New member in Zanzibar (East Africa)

[Littlewon]

Hello, I am joining this site in hopes of help! I am a North American city girl used to a microwave and now living in Zanzibar. Trying to cook here is a challenge for me, especially since I need to use a gluten free diet for my husband and son. I already found a great recipe for buttermilk made from raw milk on this site - so thanks already! Got to go make supper, actually, but I will look more later!

 

[JoAnn L.]

Hi and welcome, so glad that you found us. You came to the right place for great recipes and help with your questions.

 

[redkitty]

Welcome!

I came across a great blog about gluten free cooking here Gluten-Free By The Bay lots of great recipes and links to other gluten free blogs etc.

Might give you some new ideas.

 

[CharlieD]

fIRST OF ALL YOU ARE WELCOME HERE. hOPE YOU'LL FINF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. bUT SECOND OFF ALL, WHAT IN THE WORLD nORTH aMERICAN CITY GIRL DOING IN zANZIBAR OUT OF THE PLACES IN THE WORLD?

 

[CharlieD]

Oops, sorry about the caps thing.

 

[shpj4]

Hello and welcome to DC.

 

[CaryAnne]

Charlie D I was thinking the same thing! Hopefully you can post some ethnic cooking recipes from your new home! Goodluck sweetie.

 

[boufa06]

Hi and welcome to DC! Yes, do share some of your wonderful recipes with us!!

 

[Jikoni]

Welcome to DC, or as they say in Zanzibar, Karibu! Zanzibar is a lovely place, so much history. I have been there several times.You will find that if you were used to Microwave food, none will be readily available which in turn will give you time to experiment with all the lovely spices in Zanzibar. I don't remember much about the shops, but if you can't find gluten free stuff, Try Dar-es-salam. If I remember correctly it took an hour on the hydrofoil to get from Dar to Zanzibar.

 

[Littlewon]

Thanks for the warm welcome. My husband and I are working to build a new school here in Zanzibar - to answer the why I am here . Zanzibar is a wonderful place to be on a gluten free diet because there are so few processed foods, but it has been quite a change for me. I now know (theoretically) how to cook ugali, but my husband says it tastes like it sounds - whatever that means... The soups here are excellent - but I have not yet mastered the spice mixture. Zanzibar is the "spice island" so all the spices here are very fresh and powerful! I have made a few dishes a little too hot for my little guys to handle . The Zanzibari people like the food spicy... The machuzi stew (soup here but very stewlike) is wonderful, if I can figure it out! Otherwise I am currently cooking with a mixture of corn flour (commonly used for the ugali here) and an unknown flour that I have not a clue what it comes from, only that it is not wheat, barley, or rye (they showed me the grain/nut/I have no idea!)

 

[AlexR]

Littlewon,

I am an American ex-pat in lovely, but somewhat decadent France.

I admire the work you are doing, because America's image abroad is so terrible and we are seen as completely egocentric. What you and your husband are doing is JUST GREAT!

I'm sure you'll cope with the change and I wish you a fulfilling, fascinating time in Zanzibar!!!

The main door to Château Cos d'Estournel (near where I live, in Bordeaux) comes from the palace of a sultan in Zanzibar Estournel, le château de Cos d'Estournel vu du ciel
It has knobs reminiscent of cloves.

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Jikoni]

Congratulations if you have mastered the art of cooking ugali. You can find some african recipes here http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/african-recipes-16376.html

 

[Andy M.]

Welcome aboard!