The motto of West African cooking is that if the food doesn’t set fire to the tablecloth the cook is being stingy with the pepper.
~ Ben Aaronovitch, Rivers of London
Sounds incredible and right up my alley.
Have I ever had West African food? Moroccan sure but what about Senegalese, Nigerian or Sierra Leonean dishes? I think not and this feels wrong.
Also, now that I think of it, I want to go to Mozambique (it's, duh, NOT West Africa but...emmm...OK, I'm just totally random this morning), for the food and the song but also for the beaches.
Have you ever noticed that there are almost never people, let alone crowds, in adverts for tropical beaches. Serene waters, pale, pristine smooth sand, palm trees, a peaceful and meditative escape—that’s what it’s all about. Is that what the average tourist finds though? I imagine that even Ted Cruz and fam encountered other humans on their Cancun escape from Texas’ broken power grid during a frigid, killing winter storm. (Yes, I’m referring to Cruz as 'human' though that is quite a stretch. Also, just in case you were unsure, he’s one of the most miscreant examples of the species.)
Back to West African food though, there are a fair number of places nearby so I don't need to jump on a free range COVID plane to satisfy my gustatory curiosity.
Phew!
