Fixing American dishes in Africa

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

I am looking for ideas of things that I can make there. No oven , no electricity. Primitive cooking with camp like burners. What can I fix there that they might like ? I was thinking pancakes. Is there anything you have had luck with ? Can you get butter or milk there ?

[D&M09 0]

I am looking for ideas of things that I can make there. No oven , no electricity. Primitive cooking with camp like burners. What can I fix there that they might like ? I was thinking pancakes. Is there anything you have had luck with ? Can you get butter or milk there ?

My dear, have ever visited Nigeria? There's no such thing as primitive cooking in Nigeria. We have stove, gas cooker, and electric cooker. Depending on your economical level. FYI: You can make anything there as long as you have the money. If u will be staying lagos/ Abuja, you can go to SHOP RITE there u can get american food like pasta, minced beef. chicken etc.

[kayj 0]

I am looking for ideas of things that I can make there. No oven , no electricity. Primitive cooking with camp like burners. What can I fix there that they might like ? I was thinking pancakes. Is there anything you have had luck with ? Can you get butter or milk there ?

no oven? no electricity? primitive cooking? ever been to nigeria?

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Yes I have been twice. And there is no oven and electricity comes about 4 hours at a time once or twice a week. The kitchen consists of a sink where you haul water in from the well for cooking and cooking is done on 2 kerosene stove tops. Bathing is done from buckets of water hauled from the well. Welcome to the non scammer side of Nigeria. Just how do you think the average Nigerian lives on $1000 a year ? How do you think I met the requirements for a visa without visiting? Guess you didn't have your brain engaged when you asked that. Not every Nigerian relationship comes from people who are prowling the internet looking for their ticket out of the country.

[kayj 0]

Yes I have been twice. And there is no oven and electricity comes about 4 hours at a time once or twice a week. The kitchen consists of a sink where you haul water in from the well for cooking and cooking is done on 2 kerosene stove tops. Bathing is done from buckets of water hauled from the well. Welcome to the non scammer side of Nigeria. Just how do you think the average Nigerian lives on $1000 a year ? How do you think I met the requirements for a visa without visiting? Guess you didn't have your brain engaged when you asked that. Not every Nigerian relationship comes from people who are prowling the internet looking for their ticket out of the country.

oh really? since you are from "non-scammer" side of Nigeria (ie. im guessing the rural/village parts), i guess ur relationship is legit then. very smart of you to make a generalized comment about Nigeria been a country with no oven, no electricity. Since im not privy to the details of your relationship, how the hell would i have known u've visited Nigeria. you could have met ur SO in any other country in the world for all i care and still meet the visa requirements. I guess you didnt have your brain engaged when u made that comment. People!

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

World travel for Nigerians is limited to those that are scammers and those that are eating the money from the oil fields. You attacked me as if ovens and electricity are standard in Nigeria. Even in Lagos most people struggle to survive. In the average home you don't find such luxuries and electricity gets rarer and rarer.

[WhidbeyGirl 1]

CHILL girls!!! You both are making assumptions.

@topic:

My first trip to Senegal I brought pancake mix and mapeline to make pancakes. I also brought tuna and chicken in a can, beef jerky, peanut butter. I wanted to make sure I was getting protein. We only had a propane tank to cook on. This time around I brought muffin mix and husbands friend just has a coal oven. I brought Chinese food in a can, pasta mixes, cake mix, beef stew. I make a lot of things with eggs and irish potatoes that can be bought here. OH and I brought Velveeta cheese since it doesn't have to remain cold. I also brought several spices from the Dollar Store, my husbands friends love them! I reserved one of my check-in bags just for pre-made foods, things that are very good hot or warm, but can be eaten out of the can too. My bag was nearly 50 pounds.

Go through cookbooks and find things that can be made easily with things you can buy here, find no-cook recipes.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Thanks. Whidbeygirl I have the pancake mix and syrup and peanut butter and my coffee. They laugh at my need for coffee. I wish they had an oven. I know you can get local chicken and beef although I still carry this image of the man cutting the beef with a hatchet on a wire spool and thowing the pieces into a wheelbarrow to be pushed around the market by his partner.

[WhidbeyGirl 1]

OH TO HAVE GOOD COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even like instant in the US. I nearly bought a cheap espresso machine to bring here and give my husband and his friends the knowledge of GOOD coffee, but it just wasn't worth it. LOL!!

I did eat bush pig when I was here the first time and it was very tasty. Shortly after that though all were teasing me about getting me to eat goat so now I refuse to eat any meat while I am here that I didn't bring myself Last night though his friend did sneak some shrimp in on me and I did not realize it until nearly all the rice was gone - LOL, I may live on an island but I DON'T eat purposefully eat anything that has lived in the water (with the exception of tuna in a can).

[D&M09 0]

World travel for Nigerians is limited to those that are scammers and those that are eating the money from the oil fields. You attacked me as if ovens and electricity are standard in Nigeria. Even in Lagos most people struggle to survive. In the average home you don't find such luxuries and electricity gets rarer and rarer.

