Practical West African cookery

A pound of lump sugar contains about eighty pieces or two large breakfast cupfuls. One uses about ten lumps a day. Of KITCHENS and KITCHEN UTENSILS. It is best not to touch your provision boxes during the journey up country but to take out one or two specially made up “ chop boxes containing all that is necessary in the way of food for as many days as you require. Fresh provisions can be bought off the steamer and as they are often both dear and scarce on the way up river, it is as well to take eggs, bread, potatoes and some bacon or ham. It is advisable to have those loads which you want to use on the river journey, including the oook’s box of which we speak later, clearly marked with a coloured band or some other distinguishing sign, so as to be able to recognise them easily as they come out of the chaos of the steamer’s hold. Some people consider a luncheon basket unnecessary, but for the new-comer it saves much time and temper. It should be strong and contain, besides the usual fittings, two enamel dishes on which to serve the meat and vegetables, two small tablecloths, three napkins and half a dozen cloths to be given out to the cook on the way. All kitchen utensils should be packed in a strong wooden “ cook’s box,” fitted with padlock and key so that they can be safely left in storage at Burutu when going home. The box must not be too heavy, and the size of a man’s load. The contents should consist of — One large iron kettle about eight pints. One small kettle, three pints. One frying pan. One iron Kenrick saucepan, three pints, fitted with cover. One iron Kenrick saucepan, five pints, ,. One stew pan Kenrick, six or seven pints, ,. One colander to fit the five piut saucepan. One grill (light), One cook’s knife. One wooden spoon. One ordinary knife, fork and spoon. One meat board and chopper. One tin opener. One small knife board. Two pudding dishes, half and one pint, in white enamel. Two one-lb. bread tins. One baking tin. Two pudding basins, half pint and one pint. Two large sparklet bottles (with spare tubes and parts) will also be required but these had better be carried separately. Two enamel basins for washing up, one for the cook and a larger one for the boy, can be bought from the Niger Company. When starting on trek, as few utensils as possible should be taken ; every native knows how to make excellent ovens with a large native pot sunk in the ground and should always be able to give good roasts and good bread. If no native pot is available the cook’s basin turned upside down, half buried in sand and covered with fire, will make an oven fit for baking bread. The man who lives in a station will probably have a small brick kitchen containing a diminutive range but little else. A shelf made from an old packing case will have to be put up to serve as a table and some nails will be wanted on which to hang the saucepans ; this is important as otherwise they usually find their dwelling place on the muddy floor. The same arrangement can be made in the mud hut which serves as a kitchen in the bush. In addition to the absolutely necessary kitchen utensils required on the journey up country or on tour, we would suggest — One two-pint Kenrick enamel saucepan. One four-pint Kenrick enamel stew pan. One Wellbank boilerette or a double boiler.