Gaya Art Cafe strives to offer a global perspective when it comes to showcasing art with an African influence. This is part of our Global Art Africa Series.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
http://www.gayaartcafe.com/
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Haiti Art Cooperative
Gaya Art Cafe strives to offer a global perspective when it comes to showcasing art with an African influence. This is part of our Global Art Africa Series.
The Haiti Art Cooperative is a network of non-profit projects with programs in Haiti serving Haiti's poor, including persons deported, streetchildren, orphans, students, persons in need of medical care and families.
Haiti’s Ceremonial Banners, or Vodou Flags, are tapestries of sequins and beads trimmed with a satin backing. “They are probably the most familiar of all Vodou objects and they are enchanting, combining the graphic clarity of African appliqué banners with the scintillating luxuriance of Christian liturgical vestments.”
The flags represent various spirits, or lwa, of Vodou, based on religious beliefs and practices slaves brought with them from West Africa. Each spirit embodies unique characteristics, and plays a different role. Vodou flags, exhibited in ceremonies, serve to call down particular spirits who help practitioners with their personal problems and aspirations.
Vodou spirits are represented by either the image of the spirit, or the corresponding symbol, or veve, that represents it. Because slaves were forbidden from practicing Vodou, they also adopted Catholic saints to represent the various spirits of love, water, twins, trees, crops, etc.
Haitian Vodou flags have been the center of numerous museum exhibits, including the Sacred Arts of Vodou which toured museums such as the Smithsonian Institute and the Museum of Natural History.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
http://www.gayaartcafe.com/
Haiti’s Ceremonial Banners, or Vodou Flags, are tapestries of sequins and beads trimmed with a satin backing. “They are probably the most familiar of all Vodou objects and they are enchanting, combining the graphic clarity of African appliqué banners with the scintillating luxuriance of Christian liturgical vestments.”
Vodou spirits are represented by either the image of the spirit, or the corresponding symbol, or veve, that represents it. Because slaves were forbidden from practicing Vodou, they also adopted Catholic saints to represent the various spirits of love, water, twins, trees, crops, etc.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
http://www.gayaartcafe.com/
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
African Proverbs
A talkative bird will not build a nest.
By crawling, a child learns to stand.
Earth is but a marketplace; heaven is home.
Everybody loves a fool, but nobody wants him for a son.
The teeth that laugh are also those that bite.
When the music changes, so does the dance.
Silence is also speech.
A lobster loves water, but not when he's being cooked in it.
A rotten fish pollutes the whole kitchen.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
http://www.gayaartcafe.com/
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
http://www.gayaartcafe.com/
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Unlike collections of European fairy tales, myths and legends, which are familiar worldwide, compilations of African folk tales have only recently received mainstream attention outside Africa.
Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears
If you live in the rain forest climates of West Africa, you will be very familiar with the buzz of the mosquito in your ears on hot humid evenings. Even if there’s only one mosquito and only one person in an area as large as a football field, the mosquito always seems to find that person’s ear and buzz in it. If you’ve slapped yourself in the face because of a mosquito, you know what I’m talking about. Here’s the story that explains the mosquito’s attraction to the ear.
A very long time ago when Ear was a beautiful woman and ready for marriage, there were several suitors wooing her. There were big creatures, there were small creatures. There were fast and sleek creatures and there were slow ones. But they all professed their love for Ear and demonstrated their skills – and there was such an impressive array of skills that Ear had a difficult time making a decision. Then along came mosquito.
“I would like you to be my wife”, proposed Mosquito.
Ear was so offended by this affront. “Look around you!” she cried. “Of all the people and creatures in the whole world, what makes you think I can entertain such a thought?” Ear was distressed. “Marry you?!!” she continued. “You will be dead before the week is over. You’re not strong, you’re weak and I will never marry you!”
