this stew.  Peanuts are called groundnuts in West Africa.  We usually had it with goat meat which is really good, but Patrick used chicken.  Next time we make this we will try to find goat meat which I believe is available here.

Not long after I returned from Ghana, The Africa News Cookbook was published and as the forward indicates, African cooks have developed imaginative variations for otherwise monotonous diets.  And where there is abundance, they have created culinary masterpieces.  This Cookbook adapts African recipes to western cooking with ingredients easily found here.  Patrick used a recipe from this Cookbook.*

Africa News Cookbook.

Recipe for Groundnut Stew.

Cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into small pieces.

Brown chicken in peanut oil.

Place browned chicken in large pot.

Saute onion in same pan used for chicken.

Add onions, water, and peanut butter to chicken.

Add tomatoes, ginger root, okra and peppers and simmer for 30 minutes.

Enjoy this nice rich stew.

Yes, we will try this with goat meat next time.

*Patrick omitted the salt, but used the suggested peppers.  Although okra is optional, he used it.  Okra is native to Africa and is commonly used in African dishes. It serves as a thickening agent for this stew.  At our house we use natural, unsalted peanut butter, because of a low sodium diet.   He used no salt added canned tomatoes. So this is a low-sodium dish.