Last Monday, a week ago, seven days gone, I made Nsoso ya Muamba, chicken with peanut sauce, from Zaire, and it was pretty good. I burned the sauce a little, but managed to salvage the dish. Even though it came from my Extending the Table book, I didn't really have anything else to say about the dish beyond that. I didn't feel very extended or excited.That's not to say that I am burned out by this blog project. I'm committed. But not all of my cultural connections can be made with a tomato-peanut sauce over chicken and couscous.
Something that has been inspiring me recently though are my new favorite cds from Playing for Change, a nonprofit organization that promotes music education and peace around the globe. All of the songs are collaborations by musicians across continents. Check out some of their videos on youtube. They are so great. As the video shifts from one musician to the next, the boys love to know what country the musician is from. The music unites the players and singers, but also the listener in a new form of global community. Plus, it pretty sweet to hear my boys singing along to One Love.
Another series that our family embraces are the cds from Putumayo. They are a world collection of songs grouped by genre or region pulled from popular local artists. One cd may contain a playlist from India, France, South Africa, Brazil and more. They have adult collections as well as some for children. One of our favorites in African Playground, especially the song Hoye Hoye from Ethiopia. Ian dances his little heart out whenever it comes on, dances to the beat of his people with enthusiasm and joy.
Music plays in the background of our meals, games, art projects and recipes. It fuels our dance parties. It soothes and comforts at the end of a long day. It connects us to the heart of the places in the world that we hold so dear.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Blueberry Wild Rice (Canada)
My great state of Minnesota has a lot to love, something I often have to remind myself in these cold, cold months. Just the other day I left the house cursing when it was many degrees below zero. Just a few hours later I noted how much nicer it felt...at 2 above zero. That's the mark of a true Minnesotan. So is making warm, comforting food on a freezing winter's night, which is what I chose for this week,
Usually the recipes I make for this blog are ones that come from far away places that I hope to see one day or want to know more about. This week I made a recipe from our close neighbor when I chose Blueberry Wild Rice, an Ojibway recipe from Canada. Of course, many bands of the Ojibwe people also call Minnesota home, and the wild rice is a staple of their culture.
What intrigued me about this recipe, beyond the pairing of the rice and berries, was the name. The Ojibway word for wild rice is 'Manomin' and the word for blueberries is 'Miinan.' Yet, the book only gave the English name, with the note that the Ojibway name for the dish was an entire sentence detailing the preparation. I tried to find the full name online, but haven't come across it yet.
What I did find was many variations of this dish, depending on the region and band associated with the recipe. Even the name Ojibway had many variations to the spelling. I've used two just within this post, depending on which region I referenced, though I mainly used the spelling from the cook book. Many of the recipes I came across in my search called for dried berries, though I used frozen. We ate this dish as a dessert, though it can also be eaten as a side dish, with a dollop of cream whipped with cinnamon. It was not a sweet dish necessarily, but the tart flavors combined with the cream quickly grew on us.
There are many rich cultures to explore within the borders of my own great state and beyond to our neighbors. The world community starts here. For us it started with two little boys, it continues with warm recipes on cold nights, and will hopefully be a journey that sustains us for years to come.
Usually the recipes I make for this blog are ones that come from far away places that I hope to see one day or want to know more about. This week I made a recipe from our close neighbor when I chose Blueberry Wild Rice, an Ojibway recipe from Canada. Of course, many bands of the Ojibwe people also call Minnesota home, and the wild rice is a staple of their culture.
What intrigued me about this recipe, beyond the pairing of the rice and berries, was the name. The Ojibway word for wild rice is 'Manomin' and the word for blueberries is 'Miinan.' Yet, the book only gave the English name, with the note that the Ojibway name for the dish was an entire sentence detailing the preparation. I tried to find the full name online, but haven't come across it yet.
What I did find was many variations of this dish, depending on the region and band associated with the recipe. Even the name Ojibway had many variations to the spelling. I've used two just within this post, depending on which region I referenced, though I mainly used the spelling from the cook book. Many of the recipes I came across in my search called for dried berries, though I used frozen. We ate this dish as a dessert, though it can also be eaten as a side dish, with a dollop of cream whipped with cinnamon. It was not a sweet dish necessarily, but the tart flavors combined with the cream quickly grew on us.
There are many rich cultures to explore within the borders of my own great state and beyond to our neighbors. The world community starts here. For us it started with two little boys, it continues with warm recipes on cold nights, and will hopefully be a journey that sustains us for years to come.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cream Puffs (My Mom)
See what happens when I go back to work? Over ten days since I cooked anything of merit and worth writing about! After my wonderful vacation and the flurry of recipes I made, it had been quick and easy meals for two weeks. Tonight I broke the slump though and made something really tasty. Cream puffs!
