All I can do at this point is quote Bob Marley by saying “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery ..non but ourselves can free our mind..how long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside & look?“! By now many have heard that the most popular arch in Ghana may become the Golden Arches instead of Independence Arch, as we trade our prophets for profits. Ghana is on the fast track to give up the health benefits of  ampesie with kontomire froi for a Big Mac heart attack attack. This is the exact point where the irony & hypocrisy of globalization meet, the point when we lose our independence in place of the arches of gold desired by the nations of our former colonizers  in the name of progress in “so called” doing mutually beneficial business with Africa & bringing “so called” third world nations to the standards deemed acceptable by “so called” advanced first world nations. Not all business is good business, there will always be vultures waiting to come to fill their bellies after the work is done for the kill.

I can’t help but to LOL (laugh out loud ) at how anyone sees this as a good business deal instead of the usual business of using Africa as a dumping ground for many corporations & nations. While African land & agriculture is being coveted by many global nations to grow their economies as well as to feed their citizens healthy food ,we are being pushed off the land to partake in processed foods-hmmm! It seems as if we repeat the same history, just in different errors eras & in different ways, but it’s always the same players with different commodities at stake.
GHANA’S INDEPENDENCE ARCH

“We shall measure our progress by the improvement in the health of our people; by the number of children in school, and by the quality of their education; by the availability of water and electricity in our towns and villages, and by the happiness which our people take in being able to manage their own affairs. The welfare of our people is our chief pride, and it is by this that my Government will ask to be judged.” Dr.Kwame Nkrumah-Broadcast to the Nation. 24 December 1957

As many in America & the UK look to ban McDonalds not only from their dinner tables but also from their neighborhoods because of the lack of nutritional value in the food alongside the harmful long term effects of obesity & contribution to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes & danger to human reproductive system , why not bring it into a nation with a rising rate of diabetes, stomach cancers, high cholesterol issues etc. where even getting health care to those in need  has its own economic & infrastructural challenges? Why not dump what is seen as cheap food & trash in your nation in the bellies of our young growing children & those who can only be faulted by their ignorance of coveting a westernized lifestyle with little education & knowledge of its true effects. I guess Ghana is waiting for our own Michelle Obama type of first lady to take up the cause on teaching our children to eat healthy, or is it that our children already eat healthy & we are about to spiral into the mess of a predicament that America is in because it chose capitalism over the health of its children.

“A Happy Meal comprised of a cheeseburger, French fries, and Sprite has 640 calories, 940 milligrams of sodium, and 35 grams of sugar. Those figures are half, three-fourths, and twice the recommended daily amounts, respectively, for children aged 4-8. McDonald’s disputed the percentages, saying they are based on the diets of the “youngest and most sedentary” children…” READ MORE

“Best-selling burgers and drinks popular with children at McDonald’s restaurants are loaded with controversial chemicals, including some known to cause behavioural problems. Analysis by The Independent reveals that Britain’s biggest burger company pumps a total of 78 different artificial additives into its food on 578 separate occasions, an average of seven E-numbers per product. Although McDonald’s emphasises its burgers are 100 per cent beef, the buns, cheese and sauces that go with them are high in E-numbers. The Big Mac has 18 separate additives and a cheeseburger 17 separate additives, while a chocolate milkshake has eight different chemicals. Additives are present in almost everything on the menu, including the grilled chicken and salads…” READ MORE

I can’t help but SMH (shake my head) at the fact that in Ghana the majority of those who eat fresh, organic or non-processed foods are the poor because they live off the land of what is naturally made in Africa & can’t afford the overpriced processed garbage that has infiltrated the nation in its fully branded glamorization that is held in high esteem as some sort of luxury of globalization, while in America & Europe the poor eat processed food because eating fresh, organic & non-processed food is extremely expensive & mostly exclusive to the rich who own land or have the money to buy FRESH DIRECT(ly)! When will we learn to not only take back our culture & our land, but also to respect it instead of always allowing the western world to take from it what it wants just to repackage it & resell it to us as something new & good for us when we know or should know better?

