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Our Mom was the First Lady of the House

May 12, 2013 By Fran 1 Comment
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Spanikopita-TrianglesMy inspiration for making fresh, flavorful, fabulous food comes from my mom.  From the time I was a young girl I wanted to be in the kitchen, whipping up all kinds of great food like my mom always did. As soon as 7th grade and Home Economics class came around, I looked forward to it each week.

That year, my mom was taking a Chinese cooking class in Manhattan.  She came home one time with a Wok, something totally foreign to early 70’s American kitchens, but thrilling to me.

I couldn’t get enough of it and one week, I was selected to do a cooking demo.  I brought in that wok and the utensils that came with it and wowed the class with home made Chinese Food, right there in Frelinghuysen Jr. High School!

Spanikopita-1

Maybe this is where I got my wanderlust — where the desire to travel and experience different places in the world came from.  I don’t know, but I do know that it had to have something to do with my crazy need to cook and eat food from around the world.

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I couldn’t wait to see what came out of that deep sided, conical- looking lightweight pan with a wooden handle.

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The first thing — Kung Pao Chicken.  What was this mysterious dish?  It wasn’t something we were accustomed to seeing on the menu in our suburban Chinese restaurant alongside the wonton soup, spare ribs and egg rolls.

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And the next dish with rice noodles?  How could noodles come from those small grains of rice?

It didn’t matter.  What did matter was that all kinds of delicious food could come from that pan at my mother’s hands and once again, she showed us that we could eat well without those boxes of prepared, packaged food such as Rice-a-Roni or Hamburger Helper that had become to popular during my teenage years and which I never tasted unless I was invited to dinner at a friend’s house.

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My mom knew how to get around the kitchen and always made it seem effortless — unlike me, she never spun around the kitchen like a ball of stress when she had company coming and the food was always presented beautifully.

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Me?  I may cook well, but my stress-meter is always tipping the scales and plating has never been a skill I’ve learned, but my passion for preparing and serving food has always been at my core and I am sure I have my mom to thank for that.

Eaten-Spanikopita

I never saw my mom sweat.  I simply don’t think she didShe always seemed to calm and cool in any situation and glam?  She had it.  When my sister and I were little girls in the 60’s, I think every woman wanted to be like Jackie Kennedy and our mom, she had that look, that sophisticated charm.  Our mom was the First Lady of the house and not just the kitchen.

Mom-in-Europe

Mom-2

Mom-and-the-Boys

Miss you mom!

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Cook, Food, Kitchen, Mom, Mother's Day, Spanikopita

Made it to the San Pedro Sula Market

March 30, 2013 By Fran 2 Comments
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Bananas

I have read many times that the way to get to know a place is to visit its markets.

There’s a pulse, a rhythm that’s palpable at a local market.  You can get a sense for how people dress.  How they eat.  How they interact with each other.

And you can definitely gain perspective on the economic situation.

For instance, take this pile of fresh mangoes. I purchased them for 25 Lempira. That equates to about 5¢ a piece.  Yes, I said five cents a piece.  And the spent mango seeds on the streets, everywhere we walked said they’re good, they’re plentiful and they’re probably priced well.

At my local Harris Teeter supermarket in Virginia, the current price for a mango imported from who knows where — probably chile — costs $1.00.  An organic mango, will leave your wallet $1.99 lighter.  Now, the mangoes I bought were the wee little ones that look as though they belong in a giant dollhouse, but nevertheless, they cost FIVE CENTS A PIECE and packed a powerful punch of sweet, juicy, tropical flavor!

Green-Mangoes-2

How does one pass up a bargain like this?  And more importantly, how does a person not dive in and eat most of the 25 purchased at the market in one weekend?

Yes, I tried, but between that and the addictive and sweet, delicate miniature cherry tomatoes, my stomach let me know it was not a wise idea to continue so I turned the mangoes into purée and served a dollop on top of creamy Cardamom Rice Pudding at dinner the next night.

Cherry-Tomatoes-1

Wet-Market-9

But let’s get back to the market.  Ryan, Marcio and I piled into the car on a Sunday morning and headed to the market.  People at work told me I wouldn’t want to go. That the produce is not that good.  That it’s dangerous there.  A few months ago on a Saturday I asked Jorge to take me there and he did.  We drove down streets made narrow with produce vendors on either side of the road and people walking everywhere.

