traffic report

... for this morning's commute:
"road" conditions moderate to muddy.
accident of unknown origin caused 1 fatality (see photo). due to this obstruction, traffic both east and westbound has been diverted to the shoulder.

this guy did not survive last night's heavy rains, and became a major road block that "everyone" was talking about

just another day's walk to town on the dirt path to work. it's about 20 minutes to think about the day. I'm currently training an existing kitchen staff of a local cafe- expanding the menu, working on hygiene, sanitation, food costs, etc. and organization. The more places I work at down here, the more I feel like GRN (gordon ramsey of nicaragua). I'm constantly learning and pushing my patience threshold. In addition, I am teaching a lot, and learning from each person that I encounter. As usual, it's a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

this evening's commute home: light traffic in both directions, one bike and 3 carpenters westbound, just me heading eastbound. Just another day in paradise...

delicious broken record

our farm is about a 2 minute walk from my front door. This morning really brought a whole new meaning to "farm to table" for me. The process was respectful, educational, and some laughs, too. Staff each took some home, and the rest is for meals this week!

First meal: Carolina Pulled Pork with habanero cornbread, mango chutney and thai basil 'slaw. A guest from North Carolina wore his "BBQ t-shirt" in honor of the event, and I quote; "from a man that knows his pork, this was guuuud." 

I only know one song with "pig" in the lyrics, hence the "broken record" title, but, delicious. It's a little weird, I know, but the outcome was quite tasty! 

for probablycooking's sensitive followers, i delicately cropped the butchery photo...

it's going to be a tasty week!

it's all fun and games...

on my time off, i head out of the kitchen, and onto the sand. Snorkeling, SCUBA, swimming, walking the beach, these relaxing beach activities have been great. Volleyball's fun, too, but a bit too strenuous (and sweaty in the midday sun) for my current lifestyle to make it a daily habit. My island world has been missing something, something along the lines of lawn games.


project: coconut bocce! 


After some rough planning, I sought out Marlon, ones of the groundskeepers. He's worked with boats before, and I had an idea. He'd never heard of bocce ball or seen a photo, but after explaining the game, was right on board with me. A few details slipped through the cracks during the creation process, for example, I had to demonstrate (by chucking the ball) that without proper weighting, the balls would be useless. 


The dried coconut shell is cut in half (to remove any extra meat), filled with sand and sealed with a thick layer of boat resin. Marlon's final prototype was great- the finishing touch was to add the painted details to create the different teams. Throw them in a sugar sack and head to the beach! The coconuts are not all the same size, but Marlon had the foresight to pair similar sized balls for the same team. He even found a plastic ball washed up on the beach and sealed it to use as the jack! The one concern was: would the balls crack if they hit each other during an intense game?

inaugural game of bocce on playa iguana

the answer: nope! The jack got a good crack in it during a heated round, but the set is holding up really well! Also present: plenty of opportunities for (in)appropriate coconut jokes. Grab a Toña and meet me at the beach! 


coming soon: other uses for coconut (like, say, cooking with it)

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!