A Foodie's perspective of Dakar or An Ode to International Foodiness:

Inspired by the prodding of a 'secret fan of the blog' who recently asked to know what I eat for breakfast, I've decided to dedicate an entry to the variety of tastes available within the city. Traditionally Senegalese eat a lot of rice, fish and vegetables stewed in a spicy tomato and palm-oil based sauce. This national dish is called ceebu jenn and is quite literally finger-lickin' good. Ceebu jenn is best eaten in a round platter shared by all with hands (though this can get really messy). You can find it in NYC and other parts of the U.S., but nothing compares to home-made ceeb in Senegal. My other local favorites are poulet yassa (chicken with an onion sauce with mustard and green olives), maafe yaap (a heavy peanut stew with beef), and ceebu weer with bissap sauce. On days when I'd like to opt for a lunch that will not make me pass out the moment I return to my desk, I opt for one of Astou's famous sandwiches. Astou is a lady who owns a little 'buvette' or sandwich shop on campus and is famous for eclectic sandwiches featuring chicken, beef, or omelets with onion sauce, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, and french fries all in a crispy baguette. And yes, this is the light lunch option. Now you know why I spend so much of my time at the gym. These sandwiches are really the stuff of dreams. There is also a variety of options on the drink front. My two favorite local flavors are ginger juice and Fanta Cocktail. Ginger juice is a refreshing and dangerously spicy concoction made from raw ginger that will clear your system and make you cry within seconds. Whenever I drink it people never fail to comment on its aphrodisiac powers that apparently ''make men strong in the night." Fanta Cocktail, on the other hand, is a sweet derivation of the the more familiar Fanta Orange made with a mixture of fruit flavors and actually pulp floating within the nostalgic glass bottles. For desert there is laax or thiakry, both featuring a type of millet grain mixed with sweet yogurt (sometimes with honey, rose water, or sweet cream). And to startle you back to consciousness from the comforts of your Senegalese food coma, your host will always offer you a few small espresso shots of attaya, a very powerful local tea. I won't get into the role attaya plays in terms of social interactions right now, but suffice it to say that it is an important social lubricant. In Dakar French patisseries and small Lebanese diners abound. You can always count on getting your fries in your hamburger or shwarma rather than on the side and a piece of fresh baguette smeared with hazelnut spread can be bought on any neighborhood corner for the equivalent of 30 cents. It's good being a foodie here for the most part. Two common complaints are the lack of fresh vegetables and the emphasis on heavy artery-clogging oils within the traditional Senegalese diet.
In la Maison de Jeanne-Court-Duma, we have made a routine of collaborating in the kitchen to produce elaborate salads and entrees with different cultural/geographical themes. One night there was an Indian feast of makeshift aloo gobi (using cabbage instead of cauliflower), paneer, daal and garlic pita bread instead of naan. Yesterday we had a layered salad (corn, peas, cabbage, olives, tomatoes, parsley with a mustard vinaigrette) with spiced kafta meatballs, tomato-cucumber yogurt taziki sauce and warm pita bread. Tonight Duma introduced us to the wonders of Polish cuisine (our own version of sauerkraut: sausage with cabbage marinated in white wine and a mix of herbs). These feasts are all eaten on the terrace and are usually accompanied with wine and followed by chocolate over childhood stories, daily updates, and deep discussions. We are perfectly at home, having left one city of foodies only to discover the possibilities and quirks of another. And yes, I realize that I've gone through this whole long blog about food and drink without really answering the initial question, which I know was not meant to be answered so literally, about what I eat for breakfast here in this foreign city. The answer is that, on days when I'm not rushing to catch the bus, I have fresh bread with coffee or cereal with soy milk - much like in NYC.

P.S. I am determined to master yassa, maafe and ceebu jenn by the time I leave here. But in the mean time, if you happen to have any interesting new recipes involving rice, couscous, cabbage or fresh fish, please post away!