Ear was exhausted from this tirade and she fell into her seat, fanning herself vigorously like she was trying to get any image of Mosquito out of her head. Meanwhile, Mosquito was really hurt by all that Ear said. It was very embarrassing to be talked to like that in front of all the other creatures who were whispering to each other and giggling. Apparently, they all agreed with Ear. “Dead before the week is over,” thought Mosquito as he slunk away. “We’ll see about that.”
And from that day forward, whenever Mosquito sees Ear, he flies up to her and says “Emi re, mi o ti ku”, which in English means “Here I am, I am not dead.”
But who did Mosquito eventually marry? And how did she get attached to either side of Head? That’s another story I would like to hear.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Gambia And West African Folktales
So Moon takes it upon herself to fix this. She makes her children only come out at night with her. Of course her husband Sun is very angry by this so he chases her across the sky. He has caught her a few times thus, this is when eclipses occur.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Visit Senegal
Senegal lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator and enjoys a steady warm year round climate, with a short rainy season between the months of June and September.
As such it provides the perfect weather for a lazy beach holiday, especially in the Saly region just south of Dakar; but Senegal also has three mighty rivers and these provide a good deal of fertile land and some wonderfully intricate coastal lagoons and waterways that are a joy to explore.
And because of this abundance of water and fertility it supports a great wealth of wildlife including numerous birds from coastal waders to large raptors, and various mammal species such as warthogs, hyenas, monkeys, baboons, manatees and dolphins.
CLIMATE
Senegal has marked contrasts in climate. The coastal region, except in Casamance, is equable, with low rainfall and high humidity. Inland, the climate is drier, ranging to the semi-desert of the Sahel region in the east. The wet season is from June to September, rather shorter in the north and longer in the south, especially near the coast.
VISAS & IMMIGRATION
Citizens of countries member of the European Union (EU) do not need visa to travel to Senegal for up to three months stay. Visas are also not required for citzens of Canada Israel Japan Taiwan United States .
PEOPLE
The population was estimated in 2002 at about 9,8 millions , of which a quarter live in the agglomeration of Dakar, it is composed of many ethnics.
The Wolofs, are the most represented (35%), they make up the majority in all the regions, especially in the centre, the north and the coast of Dakar and Saint Louis. The farmers and the merchants, of Muslim faith for the majority, there importance is certain in the nations economy. The Lebous, established in fishing communities in the peninsula of Cap-Vert and in Saint Louis are related.
The population was estimated in 2002 at about 9,8 millions , of which a quarter live in the agglomeration of Dakar, it is composed of many ethnics.
The Wolofs, are the most represented (35%), they make up the majority in all the regions, especially in the centre, the north and the coast of Dakar and Saint Louis. The farmers and the merchants, of Muslim faith for the majority, there importance is certain in the nations economy. The Lebous, established in fishing communities in the peninsula of Cap-Vert and in Saint Louis are related.
The Pulaar (20%), is composed of the Foulbes, Peuls and Toucouleurs, in the northern Senegal, the Fouta Toro, historical source for the propagation of Islam in Senegal, make up the cultural birthplace, they are very active in the commercial domain, as well as breeding and irrigated farming. they populate the Senegalese river valley and the Ferlo region.
The Sereres (17%) are less scattered out than the other ethnic groups. They can be found in the Sine-Saloum, along the Small Coast, in the centre of countries and north-west of the Gambia. The majority are Muslim, except for those along the Small Coast. The Diolas (10%) can be found in the Casamance, but also in Gambia and the Guinea-Bissau. Oriented rather to the culture of rice, they are for the majority animist and/or Christians in the basse Casamance region (Ziguinchor, Oussouye, Cap Skiring), and musulmans in the north and east.
Other than the main ethnic groups, we find the Mandingues of Eastern Senegal, the Soninkes very present in the east of the country and in the zones adjacent to the Mali and the Mauritania, the Bassari which live mainly by the culture of the millet and corn, of the picking and hunting, between the Guinea border and the limit of the Niokolo-Koba national park.
