Domoda is a rich and hearty West African stew, particularly popular in The Gambia where it’s often considered the national dish. The star ingredient is ground peanuts (groundnuts) or peanut butter, which creates a thick, creamy sauce base. The stew typically combines meat (commonly beef, lamb, or chicken) with a blend of tomatoes, onions, and…
Ah, let me dive into Akira Kurosawa’s epic masterpiece about medieval gig work! The story kicks off in 16th-century Japan, where a village of farmers discovers that bandits are planning to raid them once their harvest is ready. (Apparently, bandits in feudal Japan were considerate enough to give advance notice of their robberies.) The villagers,…
Ah, let me dive into Elia Kazan’s gritty masterpiece about corruption, conscience, and questionable career choices in the longshoremen industry! The story follows Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), an ex-boxer turned dockworker who spends his days doing the bidding of union boss Johnny Friendly – when he’s not tending to his rooftop pigeon coop, that is.…
Ah, let me break down Stanley Kubrick’s darkly hilarious Cold War satire where everyone’s trying their best to avoid nuclear annihilation… and somehow making everything worse! The film kicks off when General Jack D. Ripper, a man whose grip on reality is about as firm as his grip on proper bodily fluid management, decides to…
Let me lay out this twisted treasure hunt of a Western, where everyone’s moral compass spins like a broken slot machine! The story kicks off during the Civil War, introducing us to our three protagonists – though “protagonists” might be stretching it for at least two of them. There’s “Blondie” (Clint Eastwood) who’s “the Good,”…
Briam is a traditional Greek vegetable dish that showcases the Mediterranean diet’s emphasis on simple, wholesome ingredients. It consists primarily of sliced summer vegetables – typically eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and tomatoes – layered in a baking dish and generously drizzled with olive oil. Red onions, garlic, and fresh herbs like parsley and oregano are added…
Maafe has its origins in the Manding (Mande) people, who historically inhabited present-day Senegal, Mali, and Guinea. It is believed to have been created centuries ago, when groundnuts (peanuts) were introduced to Africa through Portuguese traders in the 16th century. Over time, peanuts became a staple crop in West Africa, leading to the development of…
Margherita Sbagliata is a pizza that turns tradition on its head while still honoring the essence of what makes a classic Margherita so beloved. In Italian, “sbagliata” means “mistaken” or “wrong,” a word that suggests a happy accident or an intentional twist on the original. Much like the Negroni Sbagliato, where prosecco replaces gin for…
This one was a bit more of a challenge than I originally anticipated. While I don’t frequent fast food places with any regularity I did hit them up a couple of times a month when I was in a hurry or was leaving work late and needed to grab something for myself on the way…
Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard” kicks off with possibly the most attention-grabbing opener in film history – our narrator is floating face-down in a swimming pool, and he’s, well, dead. Talk about starting with a bang! This deceased fellow is Joe Gillis, a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who then takes us back six months to explain how he…