Am I the only one who sees the irony & hypocrisy in all of this so called globalization in bringing in major corporations like McDonalds ,who represent the worst instead of the best in our global interactions in business? Africa as a continent & Ghana as a nation has enough problems that we have to keep our focus on & due diligence in working out, so we do not need to add all of the problems that America & Europe are dealing with in terms of obesity & other health effects directly or indirectly caused by ingesting the long term slow burn poison of having McDonald’s as part of our everyday diet. Who is really going to regulate McDonald’s in Ghana? If it is about creating jobs, isn’t it time we started using the statistics & knowledge we have to help us think outside of the box so we won’t have to come back to undo what we did like America & Europe are now doing by trying to regulate McDonald’s to be more healthy & in some places trying to completeley get rid of it altogether ? When are Africans going to see the light  of true independence that shines brighter than the dollar , pound sterling or Renminbi

“McDonalds, the world’s largest chain of restaurants serving more than 58 million customers daily is considering opening up branches in Ghana by early 2011. Seth El, a US-based Ghanaian businessman, who disclosed this to the Business Guide newspaper in an interview, stated that McDonalds would open its restaurant initially at some popular places in Accra such as the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Osu, Spintex road and the Accra Mall…” READ MORE

“Moreover, if the Center for Science in the Public Interest has its way, the toy ban could go national. It is getting ready to sue McDonald’s over its practice of throwing in a free toy along with an order of fries and Chicken McNuggets. “McDonald’s use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children’s developmental immaturity — all this to induce children to prefer foods that may harm their health. It’s a creepy and predatory practice that warrants an injunction,” says CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner. But just how valid are these claims, particularly when weighed against consumers’ rights to choose what they want to eat and buy?”  READ MORE

“Am I the only one who realises that McDonalds is cheap food in the US but will be expensive food in Ghana?How about the favorite argument – it will be creating jobs. I guess we don’t know how to create jobs in Ghana. Actually we do, but not well-paying jobs. McDonalds will pay well, they ain’t like the Chinese. No, I didn’t just say that. There is demand for McDonalds in Ghana. Surely, the middle-class is growing, the returnees are craving the McDonalds they missed so bad in America. Won’t it be interesting to see if our ‘bogas’ will gladly take the McDonalds jobs they had abroad in Ghana? How about a reality show while we are at it? READ MORE

We Do Not Want To See Our Kids Cracked Out on McDonald’s & singing their spirituals to the golden arches-NO GHANA , NO WE DON’T!

We continue to have other nation’s trash get dumbed on us!

This post was inspired by my cousin who I invited over for dinner. In the world where we text & rarely talk with our voices-I received a text saying she is on a low carb diet, so she would like to put in a request for the dinner menu to take her low carb. status into consideration. I hate limitations to my culinary creativity, but I always like to take on challenges. As I thought about what I could make -the Lewis Latimer lightbulb went off in my head & said take her back to her ROOTS!

One of my all time favorite dishes is ampesie with kontomire froi  AKA yams/plantains & spinach stew. This is a Ghanaian specialty that many natives & visitors love- rich, poor, young or old. This is probably one of the healthiest, inexpensive & readily abundant food in ingredients alone that you will find in Ghana from the presidential palace to a little village in the middle of nowhere. The stew is most often made with fish in Ghana, but many also add meat (goat ,beef, tripe etc.) with boiled eggs added to the dish. I suppose you can add chicken, but I have never seen nor had it with chicken & to be honest with you the whole eating chicken in abundance in Ghana is fairly new to me because growing up in Ghana we ate chicken mostly on special occasions -fish was more abundant in our diet & if we were going the meat route it would be goat meat,so I guess not all Black people love chicken-LOL!

Today on the menu is ampesie with kontomire froi & kelewele for dessert.  Kontomire froi is also known to many as palava sauce (kontomire is actually taro leaves (cocoyam) while palava (which literally translates to trouble or funny business) is actually made with spinach, but you will find that many Ghanaians at home & abroad in particular interchange the two because while cocoyam leaves maybe abundant in Southeast Asia & Ghana (the second largest producer of cocoa, second only to our cousins in Ivory Coast), it is rare to find it in Europe or the USA outside of an African, Southeast Asian or Caribbean specialty  market. The Taro leaves maybe best known to many as the elephant ear plants that many decorate their outdoor/indoor spaces with in the western world  & in Africa as well. The biggest difference with taro leaves & spinach is that you can eat spinach raw (i.e. in a salad etc.), but you cannot eat taro leaves raw as they are toxic in their raw form.

