Extreme Compassion Stopping to move a wandering worm off the sidewalk. Helping a baby bird that fell out of it’s nest. Not walking by with indifference. This sort of extreme compassion is a thing that some of us – with our busy, distracted lives – strive for imperfectly. But there are others – startlingly kind souls – who live and breathe extreme compassion. Last week I went to the tailor – a big deal for me since I know how to sew. But I have a dress – a dress with lace, three layers, and a hidden zipper. I love this dress but it needs to be 2 sizes smaller. This project is totally out of my league. Wendy’s tiny, crowded shop is located in a remote basement shop of an art deco building in downtown Tulsa. Little Ava and I circled the whole property 5 times before we phoned Wendy, defeated. Two minutes later she appeared: a bespectacled Vietnamese woman in cherry lipstick. As she led us down to the basement she crooned “So pretty” in …
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What do you do when you’re running low on inspiration? Do you sip a cup of tea, take a walk, paint, write a poem, cook something? Or do you freeze up, unable to create? Writing a book for the last several months has had an interesting effect on my brain-space. The book is incredibly daunting and takes all my creative juices. I find myself sopping through my house like a wrung out rag. I once read that we are only capable of making a certain number of decisions each day. After that time, we’re pretty much worthless. Sometimes, after a particularly long book writing session, I can’t even decide what pajamas I want to curl up in to decompress. Thankfully, the world is a resource. It’s a constant inspiration. Remember, even on those nights you’re too tired to pop popcorn, the world is there, whispering sweet nothings to you. Inviting you to try something different. And so here we are… today, Vanuatu is doing the whispering. Since I spent yesterday grating a mountain range of …
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Whomp. Womp. Womp. Everything worth doing takes a little bit of work. And so it is with Som Tam. The mortar and pestle crushes the garlic, mashes a Thai bird chili peppers, and wooshes the fish sauce and lime juice into the green beans and papaya. I put the bowl on the table, dotted red with tomatoes. Ava thinks the papaya is spaghetti. The pale green shreds curl around her fork. “It’s something like that…” I say, hoping she believes me. She takes a bite, then another. Soon the forks on plates are the only noise. While I adore Thai food, I’d never had green papaya salad before this week. When several readers suggested I try it on our Facebook Page, I listened. First, I tried to order it at a local restaurant called My Thai Kitchen, just to see what all the fuss was about, but it wasn’t on the menu. So, instead, I went to our local Asian market, Nam Hai, and picked up what I needed, including some palm sugar, a green …
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The act of “saucing” food in Singapore is not as simple as I expected it to be. From what I can tell, there’s two schools of thought on the matter. First: the ‘dip & dunk’ variety, a.k.a. those who keep a bowl of incendiary hot sauce next to their plates for regular food baths. Second: the ‘drizzle & bedazzle’ variety, a.k.a. those who let the sauce rain down over their food, free-form. While I wouldn’t normally expect this to be a big deal, the foodies of Singapore are so impassioned that they are more than happy to come up to you and show you their preferred method… especially if you look even the littlest bit unsure (this happened to Bourdain countless times on his No Reservations trips there). Should this ever happen to you, my advice is to enjoy the free cultural lesson – the chance to learn from a local. There are hundreds of Singaporean recipes for Chilli Sauce (P.S. You can spell chilli with one “l” or two, and I can’t quite decide which looks right… thoughts?). …
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If we can’t open our hearts to the “weird” things in life, we’re not living fully. The girl who wears rain boots in the snow. The man that studies a bustling ant hill for an hour. The child that dips her scrambled eggs in molasses (Ava did this yesterday). These people all have one thing in common: they see the world through a different lens. Their world has no limitations. Wouldn’t it be glorious if a salad could change how you see the world? If one bite could take away all your preconceived notions and open your mind to the new, the exciting, and – let’s just be honest – the weird? Today we’re going beyond watery diner salads, sporting browning lettuce, one measly crouton, a white-washed tomato, and a solitary red onion ring. (Thank goodness) Instead we’re loading our chopsticks with fresh, spicy ginger, salty fish sauce, fried lentils and chickpeas, chickpea flour, peanuts cabbage… and… and… so much happy goodness. This is a bouquet of flavor that sounds more … quirky.. than it really is. This Burmese salad is extremely …
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In college I went by MacGyver. It had nothing to do with my ability to save lives (with little more than a shoestring and a balloon), and everything to do with feeding my four hungry roommates in the face of the greatest of obstacles (an empty refrigerator). I once made them lasagna without pasta or sauce. True story. Which brings me to this Micronesian marinade. There are four fantastic reasons to make it: 1. There is really no need to measure the ingredients. I have it on a local’s authority that any ratio works well. 2. The marinade tastes grand on just about anything. Fish. Chicken. Steak. Tofu. Leather shoes. 3. The marinade does double duty as a dipping sauce. 4. Katrina says so. Katrina is the gal from Micronesia who emailed me, recommending that I try this marinade. To be honest that was enough motivation for me. And when she said any proportions will do? That was the clincher. I like not measuring. It’s more fun to simply dump a few ingredients into a bowl at …