You may already be a fan of Senegalese music, or you may well already be a fan of Senegalese music without realising it. For a relatively small country they have produced a startling amount of fabulous music, and much that has crossed over the ‘world music’ divide into the consciousness of Western musical audiences.
Naming CeremoniesWood Carvings
These are great lively occasions that are well worth a look if you have the opportunity. This normally takes place one week after the child is born. The elders of the village gather together in the morning and name the baby whilst slaying either a chicken, goat, sheep or cow depending on the wealth of the family. Then the rest of the village is invited to join in and the party continues long into the night. There are displays of dancing and singing and collections for the new baby continue throughout the event - so we recommend that if ever invited you take along plenty of small notes.
The Sereres (17%) are less scattered out than the other ethnic groups. They can be found in the Sine-Saloum, along the Small Coast, in the centre of countries and north-west of the Gambia. The majority are Muslim, except for those along the Small Coast. The Diolas (10%) can be found in the Casamance, but also in Gambia and the Guinea-Bissau. Oriented rather to the culture of rice, they are for the majority animist and/or Christians in the basse Casamance region (Ziguinchor, Oussouye, Cap Skiring), and musulmans in the north and east.
Other than the main ethnic groups, we find the Mandingues of Eastern Senegal, the Soninkes very present in the east of the country and in the zones adjacent to the Mali and the Mauritania, the Bassari which live mainly by the culture of the millet and corn, of the picking and hunting, between the Guinea border and the limit of the Niokolo-Koba national park.
You may already be a fan of Senegalese music, or you may well already be a fan of Senegalese music without realising it. For a relatively small country they have produced a startling amount of fabulous music, and much that has crossed over the ‘world music’ divide into the consciousness of Western musical audiences.
Naming CeremoniesWood Carvings
These are great lively occasions that are well worth a look if you have the opportunity. This normally takes place one week after the child is born. The elders of the village gather together in the morning and name the baby whilst slaying either a chicken, goat, sheep or cow depending on the wealth of the family. Then the rest of the village is invited to join in and the party continues long into the night. There are displays of dancing and singing and collections for the new baby continue throughout the event - so we recommend that if ever invited you take along plenty of small notes.
Tabaski
Tabaski is probably the most important celebration in the Muslim calendar and is marked by a two-day public holiday. Muslims kill a ram to commemorate when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God.
Ramadan
This is a 30-day festival that takes place each and every year in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. During this period all physically mature and healthy Muslims are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing and any kind of tobacco use.
Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thank and appreciate all of God's bounties.
MUSIC
A few names for you: Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab – and these are just the artists that have made that crossover; you’ll find that music is such a presence in Senegal, and such a crucial part of the very fabric of life that it will form a soundtrack to your holiday, a soundtrack for your memories.
Tabaski is probably the most important celebration in the Muslim calendar and is marked by a two-day public holiday. Muslims kill a ram to commemorate when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God.
Ramadan
This is a 30-day festival that takes place each and every year in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. During this period all physically mature and healthy Muslims are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing and any kind of tobacco use.
Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family and friends. The fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thank and appreciate all of God's bounties.
MUSIC
A few names for you: Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab – and these are just the artists that have made that crossover; you’ll find that music is such a presence in Senegal, and such a crucial part of the very fabric of life that it will form a soundtrack to your holiday, a soundtrack for your memories.
The Bandia Nature Reserve
Is a small but perfectly formed game reserve, situated 40 miles from Dakar near Saly and M’bour.
You can enter the reserve either in your own car or in one of the Reserve’s 4WD vehicles and hire the services of one of the skilled guides to see some typical African savannah animals: Giraffe, White Rhino, Zebra, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, Kudu, Oryx, Impala, Cape Eland, Lord Derby Eland, Kob Antelope, West African Forest Buffalo, Wart Hog, Crocodiles, Green Vervet Monkeys and Patas Monkeys.