Kelewele is fried ripe plantain marinated in a blend of fresh ginger, onions, salt, cloves, pepper (ground red pepper found in most West African specialty markets around the world or fresh red peppers). If you want to make authentic Kelewele you must also add other spices like hwentia & sekoni, but those can be optional as they are not easily found in many western markets or even in African markets in the West.  Kelewele is a Ghanaian delicacy that you will find in its best & most authentic version mostly at night on the road side being fried up over an open flame. When this mouth watering deliciousness in the perfect marriage between spicy & sweet hits your taste buds, you will feel no pain!

“…few countries reward the sidewalk chowhound as well as Ghana. From rough-hewn sheds, women sell sharp wedges of starchy yam, perfectly fried in splendorously saturated palm oil and slathered with a fiery sauce of pulverized Scotch bonnet peppers and garlic. From stainless steel bowls perched atop their heads, women dish out hearty bowls of perfectly spiced stew and rice, endlessly customizable with a plethora of condiments, from crunchy vegetables to a hard-boiled egg…”READ MORE

Below I have made my life a lot easier by directing you to other sites with recipes for the aforementioned sunday dinner special along with more history about Ghana & our delicious cuisine. Enjoy trying these recipes at home as I enjoy my homemade version, where we gather together around one traditional Asanka bowl & dig our pre-washed hands in, as one family unit in sharing the delicious gift of nourishment  for mind, body & soul!

Remember, fresh ingredients are key -if you try to substitute ginger powder for fresh ginger, you will have a rude awakening in taste-so don’t do it to yourself! Fresh is always best!

“Ghana’s earliest inhabitants existed as long ago as 6000 B.C. Ancient stone tools and other artifacts have been discovered that suggest early hunter-gatherer communities, most of which lived by the ocean. These nomadic tribes (traveling from one place to another) roamed the land in search of berries and wild seeds, and followed herds of animals for meat. Ancient trade routes existed long before the arrival of the first Europeans in 1471. Trade routes running north to south, and east to west, many of which ran through Ghana, existed throughout the continent of Africa. Modern-day Ghana imported dates, salt (for food preservation), tobacco, and copper from northern territories, while Ghana offered ostrich feathers, cloth, and cola nuts in return. The Portuguese arrived in modern-day Ghana in 1471, the first Europeans to explore the land. Though they were searching for a sea route to the Far East, the explorers began building forts along the coast and trading with inland tribes for their gold. By 1600, the Dutch and English began exploring Ghana. One hundred years later, the Germans and Danes also built forts—all hoping for ivory and gold. In return, explorers brought rum, cotton, cloth, beads, and weapons to the tribesmen. Eventually the Europeans forcefully captured Ghanaians as slaves…” READ MORE

“A popular side dish in Ghana is kelewele. It is sometimes served with rice and stew, and sometimes eaten alone as a dessert. Another popular dish is kontomire which is mashed up taro (cocoyam) leaves. It is often mixed with bits of tuna and egusi (pumpkin seeds) and dressed with palm oil…Other popular dishes are ampesi (boiled yam and unripe plantain)which is usually accompanied with kontomire, groundnut soup, usually made with chicken, gari foto, nyadowa (garden egg stew) Tilapia, fried whitebait (chinam), smoked fish and crayfish are a common component of Ghanaian dishes…”READ MORE

“There are many variations of this traditional spinach (silver beet) dish from West Africa. No one can agree to its origins—some say it is Nigerian, others claim it comes from Ghana, but my mother says her version comes from Sierra Leone!” READ MORE

250 ml (8 fl oz) palm oil
4 medium onions, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and mashed
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 red chillies (hot peppers), finely chopped (optional)
250 g (1/2 lb) diced cooked meat or leftovers
(optional, although not chicken) and/or 250 g (1/2 lb) fish
e.g. snapper, tuna, salmon or trevally
125 g (1/4 lb) smoked herring, boned (optional)
200 g (6-1/2 oz) dried prawns (shrimp)
3 bunches of spinach (sliver beet) or 750 g (1-1/2 lb) frozen spinach
(silver beet), washed and chopped
100 g (3-1/2 oz) egushi (shelled pumpkin seeds or pepitas),
ground in a coffee grinder