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I almost can’t believe how easy it is to chat with people from around the world now a days – to get to know each other – to learn from each other – to celebrate each other. To raise a glass to each other. Sometimes I get recipe ideas from books. Sometimes readers email me recipes. But today’s recipe for “Lomi Lomi” comes from an altogether different place. And it sparkles like the ocean on a sunny day. Last week I knew nothing about this poolside sipper. In fact, had I not begun a conversation with the Four Seasons Maldives on twitter, @FSMaldives), I would not be sharing it with you today. Lomi Lomi is snowy and tropical, sweet and tart, spicy and refreshing. Since it only contains three ingredients, the drink comes together very quickly. I am still in shock that hotel staff was able to suggest this drink to me from halfway around the world, and tell me how to make it … in less than 144 characters. When you can tweet a recipe, …
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Makes 1/4 cup seasoned salt for lots of corn goodness. Can you squeeze a lime? Can you smash chili peppers into a mini mound of salt? Can you grill corn? This is one of those recipes that you make on a day, much like today, when you want to prepare something impressive, but you can’t be bothered to do very much. We owe it to the lovely people of Kenya: take a walk down their bustling streets and you’ll likely find vendors selling roasted corn rolled in a spicy blend of chili, fresh lime juice and salt. The corn is cooked until deeply roasted. It’s for real good. Ingredients: corn on the cob 1/4 cup rock salt 2 small chilies, sliced or more to taste lime juice (about 1/2 lime juiced, or to taste) Method: Let’s head to Nairobi, where – certainly – inspiration will strike. The beautiful thing about this recipe? Everything is to taste. I ground 2 sliced chili peppers into 1/4 cup rock salt… Then squeezed in the juice of half a …
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Makes…as much as you can handle! I’m no mixologist, so I love when there’s a clear cut way to mix a drink, such as with the ever-mighty Rum Punch. The recipe is easy to remember, as long as you can count to four. You’ll need 1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong, 4 parts weak. As for what specific ingredients to use? That’s where you get to be creative. Take “Sweet” for example: that could be a sugar syrup or a naturally sweet fruit juice. You get to choose. I went for a middle of the road drink – tropical, fruity and fresh without being cloying. As for the dash of nutmeg – it’s Grenadian fairy dust – be sure to add some for your finishing touch. Ingredients: 1 part sour: fresh lime juice 2 parts sweet: pineapple juice 3 parts strong: rum 4 parts weak: orange juice If my ratio confuses you, just replace the word “part” with cup, and you’ll end up with a little over a half gallon. Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg 1 …
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Serves 6 This elegant appetizer showcases creamy avocado and delicate shrimp. Your guests will never know it only took you a few minutes to throw together (make the shrimp salad an hour or two ahead – cut the avocados immediately before serving). Ingredients: 1/2 lb cooked & cooled shrimp (shelled) 1T ketchup 1T mayo 1/4 of a fresh lime, juice (or to taste) 3 avocados, halved and pitted Method: Cut shrimp into little pieces. Behold the little nuggets of shrimp goodness. A bit of ruby red ketchup for sweetness. And creamy white mayo for richness. That’s how they roll in the Ivory Coast. A splash of lime juice pulls all the flavors together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Spoon into avocado halves and serve on a pretty platter to pretty people. Preferably by the beach. With a smile. West African Shrimp in Avocado boats Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe This elegant appetizer showcases creamy avocado and delicate shrimp. Your guests will never know it only took …
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Serves 2-4 Although there are many variations on Stew Chicken, most traditional recipes keep it simple – just chicken, red recado, onion, and water. I added bell pepper, Habanero, and lime juice because this variation seems a little more lively. Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I didn’t want all the work of a whole chicken this time) 1/2 cup red recado (see recipe) 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 Habanero, optional a splash fresh lime juice or vinegar to taste Method: 1. Marinate chicken in red recado overnight (or for at least 1 hour) 2. Heat up oil in a pot over medium. Add chicken and brown in batches as necessary. 3. Remove chicken and add bell pepper and onion and cook until soft. 4. Return chicken to the pot. Toss in optional Habanero (whole for mild spice, or cut up for an intense heat). Cover chicken with water. 5. Stew chicken until meat is falling apart (or off the bones, if you use bone-in meat). Add …
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Serves 4 Take a sip of this sweet drink and you’ll think you’re on the beach in Antigua. Use fresh squeezed juices if possible. Serve with sugar cane swizzle sticks for an added festivity. Please drink in moderation. No drinky and drivey. Ingredients: 1 cup grapefruit juice 1 cup pineapple juice 1 cup coconut rum 1/4 cup grenadine 1/3 cup lime juice 3 cups Jamaican Ting (carbonated grapefruit soda, available at Whole Foods) Optional Ingredients: sugar cane swizzle sticks (available at Whole Foods) pineapple rings, for garnish Method: 1. In a large pitcher combine grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, rum, grenadine, and lime juice. Chill thoroughly. 2. Immediately before serving, add Ting and stir to combine. 3. Serve chilled. With your feet in the sand, if possible. Sparkling Grapefruit Breeze Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Take a sip of this sweet drink and you’ll think you’re on the beach in Antigua. Use fresh squeezed juices if possible. Serve with sugar cane swizzle sticks for an added festivity. Please drink in moderation. CourseDrinks LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian Food …
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