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I knew it could be a place rife with pick pockets, but figured, like any other crowded market in the world, paying close attention, not carrying a purse or holding onto it tightly would take care of the danger of having it disappear, so on a quiet Sunday morning with a couple of guys from work, we headed into the city.

Wet-Market-3

Jorge was not in favor of taking me there.  He told Marcio, who so graciously translated for us, that he knew I wanted to go, but we only drove past it that day because “it smells” and I “wouldn’t like it.”

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Or Jorge, we’ve been together for almost a year and a half and you don’t know me well enough to understand that this is what I love?  To see people in their element, hawking and interacting and making a living for themselves while their customers flit from stall to stall, looking and questioning and bartering and walking away with the prize of ingredients for the next meal.  This is what the market experience is all about.

Plantains-2

Like this guy in his Alcatraz visitor’s shirt and the mysterious one hanging back in the window behind the bananas with an onlooker off to the side after they motion to me to take a shot; the market is filled with interesting vignettes like this.

And the smell of not-so-fresh meat or produce that’s on it’s way to great methane production is what gives a fresh market its vida, it’s carácter.

Melons-2

Just like when I was a kid.  My mom would take us to see the fish monger, to pick out a perfectly fresh Dover Sole or to pluck 4 lobsters out of the tank.  We’d go in through the back door of the shop, a few feet off the parking lot and I loved walking through the sawdust strewn on the floor to sop up the sea water and melted ice that became part of the floor.  The aroma of creatures from the sea wafted over the entrance and drew me in.  I know.  It doesn’t make sense.  “Normal” people run from that smell, but it was welcoming to me.

Watermelon-2

Watermelon Truck

Outside the buildings that make up the market, “retailers” as Jorge refers to them, purchase produce from wholesalers and set up their own make-shift stalls, making it easier for shoppers to pick up what they need and go.  It was kind of late for a market morning, so the trucks were half empty, but there was plenty to be had and far less mankind filling the streets and alleys.

Vendors-3

All kinds of business opportunities arise out of the market.  Working out in the hot sun, with the pavement radiating heat, people need to quench their thirst and a snack is a must for some, so people like this guy selling mangoes and juice and crunchy snacks makes his living while riding his stall around the busy streets.

Vendors=1

And saying hi to familiar customers and friends.

Veduras

Retailers set up shop wherever they can find an empty space and shoppers with bags and cash are rewarded with local produce.

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There’s no need for a “shop local” movement in a place like this.  These markets are not a trendy farmer’s market with hired musicians playing in the background and clowns brought in to keep the kids happy.

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They are truly the place local farmers and ranchers bring their good to market.

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These markets are a way of life and the people that shop here aren’t likely to be found in the pricey “American style” supermarkets in town.

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Popcorn-2

These kernels of corn make me wonder if they’re popped on top of a stove in a special pan or if they end up in some other dish I am totally unfamiliar with.

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These oranges must come from a part of the country or the region I haven’t explored yet, because I have never seen an orange tree on my travels.

Pineapple-Toss

I can’t imagine having to catch a pineapple with my bare hands, but this guy probably does this every day and may not even think twice about it.

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There is more to the market than food, but this man selling loofahs of all shapes and sizes was a surprise.  It tells me people like to be good to themselves and while you can find loofahs in the markets in town, why bother with a big store when you can get what you need on the streets at the market and probably for a fraction of the cost of a store?

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I have a scene from City Slickers running through my head thinking about cowboys and loofahs.

Market-Cart

Jalapenos

Frijoles

Mangoes-2

Ginger

Frutas-y-Veduras

The ingredients in the 5 images above are all that’s needed to make a delicious and filling meal, dessert included.

What would you make with jalapeńos, rice, beans, oil, sweet mangoes, ginger, cilantro, parsley, mint, banans, eggs and pomelos?  I am thinking a Bi Bim Bap, vegetarian style would be a good mid-day meal with bananas, and mangoes for dessert and a tall icy glass of pomelo juice to quench the thirst of a morning at the market.

Coyoles

Colorful-Mangoes

These are the mango variety that sell for up to $1.99 at the supermarket in Virginia.

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Cheese

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Bananas-2

 

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Nothing goes to waste.  You know those tamales you like so much?  These banana leaves are a major component of the recipe.  I think I need a lesson in tamale-making soon.