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Kontomire (Cocoyam leaf) Stew Recipe

by Maame Boakye

Ingredients:
2lb Kontomire Chiffonade (substitute with spinach if not available)
1 large Red Onion thinly sliced
3 large ripped tomatoes medium diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
½ teaspoon of ginger minced
½ teaspoon of scotch bonnet Pepper chopped
½ teaspoon of Allepo pepper
½ teaspoon of curry powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
12oz Palm Oil
½ cup dried Egusi (Melon) seeds grounded ( sub with pumpkin seeds in not available)
3 large scale of and deboned Tinapa (smoked fish)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pot, heat half of your palm oil. Sweat your onion, garlic and ginger.  On the side mix the 1/2 cup egusi with 1 cup water and let sit.
2. Add your diced tomatoes and scotch bonnet.  Simmer until the tomatoes are tender. Season them with the curry, paprika, and Allepo pepper.
3. Add the tinapa and egusi mix. Let simmer for 5 min.
4. Mix in the Kontomire and season with salt, and add the remaining palm oil.  Let it simmer on low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Serve with boiled yam, white rice, Kenkey, boiled green plantain...READ MORE

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Health Benefits of  Spinach:Health benefits of spinach include good eyesight, blood pressure, strengthens muscles, prevention of age-related macula degeneration (AMD), cataract, atherosclerosis and heart attack, neurological benefits, bone mineralization, anti-ulcerative, anti-cancerous property, skin protection, foetus development, protein rich for infant’s proper growth etc. Spinach is a green vegetable that is cheap and affordable by all. It is a rich source of minerals, vitamins, pigments and phytonutrients. All these together make spinach very beneficial to a number of vital processes especially for our eyes, nervous system, cardiovascular disorders, skin, bones, anti-cancerous, foetus and infants. Keeping in view the vast range of benefits from the vegetable, it is advisable to consume spinach regularly…READ MORE

The Health Benefits of Palm Oil : Palm Oil is an orange to red vegetable oil with a distinctively delicious flavour made from the juicy pulp of the African oil palm tree fruit called Elaeis guineensis. The fruit is no larger than grape fruits, but has a central nut, the palm kernel (which is used in making palm kernel oil) enclosed by the soft juicy pulp (from which the red oil is made). It grows freely and widely through out tropical Africa. It is the highest oil producing tree known to man.This oil is red due to its very high content of beta-carotene – the same agent that gives carrot its colour, and known to protect humans from many cancers and heart diseases…READ MORE

Health Benefits of Eggs (Brown Eggs are best) : Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneraton due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources…READ MORE

Health Benefits of Plantains: Beyond preventing constipation and lifestyle changes, herbs can also be excellent remedies for your hemorrhoid condition. Plantain is one of the herbs that you can try so you can say goodbye to the symptoms brought by hemorrhoids. This herb actually has a strong folk reputation as a hemorrhoid remedy. Plantain contains allantoin, the same soothing compound which is found in comfrey. Plantains are basically a type of bananathat contain less sugar than yellow bananas. They are not suitable for eating raw unless they are very ripe. They are usually cooked and consumed and are known to be potent sources of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. Plantain is an excellent combination of energy, tissue-building elements, minerals and proteins. It is also rich in solids and lower in water content as compared to other fresh fruits. During the ancient years, the plantain plant is used to heal the bites of “mad dogs, snakes, and other venomous creatures.” But today, the liquid juice of this plant is used to help distillation of rheum upon the throat, glands, lungs, and others…READ MORE

For the Health Benefits of Ginger , Fish & Yam click HERE

AFRICA IS THE BEGINNING & THE FUTURE!

I love the video below because it shows how the world is truly Globally Fused with Africa at its root.  Vietnamese born Supreme Master Ching Hai shows two Ga women of Ghana cooking Kontomire stew on her show “Vegetarianism -The Noble Way of Living“. I don’t know many Ghanaians who label themselves as vegetarians or vegans, but our general diet in many ways is very vegetarian friendly with great flavors that most western vegetarians/vegans are often deprived of in the West.

