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Happy to Be Here, Now What's For Dinner?

By a&o in Africa: Sub-Saharan

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a&o Collaborator

a&o   4

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ghana
 Timeline
Posted

Hi everyone,

Haven't been on the board for a few weeks. We've been happily settling in, working, working, and working. :)

O found a carpentry job on a construction site which he is happy about but has him outside in the snow and cold all day. The cold and snow is still a fun novelty for him. Hope it stays that way until April!!!

We lived together for a long time in Ghana, so it's been easier for us to adjust. But what turns out to be the most difficult thing is FOOD. O ate lots of non-African food when I cooked in Accra, so he wasn't worried. But then again he also had a daily dose of fufu, banku, light soup, etc. He is really missing that food. I found palm oil in Albuquerque (we're in New Mexico where there isn't much of a West African immigrant community, especially in Santa Fe) but that's about it. And it's not really easy to prepare West African food quickly and well enough to satisfy his homesickness for that food. (He tried and couldn't cook it right either!)

So what I'm wondering is: what are some of the foods available in the U.S. (and I don't mean NYC or LA or Chicago: we'd know just where to get palavar sauce in those places) that West Africans really love and I'm not thinking of? (I know this is a generalization...but I'm getting desparate and O is just plain HUNGRY.) I thought tamales would be an easy stand-in for banku, but nope. Rejected. And salsa is too sweet, apparently. Ugh!

Thanks!

--------------------------

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

2/15/10 Sent N-400 packet via Fedex to Lewisville TX

2/19/10 Received text message and email notification of application received, check cashed

2/27/10 Received biometrics appointment letter

3/19/10 Biometrics appointment

3/25/10 Received email notice that case will be sent for interview scheduling at local office

3/26/10 Received yellow letter asking to being more tax records/info to interview

3/27/10 Received interview letter (dated 3/24/10)

4/28/10 Interview appointment

6/5/10 Received oath letter (dated 6/1/10)

6/29/10 Oath ceremony date

Ta Ta Mentor

Ta Ta   1

Posted
Filed: Country: Senegal
 Timeline
Posted

Have you googled for African stores or restaurants in your area ? You may have to drive

farther but you can stock up on some things, like fufu mix etc.

Fiance not here yet but there are stores and restaurants about an hours drive from where

I live.

I hope others can give some cooking tips ! What about greens with hot peppers over rice ?

Add dried fish or meat.

Have you googled for African stores or restaurants in your area ? You may have to drive

farther but you can stock up on some things, like fufu mix etc.

Fiance not here yet but there are stores and restaurants about an hours drive from where

I live.

I hope others can give some cooking tips ! What about greens with hot peppers over rice ?

Add dried fish or meat.

NaijaPrincess Need NaijaPrince Contributor

NaijaPrincess Need NaijaPrince   0

Posted
Filed: K-3 Visa Country: Nigeria
 Timeline
Posted

I have never tried these folks as there are local shops in my area but try this website http://www.africanchop.com/

Good Luck!

Hi everyone,

Haven't been on the board for a few weeks. We've been happily settling in, working, working, and working. :)

O found a carpentry job on a construction site which he is happy about but has him outside in the snow and cold all day. The cold and snow is still a fun novelty for him. Hope it stays that way until April!!!

We lived together for a long time in Ghana, so it's been easier for us to adjust. But what turns out to be the most difficult thing is FOOD. O ate lots of non-African food when I cooked in Accra, so he wasn't worried. But then again he also had a daily dose of fufu, banku, light soup, etc. He is really missing that food. I found palm oil in Albuquerque (we're in New Mexico where there isn't much of a West African immigrant community, especially in Santa Fe) but that's about it. And it's not really easy to prepare West African food quickly and well enough to satisfy his homesickness for that food. (He tried and couldn't cook it right either!)

So what I'm wondering is: what are some of the foods available in the U.S. (and I don't mean NYC or LA or Chicago: we'd know just where to get palavar sauce in those places) that West Africans really love and I'm not thinking of? (I know this is a generalization...but I'm getting desparate and O is just plain HUNGRY.) I thought tamales would be an easy stand-in for banku, but nope. Rejected. And salsa is too sweet, apparently. Ugh!