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Bananas shine in Honduras.  They have been the mainstay of the Honduran economy for decades as their emerald green color signifies.  But don’t call Honduras a Banana Republic any longer.  Things have progressed and there’s more to this country than the shining emerald green fruit.

 

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Bananas, Cook, Frijoles, Fruit, Honduras, Mangoes, Market, Prices, Produce, San Pedro Sula, Vegetables

Cardamom Rice Pudding Recipe

August 15, 2012 By Fran 5 Comments
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DessertHave you had rice pudding lately?  If not, it’s time to try it again.  I remember eating rice pudding as a kid.  Sometimes my mom would put raisins in it and sometimes not.  I preferred it without, but never turned it down in either case.  I am an equal opportunity eater — have been for most of my life.

I was having friends for dinner and decided on an Indian menu.  Rogan Josh (Lamb Curry), Rice Pilau (Indian Rice Pilaf with cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves and more) and simple steamed green beans.

I had no idea what to make for dessert.  The night before I whipped up a killer batch of Lime Bars to take to dinner and they were a big hit, but I wasn’t in the mood to bake again.  Since my guests were part of the same group I decided I couldn’t repeat myself.

The beautiful thing was that I had pounds of rice in the pantry and an oversized bag of Cardamom pods sitting right next to it.  I was in luck!

Cardamom Rice Pudding.  What a perfect way to end our dinner.  I’d made fresh olive oil granola that morning after breakfast and knew the crunch would be the perfect topping for the rice pudding.

I was right!  Perfecto!  It was just the combination of smooth and creamy with savory crunch I was looking for.

Cardamom-Rice-Pudding

Rice pudding calls for just a few ingredients.  It’s quite possible you have everything you need in your kitchen right now.  If you don’t have cardamom, don’t worry, you can leave it out.  A teaspoon of cinnamon is great in rice pudding.  If you have mint, crush a few sprigs and make coconut-mint rice pudding.  Pulse mago or pineapple in a food processor or blender and add it at the end and you’ve got a truly tropical hit.  Rice pudding is a rich and creamy treat and because of this, yields a lot of servings.  Using a small sized cup like this, I could have scooped out at least 18 servings.  It doesn’t weigh as heavily on the calories with a small portion of the treat.

I hope you’ll try this.  We thought it was just the right ending to a delicious Indian meal.  It was well worth a little bit of time in the kitchen.  Do you like your rice pudding with or without raisins?

Recipe: Cardamom Rice Pudding

Summary: Sublime Rice Pudding with an Exotic Flavor

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups Basmati (or white) Rice
  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 can Coconut Milk
  • 1 can lite coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 9 Cardamom pods, separated
  • pinch Salt

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, bring the rice and milk, and coconut milk to a boil.
  2. In the meantime, with the back of a knife, crush 3 of the cardamom pods to release the seeds.
  3. Throw away the pods.
  4. When the milk and rice has come to a boil, add the salt, sugar, cardamom pods and vanilla.
  5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring from time to time until the pudding has thickened considerably, about 40 minutes.  Now is the time for a taste to ensure the rice is just tender.  You want it just a little more than al dente; it’s pudding, after all.
  6. Be sure to tend to the pot to ensure the rice is not sticking/burning.
  7. At this point, you can choose the thickness you like – if serving warm, or just slightly cooled, you’re probably done now.  If you are going to cool and refrigerate, I prefer it slightly undercooked – it will thicken up in the fridge.
  8. Remove from the heat.
  9. Remove the whole cardamom pods — they’ll be faded, but easy to spot.  The seeds remain and are a nice contrast to the white rice and milk.
  10. Let cool on a wire rack until cool enough to eat or place in the fridge to cool thoroughly.
  11. Add a topping of your choice, or none at all.

 

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Cardamom, Coconut, Cook, Dessert, Food, Granola, India, Recipe, Rice Pudding

Confessions of a Happy Expat

July 30, 2012 By Fran 1 Comment
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Deli-Flats

Some days, it’s the most trivial of discoveries that makes my day.  For those of you new to this blog, please allow me to introduce you to The FRANwich.

It may seem to be nothing more than a slice of thin bread, a slice of provolone, hard salami and a smear of mustard, and you’d be correct.