So many people say that they can’t cook, but I say if you can eat you can cook. Cooking should be fun & done in free form to taste. No mind boggling measurements etc. -leave that for those who bake! The secret to a great dinner gathering is in the Flavor & Presentation. For a haute & spicy woman like myself it comes simply easy & au natural, but with simple direction you too can be coaxed into fabulousness-LOL! Actually the first preparation to fabulousness is unapologetic confidence & pure love  poured into your food preparation!

Buying fresh herbs & produce truly bring great flavor to the simplest of meals. Below You will find my healthy, quick and ultra fabulous dinner spread that will charm, wow, & satiate your most simpleton to your most picky  friends, family & lovers! A color filled plate boosts appetites & smiles that evoke letting the sunshine in!

3 course Dinner Made Easy With Global Flavor & Presentation

[[Show as slideshow]]

Appetizer:

Cheeze & fruit platter :Asiago Cheese, Herb Goat Cheese, Sesame Seed table water crackers, red seedless grapes, sliced green apples & sliced Strawberries

Recommended Wine from “Is Wine’s” Sommelier : Spanish Verdejo

Main Course:

-Grilled marinated shito Snapper/Porgy or  Stuffed Snapper or Porgy  (stuffing: peppers, onions, brussels sprouts, garlic, ginger)

-Mesculan Salad with tomato & avocado dressed with homemade dressing (virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, spicy brown mustard, minced garlic, scallions & honey -all mixed together to your personal taste)

-Baked Portobello mushroom stuffed with herb goat cheese & spinach

-Baked Sweet Yam chips

Recommended Wine from “Is Wine’s” Sommelier: Burgundy White with as little oak as possible or a Chardonnay

Dessert:

Rum Raisin Ice-Cream topped with shaved coconut & ginger granola with fresh baked Walnut chocolate chip cookie

Recommended Wine from “Is Wine’s” Sommelier : Late Harvest Riesling or Prosecco

How To Put It All Together:

Grilled stuffed fish: You can use a snapper or porgy for this. A snapper is actually a version of a Porgy that is usually more on the pricier side. Many of you may not even know the difference as your favorite restaurants charge you snapper prices for porgy without sweet summertime Bess-LOL!

-Season fish with Adobo, yellow Curry Powder (Jamaican or Indian) & African Powdered Red Pepper (found at any African market). You can also substitute sea salt/low sodium salt & black pepper or cayenne pepper.

-Add a little bit of virgin olive oil to a pan & saute brussels sprouts, minced garlic, chopped onions, chopped ginger & chopped peppers(keep seeds for extra fire, but if you are afraid of the burn then remove seeds) – saute until slightly soft,  stuff into fish &  grill. If using a home oven with a grill pan add some water to the bottom half of the grill pan.

Shito marinated fish: Season the fish with some lemon & use Ghana’s famous pepper sauce called shito to marinate the fish. I liken Shito used this way to Jamaica’s famous jerk sauce. Shito is a blend of peppers, ginger, dried shrimp & other herbs slow cooked in oil (I will give the full recipe on another post). It is Ghana’s ultra spicy pepper sauce used to eat foods like kenkey , waakye & pretty much as a side compliment to everything (well, for me anyway-lol). I know some of you may laugh at the name & even think it literally looks like shit in the photo above,  but if shit tasted  this delicious, we would all bottle it & be richly moving our bowels-LOL!

Baked Portobello mushroom stuffed with herb goat cheese & spinach : Clean off mushroom cut out stump & add herb goat cheese & chopped fresh baby spinach-add stump topper back on & bake for about 5-10 minutes @ 350 degrees & serve.

Baked Sweet Yam chips: clean off skin from sweet yam & cut into round or quarter chip slices. Sprinkle with olive oil & honey (optional), and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-25minutes or until it softens to your liking.

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We all have heard how eating vegetables, fruits & fish are good for us. We have also heard how baking instead of frying food is great for our health. Here are some benefits of healthy cooking/eating with the recommended global fusion of fresh herbs, fruits & vegetables above.