Dakar
Is the capital of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula, on the country's Atlantic coast. It is Senegal's largest city. Its position, on the western edge of Africa, is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional port.
Kermel Market
Many women go to the colourful Kermel Market to sell a variety of flowers: marigolds, zinnias and sunflowers. The flowers are primarily for western tourists. At Kermel Market, a hot spot for foreign visitors from the West and Asia, vendors have been selling their goods since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Lac Rose
Lac Rose (The Pink Lake) surrounded by dunes, is a large shallow lagoon 10 times saltier than the ocean and is renowned for its pink hue when the sun is high. The colour is due to a high concentration of minerals in the water. Senegal’s answer to the Dead Sea, you can swim here or effortlessly float on the surface. There is a small-scale salt-collecting industry on the southern side of the lake which is also worth a visit.
Marche Sandanga
The Marche Sandanga (Sandanga Market) is a labrynth of stalls selling anything from Senegalese music casettes to freshly plucked chickens. You can buy just about anything here, although don’t expect too many souvenir stalls. Colourful and vibrant cloth and clothing are a major attraction of this traditional market, drawing in many visitors.
Palais Présidential
The Palais Présidentiel (Presidential Palace) is a white building dating back to 1906 and encompassing strikingly lovely gardens. Guards in their Presidential uniforms guard the outside and pose with tourists for pictures.
Village Artisanal
One of the most popular places for buying souvenirs is the government-sponsored Village Artisanal (Village of Traditional Handicrafts), near the fishing beach of Soumbédioune. You'll find a tremendous display of wooden carvings, metal work, gold and silver jewellery, ivory, tablecloths, blankets, leather goods and clothing, but a lot of the goods are turned around very quickly and you have to search hard for good-quality pieces.
GOREE ISLAND
To the east of Dakar, about 3km offshore, is Île de Gorée, one of the earliest European settlements along this part of coast. Today it is a haven of history and peace within easy reach of Dakar via ferry which departs every two hours during the daylight.
Local Art & Crafts
You will find a variety of traditional vibrant, colourful fabrics and canvasses, together with wooden carvings and instruments on display on the island produced by local artists.
The Old Slave Trading Station
With its colonial brick-structures and sand-blown, bougainvillea-flushed alleyways, this island is a haven of tranquillity. But there's a sad background to all this calm beauty - Île de Gorée used to be an important slave trading station, and many visitors come here for traces of this tragic past. Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) is a museum dedicated to the slave era.
The Fort
The Fort stands as a reminder of the Second World War. Here visitors can see a memorial statue and the original heavy metal war guns, and view a red buoy out in the sea marking where a British ship was sunk by the guns during the war. You can find out more about the effects of the war on Gorée Island by visiting the island’s museum of history. There is also the opportunity to visit a traditional African mosque.
SAINT LOUIS
The Saint Louis region of Senegal sits just off the border with Mauritania. Famous for its cast iron bridge, put in by French colonialists in the 19th century, it is close to the Djoudj National Park, home to thousands of birds, some indigenous to the area. The city is also famed for its culinary roots, being the home to Senegal's national dish: Ceb-u-djen - rice and fish.
Local Art & Crafts
You will find a variety of traditional vibrant, colourful fabrics and canvasses, together with wooden carvings and instruments on display on the island produced by local artists.
The Old Slave Trading Station
With its colonial brick-structures and sand-blown, bougainvillea-flushed alleyways, this island is a haven of tranquillity. But there's a sad background to all this calm beauty - Île de Gorée used to be an important slave trading station, and many visitors come here for traces of this tragic past. Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) is a museum dedicated to the slave era.
The Fort
The Fort stands as a reminder of the Second World War. Here visitors can see a memorial statue and the original heavy metal war guns, and view a red buoy out in the sea marking where a British ship was sunk by the guns during the war. You can find out more about the effects of the war on Gorée Island by visiting the island’s museum of history. There is also the opportunity to visit a traditional African mosque.