This was the starter to my day every day of the work-week. I’d bring in the ingredients, pop the “Deli Flats” into the toaster in the office and put together my 6 point breakfast.  It never varied with the exception of the occasional slice of tomato and possibly a leaf of basil.  I’d pack a large container of fresh fruit and snack on it throughout the morning.

Ingredients-for-Franwich

Lunch was the salad bar at the office or in one of the Asian salad bar restaurants a few blocks away and I’d finish lunch with a small Weight Watchers dessert bar.   Dinner was a few ounces of chicken, fish, pork or meat with a vegetable and a small carb, often quinoa or farro and I’d finish with a Weight Watchers frozen dessert.

On weekends, I’d usually whip up a poached egg and tortilla breakfast to vary the routine and I’d stick to salad for lunch and a reasonable dinner like the weekdays.

I was happy.  I didn’t really ever feel like I was depriving myself.  I liked the challenge and this routine helped me lose 26 lbs.  It took longer than I’d hoped, but I was feeling good about myself and was healthier for it, so while I had more to lose, I wasn’t sweating the time amount of time I’d invested in the process.

And last week was the breaking point, the trigger.  Feeling uncomfortable in my clothes made me angry and I decided it was time to get back on the wagon.  I’d put back every single one of those hard earned lost 26 lbs. right back on in the world of rice, beans, tortillas and plantains in the 8 months since moving here and I was angry with myself.  So last week I began a regimen of fresh fruit for breakfast and a grilled chicken salad for lunch everyday from the café at the office.  The only thing missing was the FRANwich!  Well, that and the Weight Watchers bars and frozen desserts.

FRANwich

Today all that changed.  My new friend Stuart took me to a supermarket I hadn’t been to before and within moments of walking in the door I spotted my salvation — the Deli Flat or Deli Round or Bread Thin or whatever you call it (depending on brand).  I was so excited and I know my shopping companion could not understand my rabid eagerness to throw a couple of bags of the 100 calorie, high in fiber packages in my cart.  I mean who gets excited about processed bread that got so many preservatives it can handle months in the pantry before it’s inedible?

I do!  :)  I am now officially on the wagon.  Just you wait and see.  In a few months I will be back to the pre-Honduras me and shopping for clothes again rather than wooden coasters and trinkets.

Jalapeño Poppers, you’re a thing of the past and rice, I love you, but you don’t need to adorn every meal by the cups-full.

Next step?  Getting into that state-of-the-art gym down by the pool.

Fran-at-Guamilito

I want to feel like this again — this was me a few weeks after moving here before the local diet took hold.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Bread, Cook, Deli Flat, Diet, Expat, Food, Franwich, Honduras, Weight Watchers

The Accidental Voyeur

July 22, 2012 By Fran 6 Comments
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My-Kitchen-WindowHello mi amigos!  I’m settling into my new apartment nicely. It’s a dream, really.  Floor to ceiling windows all over, a kitchen to make any cook smile and a window right at the end!  What more could a person want?

Maybe a better understanding of lighting and photography. Perhaps a little less curiosity.  And finally, a bit more self-confidence.  I’ll explain …

This apartment is incredible.  It is really something I could only have dreamed of.  I love my place in Virginia — I do. It’s the first place I’ve purchased on my own.  It’s in a perfect location looking out toward the Shenandoah Mountains. It’s going to be just a block or two from the new Silver Line on the Metro into DC and out to the airport and I have great friends there, but this place is something out of a movie.

When I finally had the opportunity to go inside the complex and see an apartment, the windows all around were the draw, but when I walked into the kitchen I was sold.  I don’t know if it was the state of the art appliances, the sink that can fit three 12-quart stock pots side-by-side, the large walk-in pantry or the gigantic fridge.  Or if the narrow window at the end of the room with views of the mountains where what captured my attention.  I have spent the last 5 years running from kitchen to living room to get to where the light is in my home in the States and now I’d have a window right there in the kitchen.

Kitchen-in-Panorama

How convenient!!

Panorama-Kitchen

So, let’s look at some of my first photos and see what’s going on, OK?

Grilled-Cheese

Yikes!  Look at those shadows and the light reflecting off the stark white plate.  Eek!

Shooting-at-the-Window

This window has a beautiful, verdant backdrop, but the morning light … not so complimentary, is it?