Thanks!

felshen Enthusiast

felshen   0

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted

If you try a mexican food market like a fruiteria or carniceria I am sure you will find ethnic things there like peppers or chiles as the hispanic culture calls it. Michael and I shop there and we get plantains, peppers, tomatos, onions and all kinds of meats and fish for his stews. O may have to settle for rice for a while with his stew , but at least he will have ,some taste of home. A carribean market or actually any market that caters to foreign foods will have a lot of the things he might use. I even bought5 cows foot, heart and kidney to add to his stew in those markets. Good luck and send me an im if you need more info.

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  • 3 weeks later...
ReggaeDancer2 Apprentice

ReggaeDancer2   0

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted

There was an online African market, let me see if I can find the link. I guess I am lucky because I just drive into downtown and buy boxed fufu and homemade kenkey from teh African market.

Sent I130 September 23, 2004

Approved January 5, 2005

Interview date July 21, 2005

Told to pick up visa October 2005, but no visa issued.

Case went missing for six months - from October 2005 through April 2006

Emailed Embassy constantly, sent letter directly to director of Embassy by fax and snail mail

Response received April 2006 from Director - full of inaccuracies, but placed my husband's name on list to enter Embassy.

Husband entered Embassy in late April - told case worker working on our case quit, they were short staffed so no one touched our case; told to return in July 2006 to pick up visa.

July 2006 - no visa issued still, told case went to US for secondary approval.

August 2006 - US said case was approved in January 2005 and they did not have it.

September, October, November and December 2006, Embassy kept insisting they did not have our case. I emailed EVERY day until finally, response said my husband was called on the phone to pick the visa up six months earlier. My husband has NEVER been called on the phone by the Embassy.

Told to come pick up visa January 19 - said the "Ghanaians who print the visas didn't print them"

Changed date on blue slip and told to come back. Finally received the visa February 2, 2007.

THANK GOD!

Arriving in USA very very soon and I can't wait!!!!!!

ReggaeDancer2 Apprentice

ReggaeDancer2   0

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted
J & B African Market online

Sent I130 September 23, 2004

Approved January 5, 2005

Interview date July 21, 2005

Told to pick up visa October 2005, but no visa issued.

Case went missing for six months - from October 2005 through April 2006

Emailed Embassy constantly, sent letter directly to director of Embassy by fax and snail mail

Response received April 2006 from Director - full of inaccuracies, but placed my husband's name on list to enter Embassy.

Husband entered Embassy in late April - told case worker working on our case quit, they were short staffed so no one touched our case; told to return in July 2006 to pick up visa.

July 2006 - no visa issued still, told case went to US for secondary approval.

August 2006 - US said case was approved in January 2005 and they did not have it.

September, October, November and December 2006, Embassy kept insisting they did not have our case. I emailed EVERY day until finally, response said my husband was called on the phone to pick the visa up six months earlier. My husband has NEVER been called on the phone by the Embassy.

Told to come pick up visa January 19 - said the "Ghanaians who print the visas didn't print them"

Changed date on blue slip and told to come back. Finally received the visa February 2, 2007.

THANK GOD!

Arriving in USA very very soon and I can't wait!!!!!!

a&o Collaborator

a&o   4

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ghana
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

Excellent! Thank you!

--------------------------

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

2/15/10 Sent N-400 packet via Fedex to Lewisville TX

2/19/10 Received text message and email notification of application received, check cashed

2/27/10 Received biometrics appointment letter

3/19/10 Biometrics appointment

3/25/10 Received email notice that case will be sent for interview scheduling at local office

3/26/10 Received yellow letter asking to being more tax records/info to interview

3/27/10 Received interview letter (dated 3/24/10)

4/28/10 Interview appointment

6/5/10 Received oath letter (dated 6/1/10)

6/29/10 Oath ceremony date

 
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