all my single ladies!

In casual dialect women are often referred to as “La [nombre]” .. whether it is a man or woman talking.  Never is a man referred to as “El Juan, el Carlito, etc etc.” Even in more formal circles amongst people with higher educations, referring to a woman with the 'la' in front during conversation. 

awards night with some smiling coworkers
{as i hand out the 'rayo del sol' award}

It's tradition, but it's not right. It bothers me because it puts women in the same category as objects. 

I’ve spoken with successful Nicaraguan businesswomen who agree that although it is culture, referring to women in this context it inadvertently supports a machismo attitude. I’ve also spoken with women and men in the workplace and asked that each employee to try to remember to refer to their coworkers by their proper name (not flaca, ella, muchacha) and without the “la” because each person deserves this respect.

Working with women in kitchens I teach math, reading skills and women empowerment (knowledge is power, right?).  This granola recipe is always one of the first that I teach, it involves practicing fractions, using an oven, a timer, and a delicious result. It's also a favorite of my mom, who likes a healthy breakfast after walking our gordon setter in the morning!

coconut bocce with my island kitchen team

Sweet Coconut Granola

4 cups oats

1 whole coconut, grated (or 1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut)

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup honey

1 1/2 cup cashews (or pecans), chopped

Preheat oven to 325° F. 

Mix all ingredients together. Spread out in a greased deep baking dish. 

Bake for 20 minutes, stir and return to oven. Stir and rotate pan every 15 minutes for 3-4 more intervals. When the oats are golden and just starting to firm, remove from oven and let cool. The mixture will continue to cook and firm up as it sets. 

Serve with yogurt and fresh tropical fruits!

I believe in equality for all people. Skills of respect and growth can only be passed through tradition and practice. Here's to  my mom, who is still teaching me. I remember the first year we planted flowers along Hansen Road in Darien together on Mother's Day, over 20 years ago!

 Happy Birthday and Mother's Day to you, Mom!

rules and ranch dressing

A few weeks back when I was shopping for kitchen supplies in Managua, I came across a great find- cooler bags! Because we don't have refrigeration, the bags I got help store produce with (some) ease, without soaking it or using disposable plastic bags arranged carefully in coolers with ice each day. I also use them for transporting and storing chicken. That's right, raw chicken au jus all over the other foods is a thing of the past! We pour the ice directly on top of the bags, plus they are reusable!

Thelma, a great new addition to our kitchen team, came in the other afternoon noting, "Calley, one of the cooler bags is on top of the laundry bodega." She continued to talk about a story of how a gardener brought it down to get washed, yada yada yada... say what? Enough. Why on earth was that thing even out of the kitchen? Washing it with the laundry, which is about 300 yards away, and not in our kitchen sink? Luckily, I was in a good mood so could laugh about this weird occurrence,Thelma is very proactive and got it down right away, but not without some video footage!
The video displays island-themed reggae by Jimmy Cliff... and also showcases our brand new vintage-style chef coats, sewn by a neighbor of ours. Thanks again, Thelma!

The next day I had a meeting with the head of the grounds' crew to confirm that no one should be taking anything out of the kitchen without my permission, be it cocoa powder for a fresco, plastic wrap for their extra lunch, or an expensive bag from PriceSmart. I'd been telling the guys individually, but a little support always helps. WIP.

In other news, for dinner, that same evening we served a green leaf lettuce salad (hard to come by 'round these parts) with fresh tomatoes and an "island style" ranch dressing. eat your heart out, Hidden Valley! For me, it's a touch of home with a dash of Little Corn flair.

island ranch dressing
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 Tbs. white vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crema acida**
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. iodized salt

Mix all ingredients with a whisk, or shake in a plastic bottle or jar. Use liberally on salads, or, if in the USA, pizza. Or anything.
** (Nicaraguan loose sour cream- it can be simulated by adding 2 Tbs. water to 1/3 cup sour cream)

plantains gone bananas!

any good chef knows how to cook with plantains. so says Lisa of Top Chef: Chicago. 

I use the bananas out of plantains because they are so plentiful here in Nicaragua (at some point, I'll post my recipe for plantain lasagna). After leaving Granada and the mainland, I’ve been on Little Corn for about 2 weeks. If you were overwhelmed reading about my last post regarding getting products to a small lake resort, multiply it by 5 and you’ve got the jist of getting products to the Caribbean (for example, don’t order papaya, because it smushes all over every other item. fail.). One treat (and source of chaos) is the farm on our property, products that I can get without ordering them 10 days in advance. The most plentiful products are yuca, coconuts, and plantains. I have devised a list of what products we can get, and the grounds crew picks the goods up for us in the morning. 