Mis-en-Place

I’m going to need to do some experimenting to get it right, but I’m just happy it exists.  And those bananas up there?  I know what you’re thinking, but I’m going to recreate the incredible Banana Cake that stole my heart at Monsoon East in Seattle last week.  So don’t panic, the chef suggests very overripe bananas are what takes the texture over the top.

A lot of light and windows has always been my thing.  It’s what sold me on my place in Virginia and there is absolutely no lack of windows here.  As a matter of fact, it’s important to be careful walking around because I’m not the only one with a lot of windows.  The entire building is one big window and that means we can all see each other and sometimes it’s just better if people don’t have to see me first thing in the morning toddling around in my jammies.

For me, it’s great and problematic all at the same time.  I’ll tell you why …

Last night I was sitting around minding my own business playing Draw Something when I noticed a chef in his Chef’s Whites and a tall, white toque, tooling around in my new neighbor’s kitchen.  Then I saw wait staff.  Ohhhh!  My curiosity was piqued!

Panorama-Windows

And with that, my evening became a little “Rear Window”  — sans wheelchair, binoculars or murder (I think/hope!).  And no, James Stewart did not come back from the dead and I’m no Grace Kelly.  I was an accidental voyeur!  I could not get away from it unless I left the living room.  I was curious about the menu, but thankfully, could not really make out any details — well, except that they had an appetizer, a salad course, an entrée, a palate cleanser and something that looked like a white Bombe with a green adornment coming out of the top to go along with cocktails.  Yep, I was able to see it all while taking my turns attempting to be something of  a  Picasso with stick figures.

Now, all this is to say that I am going to have to start keeping the shades drawn.  Not so much because I don’t want them to see me, which I don’t, but because I don’t want to let my curiosity get the best of me and watch them.   Yep, I’ve got guilt issues now.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Blog, Cook, Food, Honduras, Kitchen, Photography, Rear Window, San Pedro Sula

Avocado Experience in Honduras

April 26, 2012 By Fran 4 Comments
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Collage-of-AvocadosHow do you feel about Avocados?  If you’re a fan you probably want to go dig up your passport, pack your bags and hop a plane down to Honduras.  Avocados are plentiful and cheap.  I don’t like that word, but at 8 for $4.30 it’s the best adjective I can come up with.  Right now in the US at Wegman’s Supermarket, you can buy two avocados for $4 or four for the bargain price of just $5.99.    I know one person who would probably go nuts if she were to visit Honduras.  Gaby, of What’sGabyCooking is an admitted avocado lover and at these prices, it would be hard not to jump up and down.  I met Gaby during my first FoodBlogCamp experience in Mexico and remember her talking about how much she loves avocados.  If you check out her blog, you’ll see that she has in excess of 50 posts about the green orbs.  It’s a bit like my obsession with corn tortillas.  The funny thing is that before I headed out to Gaby’s site to grab her link for you, I came up with the idea of grilling my avocado for a hot, stuffed avocado salad and right there, on her beautiful blog was a post about grilled avocado guacamole.

Just when I thought I was being so creative …

Anyway, one of the best avocado experiences I’ve had was at a small Japanese restaurant in Southern California.

Mound-of-Avocados

I was attending my first BlogHerFood conference in San Francisco a couple of years ago and flew down to Irvine to spend a couple of nights to visit with my son and his girlfriend.  I reached out to my friends Todd and Diane of WhiteonRiceCouple.com to get their recommendations for restaurants since they live in the same area and we chose  Todd’s recommendation of Izakaya Honda Ya.  It’s a small place with an authentic Japanese feel and the food was fabulous!  Lots of variety and creativity.  We ate a dinner of mostly sushi, but the one dish that blew me aways was the “Avocado Volcano.”

Hot-Avocado

At this point, two years later, I can’t remember what was in the avocado, but I remember it came to the table on a bed of flames, piping hot.

I’m pretty sure it was filled with fresh crab meat, but what was so good was the hot creaminess of the avocado.  I hadn’t ever experienced warm avocado.  So smooth, so rich and full of flavor.

Close-up-avocado

I’ve got one more avocado in the fridge to be used this week and am going to pick up a few shrimp.   I’ll put that avocado on the grill that’s been heated to 700° and stuff it with freshly grilled shrimp salad.  It will be a kind of Avocado Parrillada.  Sounds good doesn’t it?