"World travel for Nigerians is limited to those that are scammers"? My father is not into the oil business neither is my mom. My father is an business man (he sells packaged goods, e.g powdered iyan etc) and my mother is a teacher. My mother in-law is a teacher, and my father in=law is Manager in Brisco. We have an oven in our home, we are world travelers, and we didnt get our traveling papers through scamming. Yes its true that people eat money in Nigeria, but not all of it is from stealing. Please do not make the assumption that all Nigerians are scammer its an ignorant way of thinking. Electricity is getting rarer, and rarer in nigeria because of the management skills of our government. But that doesnt stop you from having a gas cooker. I think you should educate yourself about Nigeria before making assumptions.

[Perseverance 1]

I ate Nigerian food everytime I was in Nigeria. I have never had a problem. I really like Nigerian food and I cook it here at home in the US too. I was really not worried. My Husband would never do anything to harm me. He thoroughly inspected everything and made sure meat was FRESH. I never got sick and never even thought twice about it. I like adventure and to try new things so it really was not an issue for me.

I understand that there are people who dont like to be out of thier comfort zone. Sooo....

If your SO has limited cooking implements. Think of what you would take with you if you went camping!! Think of it that way and maybe it will be easier for you.

I also took a suitcase full of stuff that I never intended to take home with me, (everyone will ask you, what did you bring for me? Visit the dollor store and by a bunch of stuff before you go to hand out to various friends and realatives you will meet ) including the suitcase...your SO is going to need to pack his stuff in something when he makes his journey to the US.

Good Luck!

P

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

World travel for Nigerians is limited to those that are scammers and those that are eating the money from the oil fields. You attacked me as if ovens and electricity are standard in Nigeria. Even in Lagos most people struggle to survive. In the average home you don't find such luxuries and electricity gets rarer and rarer.

"World travel for Nigerians is limited to those that are scammers"? My father is not into the oil business neither is my mom. My father is an business man (he sells packaged goods, e.g powdered iyan etc) and my mother is a teacher. My mother in-law is a teacher, and my father in=law is Manager in Brisco. We have an oven in our home, we are world travelers, and we didnt get our traveling papers through scamming. Yes its true that people eat money in Nigeria, but not all of it is from stealing. Please do not make the assumption that all Nigerians are scammer its an ignorant way of thinking. Electricity is getting rarer, and rarer in nigeria because of the management skills of our government. But that doesnt stop you from having a gas cooker. I think you should educate yourself about Nigeria before making assumptions.

I know of Nigeria. I have seen whole families living in a single room not bigger than 12 by 12 where they share a non flushing toilet with 20 o so other "homes" . I have walked miles to carry kerosene for cooking. I have seen a person lie dying in the ditch. I know of the streets where unwanted children are discarded at the curbs. I have seen the Nigerian with money drive by, ignoring what goes on around them. That does not wipe out the existence of these things. Attacking me for saying that I stay in a place without an oven shows that you ignore how much of the country lives. If pretending extreme poverty isn't normal there is how you deal with the conditions there I guess that is how you do it.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

I ate Nigerian food everytime I was in Nigeria. I have never had a problem. I really like Nigerian food and I cook it here at home in the US too. I was really not worried. My Husband would never do anything to harm me. He thoroughly inspected everything and made sure meat was FRESH. I never got sick and never even thought twice about it. I like adventure and to try new things so it really was not an issue for me.

I understand that there are people who dont like to be out of thier comfort zone. Sooo....

If your SO has limited cooking implements. Think of what you would take with you if you went camping!! Think of it that way and maybe it will be easier for you.

I also took a suitcase full of stuff that I never intended to take home with me, (everyone will ask you, what did you bring for me? Visit the dollor store and by a bunch of stuff before you go to hand out to various friends and realatives you will meet ) including the suitcase...your SO is going to need to pack his stuff in something when he makes his journey to the US.

Good Luck!

P

Last time I was in Nigeria I got very sick , apparently from something I ate, so this time they want me to bring some food things with me . I guess they feel that way I am less apt to get sick. But most foods here use dairy products and I haven't seen those in that area of Lagos during any trip ( I wasn't really looking) Other things are baked and there isn't an oven at the house. When I go camping I take a 27 foot trailer with all the bells and whistles so that isn't much help. I am to old for sleeping on the ground and looking for the potty bush. I have a bunch of things from various places to take including "canvas shoes size 45"

[William33 110]

Let's keep it civil folks. In many developing countries, there are basic shortcomings with respect to "US expectations". Electricity for example, cannot always be supported country wide. In my 14 or so trips to Nigeria beginning in 1993, Lagos had outages in sporadic areas. When the Capital moved to Abuja, only the major hotels and other buildings with Generators had consistent electricity. Step off to remote areas, and you will be without power for hours, if not days.

This information comes from a former US Diplomat with 2 years experience in 15 African countries, with no agenda here. I am simply recounting my experiences. Please do not attack others, based on your experience alone. you may not know where the SO hails from.

All the best,

William

Edited September 28, 2009 by William33

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The infrastructure of Lagos state is getting worse. The Okota area of Lagos has gone weeks with no power at all and when it comes there is a mad rush to iron and charge phones. When I was in the village it was also primitive.