Pablo and his garden crew help me out by helping to harvest any products I need each morning. Most of the time we can get everything on the list, but it depends on how busy the day is and whether different plants are fruiting. Because some of the guys can’t read, I had to reorganize my list system: the template has pictures of each item as well. The guys pick green plantains by the bunch (day-o?). For this recipe, I ripen them under a towel for a few days and they turn yellow and soft, perfect for dessert!

Chocolate Crisp with Plátano Maduro

Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup whole oats

6 Tbs. flour

3 Tbs. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

3 ounces of cold butter, cut into cubes

For the filling:

3 cups chopped yellow plantains, boiled until soft

2 Tbs. dark Flor de Caña rum

1 tsp. lime juice

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. flour

pinch of salt

For the topping, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using cold fingers or a fork, cut the butter into the dry mixture to create a crumbly mixture with small balls the size of peas. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the filling, I used ripe plantains, but they were still a little starchy and raw. I steamed them cut up pieces in a pot with a few inches of water in it until they were bright yellow and soft. Next, combine the cooked plantains with the remaining ingredients and toss well. 

Place filling in a greased baking dish (a 9” round or 3-4 quart pyrex will work just fine). Gently layer the topping over the filling without packing it down. 

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, until topping is dark and crispy. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

this recipe is versatile for any tropical fruit. mango season starts soon! *i did not make up the topping for this dessert, it is from a dessert cookbook.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

hey, hey, BooBoo! I see a pic-a-nic basket...

I am glad I decided not to pun picnic into picnicaragua. It would have been too much. anyway, it's snacktime! In addition to 3 meals a day, plus bocas, I've designed a picnic lunch for guests that take tours (the most popular is Mombacho Volcano, visible from our private island). 
I've used an American sensibility in creating a picnic with local products to maximize caloric consumption & replenish sugars while hiking around the country.


a few standouts in the picnic:
The hard salami. Serving a hunk of meat with a knife was a new concept for our tour guide, but he jumped on board rather quickly. We get ours, nationally made, from Bavaria Delicatessen in Managua: a German influenced store -I choose to say store, because they don't make sandwiches here, it is more of a meat counter- that sells imported meats & beers as well as those made nationally. They sell the Nicaraguan hard salami as spicy or mild, and sometimes have both in stock. I also use their domestic salami in our breakfast sandwich.


Tropical Dried Fruit Cookie Bars. Sweet and chewy with a crunchy oatmeal topping, these are great for energy when taking a break from a climb to soak in the view of Lake Cocibolca. When I send a car to Manags to get the sausage, I organize to pick up goods from a handful of purveyors out that way, including Naturaleza, which offers natural, unprocessed products and Eastern remedies. We use their brown rice, organic oats, spices and seeds. This recipe also uses dried fruit from Sol-Simple, another one of my favorite local purveyors which solar-dries and hand packs organic fruit. This company focuses on renewable energy: solar energy for food drying, bio-digestation to convert waste material, and electricity powered by used vegetable oil as well as focuses to employ single mothers in marginalized communities. We use their dried fruits, all natural guava pulp (for cocktails) and certified organic cashews. also,
Bah-duhduh-daaaa! I'll be adding recipes to my blog! for example, 

Dried Fruit Cookie Bars

note: normally when I cut butter into a recipe, I will give the visual cue of the butter being mixed in to look like small peas. No one on my staff has eaten, nor seen peas before- so instead, we use the cue of tiny nancite or small baseballs.

for the cookie

2 eggs

3 onces dried pineapple, chopped fine

5 ounces dried banana, chopped fine

2 cups AP flour

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 ounces melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp. lime zest

1 tsp. lime juice

for the topping

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup AP flour

3/4 cup whole oats

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

5 ounces cold butter, cut into small cubes

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour an 11 x 11” baking dish.
2. Mix together eggs and dried fruit in a small bowl.
3. Mix together flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
4. Whip together butter and sugars together in a medium bowl. With a rubber spatula, stir in the egg mixture. Finally, stir into the flour mixture until well incorporated. Spread cookie batter into the prepared dish.
5. For the topping, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a fork, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Evenly sprinkle the topping on top of the cookie mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 hours before cutting and serving.

the smarter than the average bear is going to be dan akroyd with justin timberlake!