CHARLES CANN: The roots of Tropical Ghana can be traced to my days at Northwestern University. After cooking for one, two, three friends during my time at Northwestern, more and more friends kept asking me to cook. It was impossible to meet the cooking requests so I decided to put together an online Ghana cooking resource for everyone.
Later, after settling in New York City, my Northwestern friends still kept up the pressure. I got inspired to do something and dug out the forgotten online Ghana cooking resource project. After much thought, prayer, and consideration -- and also out of the desire to sustain a school supply donation drive started in 2002 to send school supplies to less privileged kids in schools in Ghana in the Ofankor/Taifa/Dome suburbs of Accra -- the Tropical Ghana Cookbooks Project was born in December 2006.
In 2010, the Tropical Ghana Cookbooks Project became Tropical Ghana – contemporary cooking, Ghana style. As part of Tropical Ghana, the Tropical Ghana Foundation aims to offer assistance to less privileged kids in Ghana to stay in school. Part of the proceeds from the sales of Tropical Ghana recipes help the foundation reach its goal of offering scholarships in small financial amounts to encourage and inspire kids to stay in school.
*100: What is "Tropical Ghanaian" cuisine?
CC: Tropical Ghana is contemporary cooking, Ghana style.
Tropical Ghana inspires, encourages, and empowers individuals who love Ghanaian cuisine, crave West African flavors, or are interested in exploring tropical ingredients, to try new recipes and share with their loved ones.
Tropical Ghana’s contemporary cooking is based on combining traditional and non-traditional techniques in cooking. Traditionally, people in Ghana cook with the goal of sharing a meal that is a balanced diet with their family and they work tirelessly to achieve this goal. Our non-traditional approach is employing creative and innovative cooking methods. Our unique contemporary approach is what makes us believe that cooking should be simple, fun and healthy.
*100: Ghanaian foods run the gamut from heavy (rich in oil) and carb-rich, to healthy (beans, fish, fresh meat, and greens including kontomre and banana leaves). What's your recommendation for a balanced Ghanaian diet?
CC: We all know a simple balanced diet should contain portions of carbohydrates (staples like yam, cassava, maize), proteins (beans, chicken, beef) and vitamins (fruits and vegetables) in right portions. In Ghana, we are blessed to have varieties of dishes that are rich in nutrients. Over the years, we have moved away from moderation and the steps to eating right. Waakye for instance is very healthy meal. The rice and beans give you proteins and carbohydrates. Should it be topped with fried plantains, tomato gravy, shito, we are on track. An orange later and we have a balanced diet.
But is that the case? Our biggest challenge is we are not moderate, we want extra plantains, macaroni, eggs, beef, wele, fish, and more gari -- by the end of the list we have killed the idea of a balanced diet. Our other challenge is that we are moving away from wholesome food and we keep adding more and more processed foods and food additives to enhance flavors which our fresh ingredients like ginger, garlic, peppers and many more offer in abundance.
Our use of oil in cooking is also excessive, and the familiar sight of a sea of oil at the top of stew, sauces, and soup is another challenge we have to fight to maintain a balanced diet and a healthier life style.
*100: Please share an easy and quick-to-prepare Tropical Ghana recipe.
CC:
Tangerine Ginger Chicken Recipe
Serves: 5
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
1½lbs (24oz) cleaned thin sliced chicken breast
For Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For Tangerine Ginger
4 large tangerines
1 large peeled and cleaned ginger root
Time to Cook
Combine ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken in a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Cut ginger in pieces and combine with two juiced tangerines in a blender. Preheat grill or grilling pan.
Pour tangerine ginger mix over chicken, and coat well. Grill chicken, turning occasionally till cooked, juicy and golden brown.
Peel and slice remaining 2 tangerines, remove seeds and place over chicken.
Cut chicken into strip, stick toothpicks through tangerine slices and chicken, and serve this finger food Tropical Ghana style.
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The new website www.tropicalghana.com will be up in December.
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