All right, I'm on a roll - one post a week for two straight weeks! And let's see if I can get #2 up for tomorrow later this evening.
This week's blog prompt theme is food, and I'm using Prompt #2: Cook something! The theme is “Seasonal Foods,” wherever you find yourself in the world.
Some people find it limiting or boring to live in a climate with no discrete seasons. I am not one of them. Or, at least, not here, when every day of the year is wonderful. I do miss elements of spring and fall in New England, but those are mostly related to things to do with friends and family. Plus, you either have to survive a New England winter or be prepared for an upcoming one to really enjoy those seasons. So, all in all, I adore my 80-ish degrees and sunny year round Kampala climate.
In that vein, I don't really cook based on the season, or even what season it is in New England. Instead, I cook when I find ingredients for something that strikes my fancy which - as any expat knows - is the driving force behind many a meal overseas. Luckily most ingredients I hanker for can be found relatively easily here, with some exceptions. Many fruits and veggies are year round, though the rains do drive when broccoli and cauliflower are big and beautiful or small and slightly scary. Meat is usually easy to find, though my favorite organic chicken farm has been short of chicken breasts lately while their new crop matures. They promise me chicken breasts next week, so I am planning on chicken parmesan at a minimum. A lot of U.S.-based foodstuffs can generally be found in my pantry or ordered online, and I can generally count on staples like milk, sour cream, and some cheeses on the local economy. Not 100%, but better than a lot of posts.
As a result, my cooking is eclectic. As I mentioned last week I tend to cook on Sundays for the whole week, and inspiration often comes to me only on a Friday or Saturday as I browse the market offerings. This week was no different. I had a craving for guacamole, generally easy to satisfy here where avocados are abundant and delicious, and then I decided on a soup for the week. Wild & brown rice mushroom soup is simmering on the stove now, a new recipe I got off of the rice package. It's something of a comfort food, one I associate with fall in New England, but it'll work well this week as a quick dinner. Throw together a nice side salad with toasted pine nuts - perfection! The guacamole has been a nice snack this weekend, and there's enough for the next few days as well, as long as the avocados hold out.
I'm terrible at food photos, so this blog will have to suffice. Bon appetit!
This week's blog prompt theme is food, and I'm using Prompt #2: Cook something! The theme is “Seasonal Foods,” wherever you find yourself in the world.
Some people find it limiting or boring to live in a climate with no discrete seasons. I am not one of them. Or, at least, not here, when every day of the year is wonderful. I do miss elements of spring and fall in New England, but those are mostly related to things to do with friends and family. Plus, you either have to survive a New England winter or be prepared for an upcoming one to really enjoy those seasons. So, all in all, I adore my 80-ish degrees and sunny year round Kampala climate.
In that vein, I don't really cook based on the season, or even what season it is in New England. Instead, I cook when I find ingredients for something that strikes my fancy which - as any expat knows - is the driving force behind many a meal overseas. Luckily most ingredients I hanker for can be found relatively easily here, with some exceptions. Many fruits and veggies are year round, though the rains do drive when broccoli and cauliflower are big and beautiful or small and slightly scary. Meat is usually easy to find, though my favorite organic chicken farm has been short of chicken breasts lately while their new crop matures. They promise me chicken breasts next week, so I am planning on chicken parmesan at a minimum. A lot of U.S.-based foodstuffs can generally be found in my pantry or ordered online, and I can generally count on staples like milk, sour cream, and some cheeses on the local economy. Not 100%, but better than a lot of posts.
As a result, my cooking is eclectic. As I mentioned last week I tend to cook on Sundays for the whole week, and inspiration often comes to me only on a Friday or Saturday as I browse the market offerings. This week was no different. I had a craving for guacamole, generally easy to satisfy here where avocados are abundant and delicious, and then I decided on a soup for the week. Wild & brown rice mushroom soup is simmering on the stove now, a new recipe I got off of the rice package. It's something of a comfort food, one I associate with fall in New England, but it'll work well this week as a quick dinner. Throw together a nice side salad with toasted pine nuts - perfection! The guacamole has been a nice snack this weekend, and there's enough for the next few days as well, as long as the avocados hold out.
I'm terrible at food photos, so this blog will have to suffice. Bon appetit!
2 comments:
I loved cooking in subsaharan Africa. There wasn't always a huge variety, but the QUALITY of the foods, particularly in terms of flavor, was always mind-blowing. It sounds like you're doing an amazing job of finding variety where you are!
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