THE SCENE Things are getting a bit hairy on this Adventure. I’ve tried not to mention it – to just carry on as if everything is ship-shape, flowing easily. Unfortunately, it’s not. Somehow, over the last month or two, I find myself buried in an avalanche of unfortunate circumstances. I already told you about when I burned my hand, which thereby postponed the making of the Maltese cookies. But there’s been more drama that I’ve shared here, if only because I thought it was all just a temporary drag in performance. Now that it’s added up I feel as though I have to share – the five times Ava was too tired to try the food. Or too cranky. Or too full. The handful of times when Keith had to work late and I found myself sitting down alone to a dinner for four. The times when I burned the food and had to make it all over again. It feels like a full moon all the time. Like the project is short circuiting. So …
Read More
When Ava says it, Keith comes running. “Pa pa pa pa yapa” Even for me, papaya is fun to say. Beautiful to behold. But here the thing. I never, ever buy this tropical fruit because I cannot figure out what on earth to do with it, aside from enjoying fresh, cool slices. Preferably poolside. Enter our week at the Marshallese Global Table, where I learned that these easy, breezy, island people bake papaya with a bit of sugar and enjoy with warm coconut milk. Hello. Okay. Let’s just say I’m intrigued. Once baked, the hot, creamy treat reminds me of peach pie, but without the crust. And without all the work. For more exotic flair, I decided to add the Pacific’s ever-popular pandan leaf, which is available frozen in Asian markets. Pandan adds a vanilla/rice floral note… (Use pandan like bay leaf – use it to infuse flavor, and then remove before eating). Ingredients 1 ripe Papaya, cut in half lengthwise and seeded coconut milk, as needed (about 1/4 cup per side) 4 Tbsp sugar, …
Read More
The thing about eating our way around the world is that it makes me realize how very similar we all are. I don’t mean the little things. I mean at our core. We all want to be happy. We all want love. We all get tired and we all get silly. I’ve even come to learn that we eat mostly the same foods, just in different combinations. Take today’s recipe, for example… I’ve spent most of my life eating bananas in cereal and sweet potatoes with butter and chives. But today … today we’re going to the Marshall Islands via stove top travel. And there, the Marshallese add their bit of love to these ingredients. They take bananas, sweet potatoes, and butter – and make a potluck worthy bowl of magic I like to call “Sweet n’ Fried.” Since we’re coming up on barbecue season, let me just plant a little bug in your ear – the next time you have a tender, slow-roasted barbecue – pork or fish especially – make this dish. There’s …
Read More
For some reason I’m having a hard time telling you about this pie. It’s so familiar and yet so exotic. So comforting, yet so classy. Something so obvious and lovely, yet nothing I’d ever heard of before. . Think pecan pie, but more toothsome. Think honey sweetened, and coconut enriched. Think clouds of whipped cream spiked with coconut milk. Think tropical elegance. . I take a bite. I shut my eyes and feel a breeze. And, just like that, I’m in the Marshall Islands. . Like most countries in the Pacific, the Marshall Islands is known for importing much of their pantry ingredients. While Macadamia nuts aren’t Marshallese per se, the rich nut goes perfectly with local coconut. Bottom line: it’s one heck of a pie. . Note: I am 110 countries into this Adventure and, yet, this is the first time I’ve made pie. That’s not to say there isn’t pie all over this great big world. And I suppose the empanadas I made (both sweet and savory) are a variation on the theme – after all, they …
Read More
This is the time of year, as the seasons change, that I feel the “tradewinds” of life blowing me in new directions. I have more energy, but am also filled with more frenzy. Spring fever. This is what the Marshall Islands does for those familiar ingredients we all know and love – bananas, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, macadamia nuts. She shakes them up, makes new combinations (to me at least), and serves up a hearty platter of “good.” I find myself gravitating towards this type of food – simple, yet big on flavor. Decadent but uncomplicated. Now, if I could just bring the ocean to Tulsa, Oklahoma, I’d be all set. But I wonder if Ava would agree. What Ava’s thinking (above)? Any caption ideas? Sweet Potatoes & Fried Bananas [Recipe] Bolster up your next barbecue or roast with this sweet and savory concoction. This is simple as it sounds – cubed sweet potatoes tossed with crispy, fried bananas. Baked Papaya with Coconut Cream [Recipe] This is warm dessert goodness, baked until happy and served …
Read More
When I first read about the Marshall Islands, my mind immediately went to Lost, the epic television series that most people started watching almost a decade ago. We started watching it last month on Netflix. Please excuse me for being a little out of date, but in all honesty, thinking about these hundreds of tiny, tropical islands floating in the vast Pacific Ocean, I can’t help but think how easy it would be to get Lost there – hidden away forever. Part of me desperately clings to the idea of a life filled with peace and solitude, where there is nothing to do but watch the tides come and go. I am comforted to know that, in some parts of the world – like the remote corners of the Marshall Islands, this is a reality. Upon further investigation, it turns out there’s also a healthy tourism trade – if only among those rare people who celebrate and enjoy peace, snorkeling, and a total lack of timepieces. Sure, there’s a capital city with thousands of people who have their own …