SAINT LOUIS
The Saint Louis region of Senegal sits just off the border with Mauritania. Famous for its cast iron bridge, put in by French colonialists in the 19th century, it is close to the Djoudj National Park, home to thousands of birds, some indigenous to the area. The city is also famed for its culinary roots, being the home to Senegal's national dish: Ceb-u-djen - rice and fish.
The Governor’s Palace
The Governor’s Palace is an 18th century fort, and now a government building. Place Faidherbe, with its statue of the famous French colonial governor, sits in front of the Governor’s Palace.
Guet N’Dar Fishing Village
In the fishing part of the town, Guet N’Dar, pirogues are lined up on the beach and fish dry on racks by the side of the road. Women boil up fish in vast drums, and the steam mixes odorously with the early morning sea mist. A little further south is the Muslim cemetery, where each fisherman’s grave is covered with a fishing net.
Réserve de Faune de Guembeul
This reserve is small, accessible and easy to explore by foot. It’s about 8 miles south of St Louis. The landscape is a mixture of lagoons, mud flats and dry woodland protecting the population of endangered Sahel animals, which include Dama Gazelles, Patas Monkeys and Sulcata Tortoises. There are also many birds around the lagoon – 190 species have been spotted here – and there are plans to introduce other Sahel mammals into the reserve.
The Governor’s Palace is an 18th century fort, and now a government building. Place Faidherbe, with its statue of the famous French colonial governor, sits in front of the Governor’s Palace.
Guet N’Dar Fishing Village
In the fishing part of the town, Guet N’Dar, pirogues are lined up on the beach and fish dry on racks by the side of the road. Women boil up fish in vast drums, and the steam mixes odorously with the early morning sea mist. A little further south is the Muslim cemetery, where each fisherman’s grave is covered with a fishing net.
Réserve de Faune de Guembeul
This reserve is small, accessible and easy to explore by foot. It’s about 8 miles south of St Louis. The landscape is a mixture of lagoons, mud flats and dry woodland protecting the population of endangered Sahel animals, which include Dama Gazelles, Patas Monkeys and Sulcata Tortoises. There are also many birds around the lagoon – 190 species have been spotted here – and there are plans to introduce other Sahel mammals into the reserve.
Ebony is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood found only in the Sahara desert regions of Africa. Its exceptional density makes it not only very heavy, but also gives it an incomparable sheen when polished. West Africa is home to many master carvers of ebony.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Visit The Gambia
Visitors get a chance to enjoy adventuring off the beaten track and explore thebeautiful up river Gambia by boat and by road. Relax on a tropical river island and see hippos and Monkeys. Discover a wide range of varieties of birds and also Meet the people and appreciate the rich culture of the smiling coast.
Juffureh is a famous attraction site. The setting for Alex Haley's novel Roots, Juffureh is a traditional village, an easy trip from Banjul. It gives visitors an African background and discovery of their roots. At nearby Fort Albreda and Fort James, visitors can see many reminders of colonial history.
Tendaba Camp, 100 miles up-river from Banjul, was the country's first inland hotel, constructed to replicate an African village with traditional huts. The camp is a good starting point for daytrips by boat and for bird-watching.
Another attraction site is the River Gambia National Park about 100 miles east of the Atlantic coast, the vegetation changes from swamps to thick forests, and many islands appear in the river. Five of these form a park known for its chimpanzee-rehabilitation project.
Other exciting activities are Camel rides at Tanji, visits to Abuko Reserve and other nature reserves, lots of places to eat & drink and you can also enjoy fishing and more.
RESORTS AND ACCOMMODATION
There are four main resort areas in what is referred to as the Tourism Development Area - the palm-fringed coastline overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There are modern hotels of all classes as well as small but comfortable motels and guest houses. Outside this area, there are exotic camps mainly situated on the banks of the beautiful River Gambia.