Ginger: The health benefits of ginger have been known for over 2000 years.
In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is used to calm upset stomachs, soothe nausea and stop diarrhea. Other traditional health practitioners also understood the health benefits of ginger ? it has been widely used in Europe to help relieve menstrual cramps, treat the symptoms of the common cold and ease headaches. One of the newest reports of the health benefits of ginger is that it may stop cancer from growing and spreading...Read More Here

Brussels Sprouts: No one knows the origin of Brussels sprouts, though it’s logical to assume they originated in Belgium. Like nearly all vegetables, Brussels sprouts are naturally low in fat and calories. But unlike most vegetables, Brussels sprouts are rather high in protein, accounting for more than a quarter of their calories. Although the protein is incomplete — it doesn’t provide the full spectrum of essential amino acids — it can be made complete with whole grains. This means you can skip a higher-calorie source of protein, like high-fat meat, and occasionally rely on a meal of Brussels sprouts and grains. Brussels sprouts are loaded with vitamin A, folacin, potassium, calcium…READ MORE

Avocado : 10 health benefits : Prostate Cancer Prevention,Oral Cancer Defense, Breast Cancer Protection,Eye Health, Lower Cholesterol, Heart Health, Stroke Prevention, Better Nutrient Absorption, Glutathione Source, Vitamin E Powerhouse..READ MORE HERE

Green Apples: Green apple has been long known as the fruit of many health benefits for the body. With refreshing taste, green apple can give relief from constipation, diarrhea, gout etc. Green apple is also known for lowering blood cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, rheumatism, improves appetite, etc...Read More

Fish:Fish is a good source of protein and, unlike fatty meat products, it’s not high in saturated fat. Fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of — or who have — cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death.  Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly)…The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week..READ MORE

Cheese: The health benefits of cheese include relief from hypertension, and osteoporosis. It also helps in maintaining bone health, gaining weight gain and dental care. Since ages, Cheese has been a part and parcel of daily life in the Europe, the Americas, Australia and nearly all the countries of the world those have a cold climate, except certain countries in the Indian Subcontinent and Middle Eastern region…READ MORE

Mushrooms: have been used for thousands of years both as food and for medicinal purposes. They are often classified as a vegetable or a herb, but they are actually fungi. While there are over 14,000 mushrooms, only about 3,000 are edible, about 700 have known medicinal properties, and fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous…Read More

Yams/Sweet Potato: There’s been much buzz lately in women’s health circles about food and fertility. Recent books like The Infertility Diet by Fern Reiss suggest that eating a balanced diet that includes certain key foods can help women get pregnant and prevent miscarriage. One of the foods receiving a flurry of attention is the yam. Research conducted at Yale University linked the high consumption of white yams among the Yoruba people in Nigeria to that society’s high incidence of fraternal twins. These yams contain unique compounds called diosgenins, which may have an impact on hormonal patterns, thereby increasing ovulation. But here in America, the very word “yam” can be cause for confusion. In the grocery store, there are often two different types of similar-looking elongated tubers, one marked sweet potato and one marked yam. However, as it turns out, the yams in American produce aisles are not true yams—they are simply a second variety of sweet potatoes. True yams are native to Africa and rarely found in American markets, except in specialty Asian and African stores....READ MORE

Olive Oil: When choosing fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol levels in your blood. All types of olive oil contain monounsaturated fat, but “extra-virgin” or “virgin” olive oils are the least processed forms, so they’re the most heart healthy. Those types contain the highest levels of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that also can promote heart health… READ MORE

On the Eve of Cinco de Mayo, which ended up being a raining cats & dogs night in New York City; I got the ladies together for a lovely Friday night cozy home pow wow to wine down from our hectic week. Needless to say on the eve of Cinco de Mayo, no one was down for a night of wine. What we ended up with was a group of ladies mezmerized by the seduction of a man named José Cuervo! That sexy Mexican brought us to a night & a drink called “Sexy Pictures”- a night when Mexican tequila reigned victorious over French wine! You may ask why “Sexy Pictures”? Well the bombastic taste of José Cuervo tequila with the sweet kiss of fresh watermelon juice had one of my sister’s head so sprung that she said “Damn! this drink is the type of drink that a man gives a woman to get her in the mood to take sexy pictures for him“! The room burst out with a laughter of agreement & sexy pictures was born & forever memorialized!

Have Yourself A Sexy Pictures Kind of Night!

