Adapting to Lagos through Cookies
When life feels unfamiliar, even a batch of improvised cookies can remind you where you belong.
One thing I think I will NEVER get over are the danfo buses. They do as they please on the road—stop anywhere, drive anywhere, pick people up anywhere. They can even go the opposite direction of traffic if they feel like it. This makes traffic here a nightmare. Some days my commute is 30 minutes, other days with rain or accidents it turns into hours. And instead of pulling over to the side of the road like you’d expect, people just stop in the middle of traffic, park their car, and get out to argue and fight. IT. IS. MADNESS.
Back in the States, driving home was my time to decompress after work. Here it’s the complete opposite. The one thing that’s been helping though is not looking out the window and using that time to focus on something I’ve neglected for a while—reading my Bible and doing a devotional. This is something I don’t think I’ve done this consistently since COVID. So maybe, all this traffic was meant to be.
a danfo bus
This weekend, we hosted friends—watched football, ate Titus fish, and enjoyed the kind of easy company that makes this country feel a little smaller.
titus fish (mackerel) i seasoned with creol seasoning, onion, garlic powder, old bay seasoning & stuffed the fish with onions & lemons & put it in the oven for a grilled flavor. some left over egusi with rice, french fries & a hot pepper, tomatoes & onion “spread” where i also added in the juices from the cooked fish & the same seasonings on the fish, its good with the fish, rice or even for the fries!
On the food front, I’m still trying to wrap my head around Nigerian cooking. I’m struggling with the ratios of tomatoes, peppers, and onions that make up just about everything here. On top of that, it feels like everything is fried—soups, rice, even meats! It’s definitely not sustainable if we want to live long (lol). So I’ve been experimenting with “cleaner” versions that still taste authentic. Right now, that looks like baking more meats in the oven, using just a little oil in stews, and eating more “salads,” like kachumbari, a Kenyan refreshing salad consisting of cilantro, onions, tomatoes with lemon juice & salt.
In the meantime, I’ve found comfort in something familiar: baking. My infamous oatmeal chocolate chip (with a twist) cookies have officially become my Lagos staple. (Needed a way to eat oats that wasn’t gross—and for a while, I couldn’t find granola without nuts.) and they’ve been the perfect morning treat with my latte.
Of course, there had to be a few substitutions. Semi-sweet chocolate chips? Haven’t seen them anywhere. Butter? Sometimes impossible to find, so I was using margarine. I improvised with whatever was available—chopped-up candy bars, a little extra cocoa here and there—and each time, they keep getting better ☺️.
That’s not to say I haven’t had a few breakdowns when things aren’t as accessible here (lol). But I’m learning to adapt, adjust, improvise.
The recipe itself is simple (I’ll drop it below), but more than that, baking has become a little ritual for me—Friday mornings, making a weekly treat. It’s funny, but looking back, it’s helped me feel more at home here, like I belong and not just a visitor. Though… I really need to watch the waistline if this trend continues! Hahaha.
Here’s the recipe if you want to try them yourself:
1 cup brown butter – 113g
1 cup white sugar – 205g
1 cup packed brown sugar – 220g (I skip this since I haven’t found good brown sugar here yet, but trust me, it makes them amazing)
A dash of cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla (I usually just pour to my heart’s content)
2 eggs (room temp)
2 cups flour – 300g
1 tsp baking soda – 5g
1/2 tsp baking powder – 2g
1/2 tsp salt – 2g
2 cups rolled oats – 175g
2 cups chocolate chips – 335g
1 cup Twix (or any candy bar of choice) – 205g
After mixing everything together make sure to let them sit anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour just to help bring about shape when cooked.
Bake at 350°F (200°C) for 12- 15 mins depending how gooey you like your cookies to be for ice cream scoop–sized cookies.
Sometimes home isn’t found in the big gestures, but in the small rituals we create for ourselves. Even when life feels unfamiliar or overwhelming, carving out a little consistency—a recipe, a routine, a Friday cookie—can anchor us. What’s your “small ritual” that makes wherever you are feel a little more like home?
See you Tuesday,
From your americanish girl surviving Lagos 🌍🫶🏾