There has been a lot going on behind the scenes here at Modern African Table. But I wanted to take a moment to share some of my favorite flavor pairings from 2024.
ELDERFLOWER CAKE: Gluten Free Elderflower cake with spiced apple butter filling, whipped mascarpone frosting with elderflower sugar and garnished with elderflowers. Why it works – it highlights the floral notes from the elderflowers, tartness from the apples which the mascarpone cuts through.
STRAWBERRY & BAOBAB ICE CREAM SANDWICH: Freeze dried strawberry and baobab ice cream, sandwiched in white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Why it works – strawberry and baobab were made for each other. While both ingredients have varying degrees of tartness, that is tempered by the sweetness from the strawberries.
SPICEBUSH CHAI: Macerated green spicebush berries in whole milk and made into a delicious chai. Why it works – the flavor that it difficult to describe because it is reminiscent of many things such as a tropical tangerine that my grandfather used to grow. Previously I tried the leaves in chai but found them to be too herbaceous, the berries however, were just right.
BLACK WALNUT RISOTTO: Black walnut and wild mushroom risotto, topped with dried ramps. Why it works – Black walnuts are unlike commercially grown walnuts. These were foraged and to call their processing laborious is an understatement. Paired with a medley of wild mushrooms and then topped with dried ramps, plays into the earthiness of all these ingredients.
~Here’s to more good eats in 2025. Happy New Year 🥂