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Avocado, BBQ, Cook, Food, Grill, Honduras, Parrillada

Spring Break!!

April 21, 2012 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Guard-at-ParkI was thinking about my upcoming trip home — a Spring Break of sorts — and all the people and things I want to see and do and some of the things I hope to avoid while I’m home.  There are some things I am going to take a break from.  I’m sure by the end of my time in the US I’ll be chomping at the bit to get back to the relaxed pace of Latin America and the quirks of living overseas, but there are a few things I’ll be happy to do without.

Check out the list below:

  • No soldiers or police in camouflage or flak jackets with an M16, Rifle, shotgun or a Baretta at their sides
  • Corn tortillas, rice, beans and jalapeños, even though my love affair with them is not lost, just going on a brief hiatus
  • Scorpions, Mosquitoes, clicking Geckos or Big green Frogs waiting to greet me at the door or crawling around in the house
  • Passing one or more cars at high speeds as we round the bend
  • Dramamine filled drives to the beach or ruins

These are some of the things I’m looking forward to after seeing friends and family:

  • Rice paper, fish sauce grilled pork — Asian style
  • Wonton Soup, home made Mu Shu Pork
  • Rogan Josh (Lamb Curry) with Rice Pilau
  • My kitchen and appliances
  • Walking around — stepping outside the house and just walking

New-Range

  • Shopping for a new hot weather wardrobe
  • NEW SHOES!!  My favorite pair have to be thrown out — they now have holes i them!
  • Television!!  It’s been 5 months!
  • A movie marathon in a movie theater with stadium seating
  • Grilled Artichokes
  • Fresh shrimp
  • The progress on the Silver Line Metro construction
  • A FRANwich!
  • Bagels & Lox

WMATA

Last-Meal

There are a couple of things I’m going to miss:

  • Not having to drive
  • Not having to park
  • THE CARIBBEAN!!!!

Beach

  • Not having to make my bed
  • Coming home to a sparkling clean house with a bed made and clothes cleaned every weekday
  • The beach!
  • The chaos of a full call floor at peak hours

Heat

  • A parrillada with a killer grill every weekend
  • Spanish being spoken all around me and understanding one out of every ten words
Washington-DC

I might take a walk in the city -- just because

Home

Home Sweet Home!!

And when I come home to Honduras, I’ll start to build a new list, but I’m sure it will be different in some ways.  I’ll see you when I return — whichever way I’m headed.  Hasta Luego!

And with that, it’s time to start prepping the jalapños for the largest parrillada yet as.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Barbeque, Cook, Food, Home, Honduras, Parrillada, Protection, Tortilla, Travel, USA, Visit

Picture Perfect

April 15, 2012 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Desert

This may seem a sacrilege in the food blog world, but sometimes it’s not about the beauty of a food shot.   I took most of these pictures with my iPhone and as we all know, although there are apps galore to help enhance your photos, available light is not a friend of iPhoneography.

But I’m not unhappy.  There is beauty in these shots without the pixels being exactly as we’d like them to be.

Great photography is said to be about movement and feeling and while these photos may be dark and grainy, the movement is clear and I hope the feeling is as well.

What I took away from another fun night at la Casa de Fran is fun and friendship and the ability to blow off steam from a long workweek without talking about it all night.

Eating

We cooked.  We ate.  We listened to Fran make a valiant attempt to speak Spanish. We laughed.  We cleaned up.  And this makes for a great night.

Finished

 Thankfully the table is large and sharing chairs with the other condo means most of us get to sit at the table while others (Mario!) stand and do a little salsa dancing while picking the bones of a rack of baby back ribs clean.

Dinner!

Everyone was into the meal.  It was hard not to be.  Everything was so good — I’m craving more ribs!

The-Michelada

Emy was up to her chimol-making self and she added to the party with a perfectly made Michelada.  I wonder if my friend Maggie from Loaded Kitchen makes these?  I am going to whip up a batch at dinner when I get home from work tomorrow night and I’ll put the recipe together and let you in on this “Beer Cocktail” once I get it right.

Ribs-on-a-Platter

The ribs were a big hit.  We’re doing this again on Saturday to welcome our new Operations Manager and I think ribs will make a reappearance.

