Food: Fran Osseo-Asare (BETUMI)

"The "Tom Brown" porridge recipe is quite simple. The hardest part is getting the right corn flour. In Ghana they lightly toast the corn before grinding it. For years I tried unsuccessfully to duplicate the process. The corn in Ghana is not sweet corn, it is hard like Indian corn. One recipe said to use ground popcorn, toasted lightly in a dry frying pan. It's much simpler to check with an African market that specializes in West African ingredients and get it from them. This is a favorite student breakfast food I remember fondly from my days teaching at a boarding school in Nungua, along the coast of Ghana..................To make enough for 2 people, one simply brings 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a pan. While it is heating, add 1/2 cup of the flour to 1/2 cup of water in a bowl, and a little salt to taste and mix thoroughly (I use a whisk). When the water in the pan comes to a boil, reduce the heat and slowly stir in the flour/water mixture. It will cook in just a couple of minutes. I ate mine with some honey, evaporated milk (the way I learned to eat it in Ghana), and chopped peanuts on top. If you like a thinner porridge, just add more water." Fran Osseo-Asare

Check out: www.betumi.com -it's a fantastic culinary website founded by ,Fran Osseo-Asare -a North American sociologist and writer who is married to a Ghanaian. BETUMI website grew out of Fran's love of sub-Saharan African food and the lack of; -knowledge or - interest; and the failure of others to take sub-Saharan African food, -seriously. Accompanied by a must subscribe blog -BETUMI -celebrates [all] culinary delights of African origin, -especially Ghanaian. You can also order Fran's cook book, 'A Good Soup Attracts Chairs' and a host of other culinary books at BETUMI. www.betumi.com