Today I took the boys the to pool. It has been hot and muggy, and the free wading pool a couple blocks away is one of our favorite spots to cool down. I also love this park because more often than not, I am the only visible white person. My kids are just two in a swirling blend of beautiful brown skin splashing and kicking through the water.
But kids being curious little sponges ask questions. Questions like,' is that your mom' or 'is he your brother'. My guys take it stride with a quick 'yeah,' though the 'duh, who else would she/he be' is implied;) Most kids leave it at that and onward they swim.
It's little moments like this that make a day like yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year. I have quite a few favorite days to be sure, but this July 14th was special as it marked the Ethiopian Kids Community's summer Mehaber, an event that draws families from across not only the Twin Cities, but from across the country to the State Fair grounds to celebrate Ethiopia and the Ethiopians that we love.
What makes this event so unique and special is that all the families there are similar to ours! No one asks questions about who belongs to whom because everyone belongs in this community where love and commitment and culture matter the most. One of my favorite moments of the day was wandering past the stage where traditional Ethiopian music was playing and a sea of kids, some brothers and sisters, some friends from this continent or another, some tiny, some big, just dancing to a rhythm connecting them all.
The adoption process can be very lonely and isolating at times. Being a parent to kids who were adopted brings with it challenges that other parents don't always understand or even recognize. But adoption is also a joy that I don't know how to describe. I guess you'd just have to be there.
Showing posts with label Ethiopia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ethiopia. Show all posts
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Kik and Tibs (Ethiopia)
I have this little habit. Every time I have a conversation with someone about Ethiopian food, I have to then go out and eat some, soon, or I am overwhelmed with a craving for injera and wat. The problem is that I have conversations about Ethiopian food all the time. And as much as I would like to eat several meals a month (or week) at my fav ET restaurant, Fasika, in St. Paul, the budget doesn't support that. So I've had to learn how to make it myself.
Just a few days ago, I was at an Ethiopian Kids Community (EKC) meeting to plan this year's Mehaber, our annual picnic of adoptive families who love Ethiopia. It's gotten so big that for the last few years, we've held it at the State Fair grounds. This is my third year on the committee and my first year serving on the EKC board. We started our meeting with introducing ourselves and sharing about our favorite Ethiopian food. My two favorites are Kik, mild yellow lentils, and Beef Tibs, cubed beef in berbere sauce.
Today, three days later, I made them, and while the recipes I used didn't come from Extending the Table, the dishes turned out quite delicious. What I actually did was go online, look up a couple recipes, and merge them together into my own version of the dish. Butter, onions, ginger, garlic, and peppers make a flavorful base for both dishes, which are scooped up with bits of injera. I admit to just buying the injera at a local shop. Lentils and beef I can handle. Fermented teff, not so much.
Tonight we had an Ethiopian meal, but it lead to listening to a ET cd, doing our family version of shoulder dancing, and discussing over our meal what various words in Amharic mean. We took pieces of the culture and made them our own in way that is authentic for our family. And the more that we have these moments, the easier it is to realize that we crave the rich, unique flavors of Ethiopian culture in our lives always.
Just a few days ago, I was at an Ethiopian Kids Community (EKC) meeting to plan this year's Mehaber, our annual picnic of adoptive families who love Ethiopia. It's gotten so big that for the last few years, we've held it at the State Fair grounds. This is my third year on the committee and my first year serving on the EKC board. We started our meeting with introducing ourselves and sharing about our favorite Ethiopian food. My two favorites are Kik, mild yellow lentils, and Beef Tibs, cubed beef in berbere sauce.
Today, three days later, I made them, and while the recipes I used didn't come from Extending the Table, the dishes turned out quite delicious. What I actually did was go online, look up a couple recipes, and merge them together into my own version of the dish. Butter, onions, ginger, garlic, and peppers make a flavorful base for both dishes, which are scooped up with bits of injera. I admit to just buying the injera at a local shop. Lentils and beef I can handle. Fermented teff, not so much.
Tonight we had an Ethiopian meal, but it lead to listening to a ET cd, doing our family version of shoulder dancing, and discussing over our meal what various words in Amharic mean. We took pieces of the culture and made them our own in way that is authentic for our family. And the more that we have these moments, the easier it is to realize that we crave the rich, unique flavors of Ethiopian culture in our lives always.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Melkam Addis Amit!