Vera-and-Paco

Vera was so kind to model her husband’s invention — the JaCo.  A Jalapeño Popper Taco with Beans.  No one here had ever tried the American bar food classic — a Jalapeño Popper and they were a huge hit.  I was addicted to them a couple of summers ago and could not pass up the opportunity to grill a tray for the team.

Jalapeño-Innards

We’re talking heat right here.  The ribs and seeds are vehicles of fire.

Peppers

Thankfully Gearling and Emy made their way to the jalapeño station and lent a hand.  I am going to return from my upcoming trip to Virginia with my trusted jalapeño corer to make quick work of this chore.

Jalapeños

Waiting-for-the-Grill

GrillingGrill

You can almost feel the heat coming from the grill full of ribs and poppers.  The only thing missing is that beautiful aroma of grilled food.  There’s nothing still or boring about it.

A-Plate-of-Dinner

And whomever owns this plate is about to dig in.

Cleaning

And check this out.  You couldn’t stop these four women from making quick work of the dishes and the floor.

More-Clean-up

Just look at all that garbage.  For just 12 people.

Clean-up-Continued

Carlos-and-Vera

Somehow, I’m reminded of the iconic American painting by Grant Wood when I look at this shot.  Not sure what it is about it, but I’m seeing a pitchfork in Carlos’ hand instead of a hot bottle of tobasco.


 

Filed Under: All Tagged With: BBQ, Birthday, Cook, Dinner, Eat, Food, Grill, Honduras, Jalapeño Poppers, Parrillada, Party, San Pedro Sula, Work

Grill Obsession

April 8, 2012 By Fran 2 Comments
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Sunday-GrillI am obsessed with this grill, and I’m ok with it, because what comes off the grill is wonderful.  It’s been a month of eating with such complexity that sometimes it’s easier not to eat dinner than to go through the effort of going out or planning and preparing and deciding and waiting and ordering and paying and eating late and going home to go to bed and start all over again.

This grill has breathed new life into my eating experience in Honduras.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some amazing food here.  What’s not to like — it’s all corn tortillas, all the time, for crying out loud, but sometimes I crave something more familiar.

And that’s what I’ve been doing.  firing up the grill and cooking with flavors and textures I have come to expect.  I don’t do it everyday.  I didn’t move almost 3000 miles away from home to keep living the status quo, but sometimes my body asks for something simple, something familiar.

Asparagus-on-the-Grill

I cleaned and trimmed the asparagus, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds with a splash of water and a squeeze of lime to create a bit of tenderness before heading for the grill after rolling the spears in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.

Asparagus-on-the-Grill

Just a few minutes on the grill so hot I now understand why those long, thick grilling mitts were created. Scorching hot is an understatement.

Asparagus-from-the-Grill

Plate-of-Asparagus

Nothing complicated here.  Finished with freshly cracked pepper and a sprinkle of salt.  This asparagus is full of bright, fresh flavor.

 

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Asparagus, Cook, Food, Grill, Honduras

My First Parrillada in Honduras

April 1, 2012 By Fran 4 Comments
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New-Gas-GrillIt started out being all about the grill, but quickly became more about breaking bread with good people.

Months ago, four, to be specific, an idea of a grill and outdoor furniture for this condo was formulated.  It wasn’t my idea.  Props have to go to Brian (you know who you are) for the suggestion and direction and to Emy for her tireless efforts to get it done — not always an easy prospect around these parts.  But enough of the logistics of a killer grill getting to my house, let’s talk people and food and a general all around fun and delicious Friday night.

Actually, there isn’t much “talking” needed here, other than this …

This grill came into my life on Friday.  It’s a thing of beauty and once I heard the purhase was going to be made it didn’t take a New York minute for me to realize I’d be cooking with gas and I announced I was going to host a spontaneous Parrillada!  We were going to break bread and break in that grill together.  A Friday night Parrillada at my house!  My first!

Comestibles

I loved that there was no hesitation, that although it was a very last minute invitation, all but 2 people were able to drop everything and come over to share in the fun of breaking in a brand-spanking new grill with me!  We were missing two team members, but we’ll do it again — very soon.

After going to the market and coming home with enough groceries to feed most of San Pedro Sula we prepared for hungry guests to arrive.

