May 2020

So... we survived April (sort of) and have somehow gotten all the way to May. 

Having spent our April becoming fully acquainted with our fridges and inhaling everything in sight, we come into May a little bit rounder and hopefully a little bit happier. 

I must say, the daily exercise was made significantly better by the longer, warmer days... that's if you have the energy to go out! 

Because we are still in this pseudo lockdown and most outdoor activities have been cancelled, we are keeping the same format of April- staying indoors and finding more ways to remain connected - with an African twist.

So here is our May rundown:

As with many foods around the world, the name varies from country to country. 

Today we are starting off with dessert - why not?!

whatever you call it, this is definitely a party favourite. If you, like us, are dining for one, be sure to drop some off (socially distanced of course) to your neighbours. This is bound to get you some major Brownie mandazi points!

Below we have a super easy mandazi by Swahili foods- good luck!

Groundnut stew is eaten all over Africa. It originates from the Mandinka and Bambara tribe of Mali, being called Domodah or Tigadegena. As always, it takes on many names (and personalities) as you navigate between regions. Parts of Ghana call it Hkatenkwan, Nkate nkwan, The Wolof  -Maafe, and the Creole -Granat stew with the recipe also varying from country to country.

Aside from being very delicious, the dish spread due to the increased cultivation of peanuts during the colonial period in Africa.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden in the UK, we have a little extra for you...

BRAAI!! The Braai (short form of braaivleis) is an Afrikaan word for grilled meat. It is a cooking method from South Africa with variations across the African continent and the world at large. We tried this recipe from Food and Home SA and it was an absolute winner. Give it a go and let us know!

We have been churning out more banana bread recipes than we care to remember so we thought given how much the banana is so loved, we would add this to the mix

The British council has partnered with industry specialists on the continent to explore how technology can influence the creative sector in a post COVID-19 business environment.

Founder of Antidote Street, Winnie Awa (she's the one with the gorgeous candyfloss afro) has teamed up with a number of African hair and skincare businesses in the UK to discuss key issues around health and beauty. On the 10th she'll be addressing the trauma we are experiencing with our eyebrows now all the salons are closed and on the14th she will be discussing how to maintain poppin' skincare during quarantine with Dija.

Founder of Lagos Fashion week will be exploring the world of fashion with model Liya Kebede, Rozan Ahmed and Zain Verjee to discuss the world of African creative entrepreneurship.

If you're looking for something a bit more fashiony, why not head over to The Assembly who will be hosting an Instagram Live with designers Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture Nigeria and Selly Raby Kane of her eponymous brand based in Senegal.

The Bakwa Literary Festival is going online due to COVID-19 which is great news for those of us stuck at home. It is a celebration of Cameroonian author from a wide range of genres which will be very insightful into the country's literary world

Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE is setting up two guest artist spaces in Lagos Nigeria will be talking about 'new normals', how the art world can positively adjust to the changes it is currently experiencing