Out of an African Kitchen. Nicky Fitzgerald

Bitings. Bitings is a catchall description, originally from India, for small bites of food. Our guests can choose as many mouthfuls of desserts as they please.

      TIRAMISINI

      SHOP IT

       16 ladyfinger biscuits

       3 large eggs, separated

       ⅓ cup sugar

       250ml mascarpone

       ⅓ cup marsala

       1 cup strong, warm espresso coffee, sweetened with 1 Tbsp sugar

       16 Tbsp grated dark chocolate

       2 Tbsp cocoa powder, for sifting (optional)

      PREPARE IT

      In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. In a larger bowl, beat the egg yolks, then add the sugar and continue beating for 3–4 minutes until thick and pale yellow. Mix in the mascarpone and beat for 1 minute for extra fluff. Beat in the marsala until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites until combined (try not to deflate the mixture). It will be a loose, soft, creamy custard. Pour the sweetened espresso into a small bowl wide enough for dipping the biscuits.

      To assemble in small cups, Moroccan tea glasses or martini glasses: dip a biscuit in espresso until almost fully saturated, but not falling apart. Halve the biscuit and place the first half in the bottom of the glass. Spoon a generous tablespoon of the cream mixture over it. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chocolate. Repeat with the other half of the biscuit and another spoonful of mixture. Repeat this layering with a second biscuit which should be nearly at the top of the glass. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Repeat with the remaining glasses.

      Chill overnight to set. Before serving, dust with cocoa powder if using.

      Serves 8 (depending on size of serving glass)

      COFFEE ICE CREAM

      SHOP IT

       2 cups fresh cream

       1 × 385g can sweetened condensed milk

       8 egg whites

       50ml strong cooled espresso coffee

      PREPARE IT

      Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Slowly add the condensed milk, mixing all the time.

      In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then carefully fold them into the cream and condensed milk mixture. Finally fold in the coffee. Churn in an ice cream machine until ready. Serve in scoops over the Tiramisini.

      Serves 8

       PROUDLY KENYAN

Kenyan Quesadillas with Guacamole

       Ugali Sticks with Honey-Mustard Mayo

       Swahili Rice Pudding with Mango

       Swahili Chocolate Pots with Sesame Shards

       Swahili Muhamri Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich

       Swahili dreaming

      The recorded history of Kenya dates back over 1 000 years and its cuisine reflects its multicultural past. Sometime during the first millennium, Arab traders sailed their way south in dhows during the monsoon, kicking off a brisk trade with coastal inhabitants in ivory, gold, slaves and timber. Arab-Swahili states sprung up from Mozambique Island in the south to lovely Lamu in the north, and these important centres traded goods between the Kenyan interior and Arabia, Persia and China. Vasco da Gama sailed into Mombasa in 1498 and 200 years of Portuguese rule followed. The Omanis sent the Portuguese packing in 1730 and settled in until British rule replaced them in 1895.

      The trade in slaves and ivory was, thankfully, replaced by trade in spices. Kenya’s beautiful coastal areas are planted with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Chillies, vanilla, all manner of spices, coconuts, tropical fruits and fresh fish in abundance still form the building blocks of Swahili cuisine up to the present. A significant influence on Kenyan cooking was brought by thousands of indentured labourers recruited from India between 1896 and 1901 to construct the Uganda Railway. Indian cuisine is served in some of the finest restaurants in the country to this day. But more of that in a later chapter.

       KENYAN QUESADILLAS WITH GUACAMOLE

       We love the Mexican-Kenyan crossover of this recipe using a local classic staple, the chapatti, as the hero for making the quesadillas. We first ate this dish in Nairobi’s Afro-chic Nyama Mama restaurant and simply couldn’t resist featuring it on our lunch menu.

      QUESADILLAS

      SHOP IT

       2 onions, finely chopped

       ½ cup olive oil

       1 ½ Tbsp ground cumin

       3 cloves garlic, crushed

       3 × 400g cans butter beans

       1 ½ Tbsp sugar

       6 thin chapattis (or large flour tortillas)

       1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

       6 tomatoes, thinly sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper

       ¼ cup plain yoghurt

       4 mozzarella balls, halved and thinly sliced

      PREPARE IT

      Sauté the onions in olive oil until tender, but not brown. Add the cumin and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beans and sugar and fry while mashing the beans to a paste.