Perfect-Chirmol

Emy proclaimed, “I don’t know how to cook!” and was put right to work preparing the Chimol.  She did a great job!  Everyone loved the tangy salsa with a kick.

Rib-Eye

I prepped the steaks.  They were labeled as Rib Eye and I couldn’t see into the packaging because … well, they had clearly been previously frozen and the defrosted liquid kept me from getting a good view of the meat until I opened the package at home.  There was no marbling and the texture of Rib Eye just wasn’t there.  I’m going to guess it was a lesser cut of beef, but see all of that up there?  It’s not all of the steak I picked up.  There was over 5 lbs. of meat and it cost me just $20 and the best part … it was grilled!  Almost everything tastes great on a grill, right?

Surprise

Carlos helped us out in the kitchen with a few straightening up details and he looked a little surprised about it.

Fire

Why does it not surprise me that “The IT Guy,” Jonathan, who we all rely on to keep us connected at work was a wizard at lighting the Fundido thingy (my tech word for traditional clay fondue pot — Anafre) and as the photo shows, he didn’t spare anything to get the fire going.

Lighting-the-Fire

I think it was a personal challenge, but after a little while he struck pyrotechnic success and we had flames with a method of fire-starting I hadn’t seen before.

Dinner-Starter

The fundido was a success.

Prepping-Salad

Gearling stepped right into multitasking by prepping and chopping the celery and onions for the Celery Salad and then moved onto the fundido, frying beans, cooking chorizo and adding the flair needed for a treat that was scarfed up quickly.

Eating-Fundido

So good!  A tortilla chip, chimol and fundido fixin’s! I sure wish I had some of that right now.  I have to say, it beats nachos from a restaurant.

Ana-at-the-Grill

Ana is another team member that doesn’t get into cooking, but she was all about showing us she can cook corn if need be, and with a smile on her face to boot! I made the mistake of leaving the cobs on the grill far too long so it was more like cow corn, but the char on the kernels make me happy and while we had a lot leftover, I have big plans for that corn tonight.  Think corn bread with Jalapeño peppers.

Cooking-at-the-Parrillada

Once again, Emy is at it.  I whipped up a quick barbecue sauce with Molasses, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Sriracha sauce, and a splash of hoisin sauce.  Nothing difficult — it just adds the right amount of sweet and salty to the chicken with a hint of Asian flavor.

Party-Central

As usual, the kitchen is a big meeting place — until the food is ready, that is.  Vanesa looks ready to eat and Mario appears to see something that makes him either scared or anxious.  Not sure which.  Carlos, on the other hand is all about the food.  You can see it in his face.

Lots-of-Corn

I’m pretty sure I was a bit too eager with the corn purchase.  Emy tried to contain me, but my stubborn side won — this time.  Lesson learned.

Grilling-Time

Herman got into grilling duties, once Jerry figured out how to get all of the burners turned on and get the heat back to grilling temperature so we could eat cooked, rather than raw carne.  Thanks Jerry!

Part-of-the-Gang

Not sure was this debate was all about, but food soon cured all.

Tomatoes,Mozzarella,Basil

There was no ensalada caprese left at the end of the night even though you could barely see the tomatoes.  Tomatoes are always refrigerated here which makes me nuts but they keep some of the Romas out on the other tables.  They’ve been refrigerated as well, but even though the bag I picked up was cold, there is some measure of confidence in the tomatoes I put in the cart.  I knew that the oil and vinegar I would be putting on the stacks would help with the texture and lack of taste of a formerly refrigerated tomato.  Hmmm… can you tell I have issues with refrigerating tomatoes?  :)

The-Girls

Ana, Emy and Gearling helped finish the set up and were ready to eat with the rest of us.  I can’t wait to do this again!

Feast-time

Finally.  Food time.  Buen Provecho!  Thanks guys, you made it a fun night and I finally feel like I’m home.

Red-Solo-Cup

And really, can we have a casual BBQ without Red Solo Cups?!  No, these aren’t the actual brand.  The store only had Blue Solo Cups and, well, it just didn’t seem right.

(Warning, this is not the edited version.  What fun would that be?)

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Chicken, Chorizo, Cook, Corn, Food, Fundido, Grill, Honduras, Kitchen, Nachos, Parrillada, Queso, StarTek, Steak
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