1. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
This includes trying some local varieties for the first time and also re-trying some that I didn’t particularly love the first time around, such as mad and cashew apples. If you haven’t yet made friends with the limes from the Casamance, the dark pink grapefruit or the little potent piment pepper bursting with flavor – 2013 is the year to do so!
2. Try lots of new lotte recipes.
At 3,500cfa/kilo, lotte (monkfish) fillets are about the best deal out there. They’re half the price of chicken breasts, but equally versatile and easy to cook. Plus, Abdou will deliver them fresh to your door. Score.
Grilled lotte brochettes are a favorite at our house. I also use the fillets in fish tacos with cilantro tartar sauce (yum!), fish with tomato, olive and Tuscan lemon sauce over pasta and baked cornmeal-crusted fish.
See? Very versatile. So time to branch out even further! Any ideas?
3. Become a(n even more) regular at the beach restaurants.
Go eat (and sit) at La Cabane du Surfeur in Almadies and Sunu Makane – Chez Seck on Ngor Island as often as possible.
4. Be thankful.
The American food scene in Dakar has absolutely exploded in the last two years! While doing our regular grocery shopping, we can now buy Dr Pepper, cake mixes, cranberry juice, yellow mustard and canned black beans at the Hypermarché on the VDN. Oh, and cheddar at City Dia, of course. Plus, there’s Dior Diarama (Fritos!) and Food Store & Equipments to round it all out.
See the updated list for 2013!
5. I’ll have… that one.
I love yassa. I love ceebu jenn. Both are delicious and I eat them whenever I can. But in 2013 I want to try more Senegalese dishes. Sure, I won’t love-love them all (hello, soupukandia!), but I really need to try a couple versions of thiou, kaldo, dahine, etc…
What other resolutions would you suggest?
Dakar Eats 
Mine aren’t exactly Senegalese-related (we eat Senegalese food quite often). But, I’d like to curb my processed sugar intake. I’ve already been using honey to replace sugar in my coffee and tea (and that, only a teaspoon). I’m also using local honey, because of my tendency to have allergies. Try the lighter-colored variety, especially the acacia. It’s good!
That’s a great resolution, Kimberley. I just bought some honey from Kédougou that’s delicious.
I want to learn some good, healthy stir-fry recipes… with YOUR help!
I’ll be moving to Dakar in March and am wondering where to buy local chicken, fruit and vegetables? Are these in grocery stores or at markets?
Hi Stephanie
You have a couple options. You could get everything at the grocery stores, but produce is often better quality from stands around town. Some people buy at local markets (cheaper, but more time-consuming). Or, you can have butchers and vendors deliver to your home. Many options!
We’ll see you soon! Welcome to Dakar. 🙂
Hi Khady – thanks! Do you have butchers that you recommend? I saw the post on here about fish delivered to your home which is awesome! Are the markets easy to navigate?