On Food Woes & Making my First Githeri in 5 Years
November 22, 2023
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| Spot my mini-cookbook collection in the background |
Good afternoon beautiful people,
It is negative degrees out there and I think I am on my 20th cup of tea because what is this weather, and why is this 4pm looking like 8pm? For some reason, when the weather is like this, I just think about food, mostly the cooking part. I know I mentioned that sometimes the heat in my building gets lost in transmission and baking helps to warm it up...but even on days when the apartment is warm and cozy, I just feel the need to have some kitchen action happening.
This is how I found myself skimming through my cook-books and putting post it flags on the recipes I would like to try this Winter season. I am not one of those meal prep to the T type of people. My relationship with food is guided by very few things, top of which are;
- Eat regularly because going without food increases the chances of getting a seizure.
- No red meat because my body reacts badly to it (not related to either epilepsy or bipolar),
- Lots of fruits and veggies, anytime, every day
I grew up having Nyama Choma (BBQ) almost every weekend. It was our after church thing and so it took sometime before I could finally let it go. When we finally parted ways, I went all the way in and became a vegetarian. That was my lifestyle until I moved to the US, and my college student budget could not keep up with 'the luxury' of eating fresh fruits/ veggies everyday.
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| ...refreshing my herb garden this Summer - I miss having a real vegetable and herb garden in backyard |
I miss the fact that regardless of which Kenyan town one is in, there will always be an array of fresh fruits and veggies. When I went vegetarian, I grew my own herbs and veggies on the plot of land behind my house. Between my own produce and what I got from the market, I had so many choices and made loads of different tasty and nutritious vegetarian meals all year round.
Though I still do not eat red meat (the reaction looks like a permanent thing at this rate), I invited white meat (which my body did not have a problem with) back to my diet - mostly sea food with occasional moments of poultry. And just as it took time for me to warm up to life without Nyama Choma, it took time for me open up to the fact that not only will my diet include white meat but it will also include veggies and legumes from a can. Just to be clear, I know that canning keeps those nutrients intact and helps to reduce food wastage but part of me does not trust industrial canning - how sure am I you used the right things in your preservation process (in short, I am not trying to add another health issue to my current load).
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| Nothing says Summer days in Lancaster like enjoying a whoopie pie (which is Lancaster County's signature speciality) and Big Boy Brass Band outside the Lancaster Central Market (Summer 2023) |
So as a ground rule, I do not touch any of those 3 minute microwaveable meals (I know they are on a totally different wave length in comparison to canned food), and I try to strike a balance between store bought canned goods and fresh produce from the Lancaster Central Market (which was established in 1730 and is the 'oldest continuously operated public market in the US').
Now that I feel like I found a sweet spot between fresh produce and canned goods, I have been making versions of some of the meals I used to make back home. One meal that I was yet to make was Githeri - a mixture of maize and beans (I am yet to embrace the word 'corn'). Part of the reason I was hesitant to make it was of course canned ingredients, and the other part, is the fact that I was hoping that one day I will find the right type of maize during the Summer when maize is in plenty.
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| Ingredients: For the real deal, I recommend fresh instead of canned items - Maize (corn), Kidney Beans, Peas, Potatoes, Carrots, Tomatoes, Onions and Olive Oil |
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| I did not document the process but the pan on the far end is where I sorta kinda imitated the real thing by semi-boiling the maize, peas and beans mix. I then did the whole oil, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrot mix then added the maize, beans, peas mix, some salt and curry powder - and could not hide my joy when I served my first bowl of Githeri (had to send this evidence home). |
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| I was so excited that I had finally made my first Githeri - and you know Githeri isn't Githeri without strungi (black tea) and avocado |
Githeri was not in the cookbooks I went through but it makes an amazing Winter meal because it brings joy and warmth by reminding me of home. It is also one of those meals that I can have for either breakfast, lunch or supper - and I will definitely be making more of it. From the cookbooks, I bookmarked 4 meals, 2 desserts and a drink. Pray that I remember to document them and share the stories behind them in upcoming posts.
Until next time,
Sending love and light,
Sitawa
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