Read More
THE SCENE I wanted our Kiribati Global Table to go perfectly. I had visions of something out of Norman Rockwell. Loving family, smiles all around, big appetites. My two year-old eating $35/lb lobster and loving it. Yeah, right. “Ava, you want some lobster? It’s like… fish.” “Uhuh” she said. The first bite went in. Is it good? “Uhuh.” Approximately 13.3 seconds later she spit it out. “Weird.” I died a little inside. That teeny bite probably cost $5.50. Okay, maybe only $3.50. As the dinner moved on, Ava never changed her opinion, although she thoroughly enjoyed dipping her rice into the coconut curry. Hey, I’ll take what I can get. As our quiet meal wrapped up, I looked at my husband and daughter, trying to memorize their faces. In the morning, I flew to California for the Homefries retreat with Joy the Baker and her crew. It was my first time away from Miss Ava and while it was only for two nights it was so, so, so, so difficult. Hoping to postpone the inevitable I: – Ate my …
Read More
If you’ve been to the grocery store lately you’ve seen it. Mounds and mounds of pumpkins. They’re bright fire orange, forest green, haystack yellow, cloud white, and even sorceress gray. Some are bumpy and some are flat out gnarly. They’re all saying hello, strutting their stuff, hoping you’ll take them home. Every year I take a few more home than the year before. I can’t help it. I like the teeny weeny ones best. The kind Ava can practically palm in her small 2 year-old hand. I also like to grab weird ones I haven’t tried before as well as ones that look a little forlorn and forgotten. What can I say – I love all pumpkins equally. That being said, let’s focus in. Today is all about the Kabocha pumpkin. The skin of these smallish gems are mostly green and with a flare of orange. You’ll find them all over Asia and Oceania, including this week’s Global Table – Kiribati. Technically I think they’re a squash – like butternut. The inside looks just like …
Read More
The thing about living on a coral atol with no good soil, waaaaay out in the middle of the Pacific ocean is … well, you’re a wee bit stuck when it comes to what you can and cannot eat. Bottom line, if nothing grows where you live, then breakfast, lunch and dinner all begin to take on the same appearance: Which is okay, since fish is the bees knees. And, as for breadfruit – it apparently smells like freshly baked bread – and pandanus fruit is said to be very sweet and juicy; they both sound like winners. Even still, the importance of imports in a country like Kiribati cannot be underestimated. Fresh deliveries of rice, colorful produce, and canned goods are much anticipated. I’ve even read that the chicken is imported. Now, time to get serious. Any ideas for what two of the most enjoyed canned goods in Kiribati are? …. wait for it…. …. Spam and corned beef. Are you into it?
Read More
We’re all friends here, right? I need to tell you something important. I’m learning to step out of my comfort zone. Not just once in a while. Once a day. It’s scary but also rewarding. Sometimes, though, you can take too big a step. I’m learning that baby steps are better. Let me put this into context for you. Deciding whether or not to make this recipe caused quite the dilemma. You see, the last time I made lobster was traumatic. Have you ever made live lobster? It’s stressful. It makes me sad just thinking about it. Here’s the reality: I put on a brave face and went for it, but stepped too far out of my comfort zone. The result? I secretly vowed to never make lobster again. Then Kiribati skips into my life and, like a breath of fresh air, Kiribati tells me lobster is normal. That lobster is a way of life. And Kiribati tempts me with a 1 step coconut curry for dipping. <deep breath> Time to step out of my …
Read More
What is it about Wednesday’s? They’re such a transitional day. A day when the weekend is too far away. From both sides. Listen, I want to tell you a secret. Although I like people, I’m rather shy. I don’t do a good job of being myself around new friends. Sometimes I trip and other times spill things on myself. Sometimes it happens all at once. Kiribati is a new friend. I’m trying hard not to trip. I hope you’ll understand if I take it slow. We’re getting our feet wet with two dishes in the hopes of dissuading any big messups. Still, I think you’ll like them. After all, Kiribati – all the way out in the great, big, wild ocean – is all about really simple food with big flavor. That’s something I can get behind. What sounds good to you?* Roasted Lobster Tails with Coconut Curry [Recipe] Here’s the most ridiculous thing. Earlier on this Adventure, I vowed I would never make lobster again. But I did. Thanks to Kiribati. True story. More on this tomorrow. …
Read More
Every country has a distinct personality. Think of Kiribati as a distant relative – one you might not have even known existed. And I don’t mean your grouchy Aunt Lola. Nope. I mean an upbeat and exotic cousin – one that somehow also manages to exude simplicity and thrift. At her most basic, Kiribati’s a hodge podge of 33 teeny weeny coral atolls in Oceania. Translation? Kiribati’s landmass is so small that “island” is not an appropriate way to describe her situation (although the grouping is officially called the Kiribati Islands – confused yet?). To be honest, I had never heard of Kiribati before GTA. It only took a few internet searches to realize I was not alone. Most of the information about Kiribati was sparse and – as I was to learn – completely wrong. The little good information I could dig up was found in World Cookbook for Students and on a neat web site called 12 Months in Kiribati (about a guy and gal volunteering in Kiribati for – you guessed it – twelve …
Read More