This is a dessert I remember fondly from my childhood. My mother made them quite often for dinner parties or church events. This dessert falls into the comfort food category for sure. A fluffy pastry shell filled with sweet vanilla cream and topped with powdered sugar. Yet I had gone my entire adult life having never made nary a puff until today.
Tonight John and I went to a party and were asked to bring something to share. The party was hosted by good friends who had been served several of the appetizers and desserts from my canon of recipes, so I was looking for something new. Not only that, but this party marked the first night that we hired a babysitter to watch the boys since Suki came home. Oh we've had my family watch them plenty of times, but this was a big step for us to introduce a new caretaker to our youngest, which was a little scary and also a reason to celebrate as we've come a long way in our bonding process.
And the cream puffs were delicious. I gave a few to the boys, who all but inhaled them, and then ate two myself before I even got dressed for the party. I put them on a fancy glass dish and carefully held them steady on the drive to our friend's house. Upon arrival, our puffs were added to the sweets table, and I watched them get devoured throughout the night with delight. More than a couple people commented about how much they liked cream puffs, and I beamed just a little.
For me, cooking for my family is supremely satisfying, and now that we have re-entered the world at large after our extended cocooning, sharing with good friends and making new acquaintances over a sweet treat is just what I needed to re-energize my quest to reach out into the world.
This is a dessert I remember fondly from my childhood. My mother made them quite often for dinner parties or church events. This dessert falls into the comfort food category for sure. A fluffy pastry shell filled with sweet vanilla cream and topped with powdered sugar. Yet I had gone my entire adult life having never made nary a puff until today.
Tonight John and I went to a party and were asked to bring something to share. The party was hosted by good friends who had been served several of the appetizers and desserts from my canon of recipes, so I was looking for something new. Not only that, but this party marked the first night that we hired a babysitter to watch the boys since Suki came home. Oh we've had my family watch them plenty of times, but this was a big step for us to introduce a new caretaker to our youngest, which was a little scary and also a reason to celebrate as we've come a long way in our bonding process.
And the cream puffs were delicious. I gave a few to the boys, who all but inhaled them, and then ate two myself before I even got dressed for the party. I put them on a fancy glass dish and carefully held them steady on the drive to our friend's house. Upon arrival, our puffs were added to the sweets table, and I watched them get devoured throughout the night with delight. More than a couple people commented about how much they liked cream puffs, and I beamed just a little.
For me, cooking for my family is supremely satisfying, and now that we have re-entered the world at large after our extended cocooning, sharing with good friends and making new acquaintances over a sweet treat is just what I needed to re-energize my quest to reach out into the world.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sopa de Cebada (Colombia)
Tonight I'm writing with just hours left of my lovely winter break, having to return to work tomorrow morning. This was a nice vacation, spent at home and with family. I've made the most of the last couple of days by staying in out of the cold, in my comfiest pajamas, reading, spending time with my three favorite guys, and cooking, of course. Simple joys for the introverted soul!
And I am a true introvert in every sense of the word, something I do not apologize for, as it in the fiber of my being. For me this means I relax, and restore my energy, with inward pursuits rather than outward. My favorite place to be is home. My favorite activities are quiet ones, though no less creative. Reading, writing, cooking in my own space is not just nice, but necessary for my own sense of health and well-being. Two of my three guys tend toward introversion. The third most certainly does not. So we work to find a balance in our home, giving each other the space and attention we all need.
This is sometimes a challenge. My work as a teacher is most certainly an extroverted activity. While it is fulfilling and worthwhile, it does have a tendency to be draining as well. This break I had the opportunity to devote quite a bit of time to my writing projects, and this is my dream life. Someone pays me to write books and essays and maybe not this blog, but articles and novels and such.
So tonight's recipe reflected the simplicity of my day, and the dream on which I am working, with a little flash, as I made Sopa de Cebada, a barely soup. The ingredients were so basic. Meat, onion, veggies, but a little dash of vinegar brought it all together into a tasty, comforting soup. The kind of soup meant to be eaten with quiet conversation and laughter, in the heart of one's home, with family. The kind of soup meant to energize a person to pursue their dreams, or at least keep writing.
