The target audience is to include asylum seekers, visual artists, general public and special interest groups. Food For Thought will consist of a live cooking performance in the kitchen Fire Station Artist’s studios on June 16 th 2007. Four Nigerian women from the hostel on Gardiner Street, Dublin, and I will prepare and cook a traditional Nigerian dish called egusi. The audience can participate or ask questions as the meal is being prepared and the meal will then be served to the audience at the exhibition. Recipes will also be given out on the night. This will be accompanied by Nigerian drumming and a performance by band, Ife Olu. A questions and answer session will follow.

Aims and Objectives

To confront people with cultural transfer using the food as a vehicle for this to happen Wide ranging audience will participate. Interesting exchanges and conversations will occur.

Participants

Residents of Georgian Court reception centre, Dublin;
Edith Oju
Ester Oyedele
Adejoke Agbeniga
Caroline Odogwu

"Egusi soup is a kind of soup thickened with the ground seeds and popular in Nigeria. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leaf vegetables, other vegetables, seasoning, and meat. A type of leaf vegetables for egusi soup, most commonly used is bitterleaf. Meats used in the soup include beef, turkey, shrimp or crayfish."

Recipe : Egusi

* 3/4 cup pumpkin or melon seeds
* 1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
* 1/2 cup palm oil
* 2 large tomatoes, chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
* 18 ounces tomato sauce
* 3 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
* 1 pound fresh spinach, washed and chopped

Method

1. Place pumpkin or melon seeds in a blender and blend for 30 to 40 seconds, until mixture is a powdery paste. Set aside.
2. Wash beef and cut into bite-size cubes. Season with salt. In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add beef and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until brown but not cooked through.
3. Place tomatoes, onions, and pepper in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Add tomato mixture to meat, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until meat is tender.
4. Add tomato sauce, water, and shrimp and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add spinach and ground pumpkin seeds and continue to simmer 10 minutes more.