Efo Riro.
Fresh green leafy vegetable cooked with bright red, roughly-blended “ata-rodo” (pepper) and onions; endowed with “eja-gbigbe” (dry fish) and “eja-yiyan” (smoked/grilled fish), featuring small chops of “pomo” (brown cow skin) and gizzard; garnished with a sizeable portion of “eja-tutu” (fresh fish); sprinkled with “Iru” (locust beans) and finally served with hot leaf-wrapped “iyan” (pounded yam), and accompanied with a chilled glass of freshly-made orange or pineapple juice (Cotonou pineapple recommended as its more juicy). What are we talking about here? Good, nutritious, home-made food! Your delight may be “Edikainkon” with all kinds of fish, or “Ogbono” with “Okporoko” (stock fish) or groundnut soup with good dry fish. (Health experts advice red meat should be avoided, so “Isiewu” – goat meat – is out!) Good, nutritious food should never be a rare occurrence in our menu and on our table. Of course, this may not be an everyday reality (and why not?), at least once a week (week-end especially) do yourself the favour of feeding on fresh, healthy, nutritious, tasty and delicious home-made meal! Give yourself a break from every-day fast food.
Don’t like to cook? No probs. Invite a friend whose hobby is cooking and do it together. When next grandma visits employ her skills. Most mums are good cooks. Women, single or married, must not forget we owe our spouse, our children, and ourselves the responsibility of feeding on wholesome, healthy, appetizing meal. Plan a special for this weekend! And enjoy your yuuummmmmmyyyyy healthy meal! (Apologies to vegetarians).