And I am a true introvert in every sense of the word, something I do not apologize for, as it in the fiber of my being. For me this means I relax, and restore my energy, with inward pursuits rather than outward. My favorite place to be is home. My favorite activities are quiet ones, though no less creative. Reading, writing, cooking in my own space is not just nice, but necessary for my own sense of health and well-being. Two of my three guys tend toward introversion. The third most certainly does not. So we work to find a balance in our home, giving each other the space and attention we all need.
This is sometimes a challenge. My work as a teacher is most certainly an extroverted activity. While it is fulfilling and worthwhile, it does have a tendency to be draining as well. This break I had the opportunity to devote quite a bit of time to my writing projects, and this is my dream life. Someone pays me to write books and essays and maybe not this blog, but articles and novels and such.
So tonight's recipe reflected the simplicity of my day, and the dream on which I am working, with a little flash, as I made Sopa de Cebada, a barely soup. The ingredients were so basic. Meat, onion, veggies, but a little dash of vinegar brought it all together into a tasty, comforting soup. The kind of soup meant to be eaten with quiet conversation and laughter, in the heart of one's home, with family. The kind of soup meant to energize a person to pursue their dreams, or at least keep writing.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Pan de Coco (Belize)
Happy New Year! New year, another new recipe, of course. Today I made Pan de Coco, coconut bread, as I contemplated the year left behind and the next ahead. Bread is the essence of many a meal across the globe, so it was easy to contemplate what the essence of life will be in the coming months. I also thought about making bread, which is hard work. Our family makes all our bread fresh with the help of our very handy bread maker. We put in the ingredients, push a button, and three hours later a piping hot loaf emerges smelling oh so delicious.
This bread was different. The Pan de Coco called for 1 whole coconut, grated into hot water, which was so not going to happen. Even if I could track down a fresh coconut in January, on a holiday, in Minnesota, I wouldn't have the first clue as to how to open it or peel it or whatever it is one does with coconuts. Instead, I followed the variation note in the margin of Extending the Table that suggested using canned coconut milk, of which I always have in my pantry, and water. One obstacle down. The ingredients went in smoothly, but then came the kneading. EIGHT minutes of kneading! Which I did, watching the clock carefully, switching between arms, using the weight of my body rather than my arms. Whew! Another step done. Then the rising, which isn't so much work, but remembering to check on the rising dough between making lunches and watching matchbox car races and monitoring an epic toy clean-up, is another. The bread, slightly sweet and very moist, got made. Three small loaves and a pan of rolls all total.
Making goals for the new year is easy, like pouring ingredients into a machine. Unfortunately there is no machine that takes off the holiday weight or refinishes the basement with simply the push of a button. It takes ingenuity, hard work, and commitment to reach ones goals. So I am going to list my first initial goals for the new year here, as a recipe of sorts, maybe not the most glamorous recipe, but one made for sustaining and enriching the day to day of our busy family in 2012. I'll let you know how it goes:)
1. Finish my book by the end of summer. Then sell it!
2. Teach the boys to swim.
3. Hike, bike, and camp outdoors as often as we can.
4. Put in a new fence for the backyard. Re-tile the bathroom.
5. Explore Thai cultural opportunities in our area.
This bread was different. The Pan de Coco called for 1 whole coconut, grated into hot water, which was so not going to happen. Even if I could track down a fresh coconut in January, on a holiday, in Minnesota, I wouldn't have the first clue as to how to open it or peel it or whatever it is one does with coconuts. Instead, I followed the variation note in the margin of Extending the Table that suggested using canned coconut milk, of which I always have in my pantry, and water. One obstacle down. The ingredients went in smoothly, but then came the kneading. EIGHT minutes of kneading! Which I did, watching the clock carefully, switching between arms, using the weight of my body rather than my arms. Whew! Another step done. Then the rising, which isn't so much work, but remembering to check on the rising dough between making lunches and watching matchbox car races and monitoring an epic toy clean-up, is another. The bread, slightly sweet and very moist, got made. Three small loaves and a pan of rolls all total.
Making goals for the new year is easy, like pouring ingredients into a machine. Unfortunately there is no machine that takes off the holiday weight or refinishes the basement with simply the push of a button. It takes ingenuity, hard work, and commitment to reach ones goals. So I am going to list my first initial goals for the new year here, as a recipe of sorts, maybe not the most glamorous recipe, but one made for sustaining and enriching the day to day of our busy family in 2012. I'll let you know how it goes:)
1. Finish my book by the end of summer. Then sell it!
2. Teach the boys to swim.
3. Hike, bike, and camp outdoors as often as we can.
4. Put in a new fence for the backyard. Re-tile the bathroom.
5. Explore Thai cultural opportunities in our area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)