Our little family went to Austin, Texas this week to watch the Moto GP race. Fourteen countries were represented and we had a great time! Anyway, the trip cut short our work week, so you’ll find most of our meal review in the video this week. That being said, I do have a short question for you to ponder this week… and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What do you hope they say about you when you are gone? Do you hope they point out your many accomplishments at home, work, and beyond? Do you secretly (or not so secretly) hope people cry? Or do you hope they laugh? The very thought of someone laughing at a funeral sounds twisted and wrong, but it doesn’t have to be. An old proverb from Suriname suggests this most poignant idea: “Where there is death, there must be laughter.” What do these proactive words mean to me? Well. We need the good with the bad. We need joy with sorrow. We need to celebrate the …
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Bakabana is a traditional treat in Suriname. All you do is take very ripe plantains (i.e. blackened), deep fry them, and dust the crispy, fried goodness with powdered sugar. Alternatively, you can serve them with homemade peanut sauce. The result is a crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside, finger-licking snack. What could go wrong? (Actually, a lot. I made this recipe three times, before I finally figured out that I needed cornstarch to make the batter crispy. For reference see below. The piece on the left is an all flour batter, the lighter piece on the right is half flour, half cornstarch – and much crispier… …I also made a really bad peanut sauce…so bad I had to toss the recipe. Thankfully, I have an amazing peanut sauce recipe… my old standby, from when we cooked Indonesia. If you decide to make this peanut sauce, it will look like the picture below, not like the one pictured with the plantains.) Thanks to our readers on Facebook, Megan H. and Natalie F., who suggested we try Bakabana. This was a fun one. …
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Introducing Geodangan, your answer to healthy munchies. (Honestly, I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as healthy munchies. But if there were, then this is it.) This Asian-style salad that is incredibly popular in Suriname. And for good reason. Don’t be shy. Geodangan is everything spring has to offer – crisp green beans, giant cabbages, golden yolked eggs… with the addition of a coconut, lime, yogurt dressing. (The dressing could also be coconut sambal, a spicy shredded coconut condiment.) Either way, you’ll feel like your in Suriname… by way of Indonesia. And that’s definitely a good thing. Today’s recipe for Goedangan is adapted from Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students; they suggest serving the salad for a traditional Surinamese lunch, which I think sounds just lovely. Serves 6 Ingredients: For the salad: 1 small head cabbage, cored, shredded and blanched 1 lb French green beans 1/2 lb mung bean sprouts 1 hard boiled egg per person 1 cucumber, sliced shredded coconut or coconut flakes, optional For the dressing: 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup yogurt …
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Lemongrass. Coconut milk. Slushie. Pink. Pink. Pink. Hello. The weather’s been heating up lately, so when I happened up this Dawet recipe so beloved in Suriname, I knew we had to try it. When I discovered it was also enjoyed in slushie form? I did a little dance. Slushies are always a good idea. The refreshing, tropical drink is made with an easy, homemade lemongrass syrup, a swirl of coconut milk, and a splash of water (or ice, if making a slushie). Dawet originates from Asia, and is especially popular in Indonesia. The drink was brought to Suriname and popularized as a result of colonization and immigration. In my research, I found several photos of the dawet in Suriname, and it seems the slushie is popular among street vendors. Ava and her friend were fans. There’s so many ways to make this drink. I suggest making the syrup and then toying with how much coconut milk you’d like, versus how much ice. The quantities given are what worked for me, but there really are no …
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Don’t be confused. Though this menu looks and feels quite Asian, these dishes represent Suriname as well as any other. We have everything from the traditional plantain fritters so beloved in South America, to Asian-inspired cabbage salad and even an addictive lemongrass slushie. Coconut milk is the common thread in the drink and the salad – the result being sweet for the drink, spicy for the salad dressing. All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week. Mixed Vegetable Salad with Coconut Dressing | Goedangan [Recipe] Hello, spring! Enjoy this bright and fresh salad of cabbage, green beans, eggs, mung bean sprouts… all dressed up in a coconut yougurt dressing. Battered Plantains with Peanut Sauce | Bakabana [Recipe] Indulge in Surinamese comfort food: deep fried plantains. Serve ’em up with either powdered sugar or peanut sauce. (Vegan) Lemongrass Dawet Slushie [Recipe] You’ll be pretty in pink while you sip this lemongrass, coconut milk slushie (or mix things up and serve the mix on the rocks). (Vegan) P.S. Random Tidbit about Suriname: rumor has it, any …
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Welcome to Suriname; welcome to South America. We haven’t cooked this part of the world in many months. And, in many ways, today might feel like we’re still somewhere else. That’s because Suriname’s food scene is all about fusion. A melting pot, of sorts. The food is at once typical of South America, but also laced with components from Indonesia, China, Africa, India, and even Europe. Surely, this is because of Suriname having once been a Dutch colony. Long ago, the Dutch connected the tropical rain forests and swampy flatlands of Suriname with these many regions of the world. Now, in the big cities, you can find everything from dhal, roti and chutney to creole stews and cassava breads… Can I just point out that many restaurants of Paramaribo, the capital city, serve curry and chow mein? So fun. Maybe you’d like a side of deep fried plantains and spicy peanut sauce to go with that [Recipe]? Sure thing. In Suriname, you’d be as likely to cool off with Goedangan (a coconut-laced cabbage salad) [Recipe]and a summertime sipper, like lemongrass infused …
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