CUISINE
Gaya Art Cafe offers the very best in both Gambian and International cuisine
MUSIC
Like other African countries, The Gambia has a variety of traditional musical instruments and the most famous of them is the Kora - a 21-string harp. Music is an important part of the lives of the people.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Gambia Fine Dining
We all want to eat well when we are on a holiday and Gambian cuisine is famous for integrating cross-cultural elements and serving up something exquisite.
The local dishes are prepared with an eye for detail and you are bound to find some of them perfect for your taste. For those who seek the comfort of the familiar there are restaurants that offer a variety of dishes from English, French, Italian and Spanish cuisines.
Fine dining with a twist.
The idea of the Gaya Art Cafe was in development over many years through the proprietors world wide travels and observations of many cultures.
Continental European
Blend of fresh organic dishes with a twist. A selection of tapas, salads, freshly baked foccacias and tortilla. There is also a variety of freshly roasted coffee beans from other countries.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
Friday, October 30, 2009
Contemporary Gambian Art
The first exhibition featured 28 artists from West Africa. Contacts have been made to work with artists and institutions in other African countries and in Europe.
We intend to run workshops for students and artists that include video and media presentations to provide inspiration and broaden views.
We hope to contribute to the cultural understanding of our visitors by giving them the chance to appreciate original works of art in undisturbed surroundings and engage in dialogue with local artists.
We are looking forward to receiving you here and sharing ideas with you.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Benachin
1. 2 lbs fresh fish
2. 2 cups of vegetable oil
3. 6 cups of water
4. 1 medium fresh tomato
5. 4 tbsp tomato paste
6. 2 large onions
7. 1 small cabbage
8. 2 medium carrots
9. 1 bay leaf
10. 4 cups of rice
11. Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Method:
1. Clean and cut fish in halves.
2. Fry the fish in the vegetable oil until both sides are brown.
3. Remove fish and add onions, fresh tomato and paste to the hot oil and fry until brown.
4. Pour water and bring to boil, then include cabbage, carrots, bay leaf, and seasonings, reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins.
5. Remove vegetables and add the rice while continuously stirring.
6. Reduce heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 10 mins.
• Benachin is sometimes referred to as cheebu / chebu jen in Senegalese.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Gambian Spinach Stew - Plasas
Cooking Ingredients:
1. 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
2. 1 pound meat stewing beef
3. 1/2 pound smoked fish, flaked
4. 2 hot chili peppers
5. 1 large onion, chopped
6. 1/4 cup groundnut paste (peanut butter)
7. 3 cups water
8. 1-1/2 cups palm oil
Cooking Method:
1. Cut meat into bit-size portions.
2. Put in saucepan with two cups of water, salt, chopped onions and peppers.
3. Bring to boil and add palm oil.
4. Continue cooking partly covered. Cook for 1-1/2 hours over medium heat.
5. Add spinach (previously thawed and drained), flaked fish and groundnut paste mixed with water.
6. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
The recipe is served with steamed rice.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Friday, October 9, 2009
Gambia Food Dishes
The defining ingredients for these various dishes are either peanut butter paste (Domoda), ladies fingers (Okra), palm oil (chew deu terr) or edible leaves such as spinach or cassava leaves. Very popular among poor families is Mbahal which is rice mixed with grated peanuts, dried fish such as bonga. Many of these dishes are also common to Senegalese cooking as both countries have common cultural ties.
Some of the best known dishes are 'Domoda' (peanut butter sauce), 'supakanja' (okra stew), 'benachin' (Jolof Rice), 'Chere' (couscous type millet), chicken 'Yassa' (fried chicken in onions). Lunch is usually cooked for a couple of hours until the meat is well cooked - though for fish dishes, the fish may be removed after a short cooking time and replaced towards the end of the cooking time.
Most urban Gambians eat bread, butter and/or jam for breakfast. People may also have 'Chura Gerrte' (rice and peanuts - boiled) or 'ruy' (pap), with added yoghurt or tinned milk. For the majority of Gambians afternoon lunch is the most important meal of the day.