Happy Ethiopian New Year!
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Inspired Beginnings: Ambesha (Ethiopia)
Last week my son Ian requested I make "Ethiopia bread," formally Ambesha, which is a spicy tea bread about two inches thick and topped with butter and berbere. On the surface, a simple, tasty request, easily done over the course of a morning. But really, this bread was about much more. This summer my son has developed an intense interest in Ethiopia, his country of birth. He talks of Ethiopia daily, asks questions about his Ethiopian family, imagines life there, and asks for the flavors that connect him to his history. The bread is about a place that exists in his very soul, that he remembers on an instinctual level.
Last week also marked the first time we took our younger son, Sukris, to a Thai restaurant since he joined our family four months ago. Suki dived into his satay chicken and peanut sauce with such enthusiasm, that I just had to ask if he had eaten this same meal in Thailand. His answer was a resounding yes, with the surprising addition that the elephants there also eat this, too! Even though he is not yet grasping the English to request his favorite meals, Suki shares the same need as his brother to connect with his history, which is much more recent and present in his little mind and heart. He may not have the words yet, but we can provide him with the experiences to meet his needs.
For our family, food is about much more than eating. We share meals daily as a means to connect and maintain open lines of communication. Food is also a connection to culture, history, tradition and more. My husband and I have a shared history of family dinners and seek to continue the tradition with our boys, honoring their pasts and expanding their worlds as we do.
Since that morning I baked the Ambesha, the cookbook with the recipe has been sitting on my counter, beckoning me to flip through the pages and imagine the flavors. It is one of my favorites, given to me by my stepmother several years ago. Extending the Table is a cookbook commissioned by the Menonite Central Community to "promote global understanding and celebrate the variety of world cultures." With over 100 countries and regions represented in its recipes, the book urges the cook to "sit at the table with people you have never met, taste the flavors of their food, feel the warmth of their friendship and learn from their experiences." I am taking their challenge to heart and will be doing my best to cook one recipe a week from the book for the forseeable future. That challenge will be recorded here.
This blog is about our family's edible journey to not only connect with the cultures within our transracial exisitence, but to be global citizens. I am inviting you as readers to sit at our table as well. My inspiration is Extending the Table, but will not be limited to just the food that comes from this book. I will not be reprinting recipes in the book in this blog. For recipes, go ahead and buy the book! Start your own journey, and check in with me about how it goes. Bon Appetit!
Last week also marked the first time we took our younger son, Sukris, to a Thai restaurant since he joined our family four months ago. Suki dived into his satay chicken and peanut sauce with such enthusiasm, that I just had to ask if he had eaten this same meal in Thailand. His answer was a resounding yes, with the surprising addition that the elephants there also eat this, too! Even though he is not yet grasping the English to request his favorite meals, Suki shares the same need as his brother to connect with his history, which is much more recent and present in his little mind and heart. He may not have the words yet, but we can provide him with the experiences to meet his needs.
For our family, food is about much more than eating. We share meals daily as a means to connect and maintain open lines of communication. Food is also a connection to culture, history, tradition and more. My husband and I have a shared history of family dinners and seek to continue the tradition with our boys, honoring their pasts and expanding their worlds as we do.
Since that morning I baked the Ambesha, the cookbook with the recipe has been sitting on my counter, beckoning me to flip through the pages and imagine the flavors. It is one of my favorites, given to me by my stepmother several years ago. Extending the Table is a cookbook commissioned by the Menonite Central Community to "promote global understanding and celebrate the variety of world cultures." With over 100 countries and regions represented in its recipes, the book urges the cook to "sit at the table with people you have never met, taste the flavors of their food, feel the warmth of their friendship and learn from their experiences." I am taking their challenge to heart and will be doing my best to cook one recipe a week from the book for the forseeable future. That challenge will be recorded here.
This blog is about our family's edible journey to not only connect with the cultures within our transracial exisitence, but to be global citizens. I am inviting you as readers to sit at our table as well. My inspiration is Extending the Table, but will not be limited to just the food that comes from this book. I will not be reprinting recipes in the book in this blog. For recipes, go ahead and buy the book! Start your own journey, and check in with me about how it goes. Bon Appetit!
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