The sweet taste of fresh watermelon juice mixed with the intoxicating punch of tequila balanced just right with a splash of triple sec & fresh strawberry juice, garnished with a ring of sugar & lime on the rim of your glass with a sweet strawberry & a lime wedge inside the glass, or for those of you who daringly possess a little extra fire in your soul, try a jalapeño pepper instead of the lime!

Drink Responsibly & Remember Sexy Pictures are for Private Consumption- Real Sex Appeal Always Leaves Something To The Imagination!! Enjoy!

I recently discovered The World’s Sexiest Cookbook by Dr. Sunyatta Amen. Since the world of Global Fusion is all about preserving the Sexy in every part of our lives- Here’s to some sexy eating! Enjoy!

Dating back to Ancient Egypt, hummus is one of the world’s oldest and esteemed foods. This tasty dip made of chickpeas is high in protein, rich in good fats and can survive an all day ride across the desert on camelback. 

Chickpeas are a powerful aphrodisiac, especially for men. In ancient Rome, Arabia and India they were fed them to stallions to keep them virile. Stallions? Virile? That’s all I need to hear!

Get it together:

1 15 oz can or 1 1/2 C fresh soaked then boiled chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup pumpkin seeds (great zinc content for the prostate!)
2 T Tahiti
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T Udo’s omega 3 oil (great for memory, mood, eczema, dry skin and more!)
6 T water 
1/4 t fresh lemon juice
3/4 t Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (high in minerals)
cayenne pepper to taste (hot hot hot… great for metabolism)
4 cloves garlic, add more to taste (great for the heart and cholesterol)
¼ tsp cayenne 

Do that thang:

Peel and crush the garlic. Let it sit a minute. Letting garlic ‘breathe’ a little before cooking enhances the bio-availability of its nutrients. Put everything in a food processor. Blend until smooth, and chill thoroughly.

Other options: add in parsley, cilantro or roasted peppers before blending
Yields 3 cups

Serve with toasted pita bread and kalamata oilves

FYI: Hummus is the Arabic word for Chickpeas. Cece Beans in Italian, Garbanzo beans in Spanish. 

recipe excerpted from The World’s Sexiest Cookbook by Dr. Sunyatta Amen

Sister Julie’s Okra Stew
Origination:Awukuga Ghana, West Africa via New Jersey!

Il Bagatto
192 East 2nd Street (btwn Ave. A & B)
New York, NY 10009
Phone/Reservations: 212.228.0977
http://www.ilbagattonyc.com

G Fuser Profiles!  Stats

Name:  Melissa B. Ivey
Current Global Location:  New York City
I rep for :  African-American, Philadelphia PA

My Global Fusion is: I am the Planning Director for Global Apparel for Victorinox Swiss Army. It’s a 125 year-old Swiss family owned company. I’ve been in this business for over 16 years and this is the most interesting job that I’ve ever held. I’ve learned more about respecting stewardship and being evolutionary as opposed  to revolutionary here than with any other company.  The fashion industry is all I know (well, that and food) and I started out wanting to be some big time buyer…How I fell into the numbers side of the business is beyond me…especially since math genius doesn’t really belong on my resume!  But even after all these years, I remain a student of the craft.  I am always on the learn. I wish that some of these younger professionals that I meet would understand this.  It’s not just about following brands or who has the best marketing.  It’s about the craft…the talent…the details…it’s about really getting the passion and emotion that make this business work.

Personal stats : I am the child of hippies.  I grew up making everything from scratch…my mom’s favorite line was “let’s make it!”  We had our own garden and shopped the Italian market in South Philly from time immemorial.  I am a steadfast recycler and was bringing my own bags to shop before it was all the rage.

Down with: sites  that I am close to in some form or fashion, no pun intended.  I am a big proponent of education.  Knowledge will set you free, give you the tools to succeed and give you the power to decide and act.  Two organizations that I have had the pleasure of being involved with and I highly recommend you check out are A Better Chance (www.abetterchance.org ) and Posse Foundation (www.possefoundation.org)

Esterlina Vineyards

1200 Holmes Ranch Road
P.O. Box 2
Philo, California 95466
(707) 895-2920
Info@EsterlinaVineyards.com
http://www.esterlinavineyardscom