The main staple dish in The Gambia is rice with a choice of stew - made with either fish, chicken, beef, lamb or goat - usually cooked with vegetables, spices and sometimes peanut butter. Pork is NOT on the menu for 90 percent of Gambians who are Muslims, though it is available for Christians in many supermarkets and from specialised pig breeders.
Lunch is served in a large, common food bowl next to which the diners sit on the floor or a wooden stool. When eating you use your right-hand (washed), though many urban men (and some women) may use a spoon.
For dinner people eat either fried fish, oysters, shrimps, chicken and fried beef with onions. These may then be served with salad and / or bread or couscous. Others may have 'Chura Gerrte' or 'Ruy' (Coos porridge).
Increasingly Gambians are eating more convenience foods, particularly in the evenings, and this has begun to lead to health problems associated with high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Jumbo and Maggi cubes are similar to bouillon cubes, and are widely used to season all types of Gambian dishes and fare, from sauces to sandwiches.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Gaya Cafe Art Review
The art scene in The Gambia is vibrant, colourful and always fascinating, there is a wide pool of artists representing different disciplines, here are a taste of Gambia's creative talent.
A Gambian painter working with plastic art, oil and canvas.
Original Gambian batik and tie dye work by one of the leading proponents of this African craft.
Enjoys depicting his surroundings with elements important to his culture such as cowry shells, sand, and pigments that he creates from tree bark and plants.
Paintings, sculptures and art made in Gambia by Pepe Gomà. Son of Torrelameu.
Momodou describes his artwork as an exploration of images that inculcate a system of values that are consistent with his culture and heritage. His objective is to take the viewer on a spiritrual odyssey that suggests unseen dimensions.
A locally based artist living in Bakau.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
African Gifts
We have many smaller gift items: beautiful scented candels, napkin holders,incense gift sets, picture frames and much more.
We will wrap your gift beautifully for that special person in your life.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
We will wrap your gift beautifully for that special person in your life.
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022
gaya@qanet.gm
gayagambia@gmail.com
www.gayaartcafe.com/
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Gambia Artist Momodou Ceesay
Momodou describes his artwork as an exploration of images that inculcate a system of values that are consistent with his culture and heritage. His objective is to take the viewer on a spiritrual odyssey that suggests unseen dimensions.
ON MY KNEES BEFORE THESE MIGHTY HEAVENS
It is seldom in the world of words, and in the world of visual art that the two distinct expressions of creativity are combined to put forth a powerful and moving story; a story of an African man's spiritual journey, a poetic odyssey called "On My Knees Before These Mighty Heavens"
In 1990 Momodou spent some time in New York creating designs for a greeting card company called Heritage Collections. During this period he worked with the homeless and visited the Bowery Mission often. He was inspired from this experience to write this epic poem.
The work uses excerpts from Hebrew Scripture and the Koran to describe the searching of a better life for African and African American people. Momodou Ceesay adds to the virtual reality of the story line by delineating the poem with 36 of his original paintings. Some of these paintings for the book were executed during his stay as an artist-in-residence at the Center for the Arts and Religion, Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.
In this book, the protagonist, Issa Kujabi, in righteous indignation, seeks an audience with God, in order to lament about the condition of his people. The book speaks of social injustice, the coldheartedness of the ruling elite in Africa; the phenomena of Africa's current demise, all done with poetry and art.
"Through a dialogue, the poem begins with the particular destruction, genocide and suffering of African people and of their descendants in the diaspora. The scope is then widened to include the negative forces that seem to grip the planet as a whole. It moves from despair to vision as the dialogue progresses, endingg with a revelation giving reasons for suffering, and what the future holds for Africa and the world as a whole"
Fine dining whenever you want to eat out in Senegambia.
A unique Gambia restaurant for both Gambian and global cuisine.
Come and enjoy our restaurant in The Gambia!
Directions Bertil Harding Highway, next to Senegambia Craft Market
220 4464022
220 6664022