The very first time I went over Angèle's, she handed me this little recipe book and encouraged me to browse through while she got lunch ready. When I moved back to the States, she gave me that book to take with me. Every time I see it on my counter, my mouth inevitably starts to water.
Allow me to give you a sampler of the flavors I encountered (and grew to love).
Petit-déjeuner (breakfast):
Coffee (of the instant variety) or hot milk (from milk powder)
Baguette with a dozen different topping possibilities...chocolate peanut butter spread, spreadable cheese, butter, onion sauce, tuna with mayonnaise, fried or hard boiled eggs, leftovers, akara (little fritters made from beans), lightly-sauced vermicelli, saucy beans. And more.
My favorites were onion sauce and akara. I could eat them every day and not get tired of them. (Actually, that's pretty much what I did last time I was there. I never dreamed I could be so excited about spicy onion sauce every morning, but my word... And my mouth is watering again.)
Déjeuner/repas (lunch):
In the home, this was almost always a rice dish.
Yassa is an onion-mustard-lemon sauce with chicken or fish served over white rice.
Mafé is a peanut-tomato sauce with chunks of beef and vegetables (cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, eggplant) served over white rice.
Chebu jen is stewed fish and vegetables served over rice. The rice is cooked in the broth that the dish and vegetables were cooked. There's a "white" version and a "red" version - the red version is made with tomato paste.
Chebu yapp is a similar dish, chunks of beef stewed in a broth, then served over rice that has been cooked in the same broth. Tomatoes and cucumbers with a vinaigrette are usually sprinkled over top.
Chebu guinaar is essentially just a chicken version of chebu yapp. (Guinaar means chicken.)
My favorite - as you may know already - is mafé. Not only is it my favorite Senegalese dish, it's one of my top favorite foods of all time. Right up there with beef enchiladas (specifically Mom's), homemade pizza, shrimp fajitas, and fudgy, chewy, cakey brownies.
Dîner (dinner):
Usually lighter than lunch, and almost always accompanied by baguettes.
Grilled fish, french fries, and crudités (marinated sliced tomatoes and cucumbers)
Nyebe (beans cooked in a tomato sauce)
Thiakry (couscous pudding)
Ragoût (sauce with meat)
My favorite is probably the grilled fish dinner. Angèle makes the most amazing marinade for her fish and then grills it to perfection.
Okay, I'll stop. I'm officially way too hungry.
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