The Beginning

Food, cooking, writing and travel  have always been high on my list of favourite pastimes and recently teaching English as a second language (as a volunteer) has joined them. Perfection would be to manage to incorporate them all into one journey and experience.

This is a new year and time for a new start. I am not interested in killing myself working and making my aim in life trying to make oodles of money, it is time to follow dreams and give something back. My aim is to travel, do voluntary work and learn about the food of the countries I visit and the way it is located and cooked by ordinary people and share these experiences with anybody who is interested. I dont want to review restaurants and famous chefs. I want to spend time with and learn from the home cooks who would be willing to share their time and kitchens with me.

I learnt a lesson this week. I wanted to cook for some friends and had a desire to follow up the paella (first time made and VERY good even if I say so myself) with something that had a Spanish flavour. I chose Cuban flan which is similar to a creme caramel but perhaps a bit sweeter and heavier, but delicious! I had the opportunity of sampling the real thing in Cuba earlier this year. (On as many occasions as I could). This dessert was well received by my visitors and I was very proud of myself (recipe found on a Cuban recipe site).

The following day I spoke to my Cuban friend and very proudly related my success, even going as far as saying he would be impressed. I was deflated because he wasn't! "How did you make it?" "No that is wrong, no cinnamon, no fresh milk, no lemon, no added sugar." A very easy recipe was then offerred to me and on reflection it all made sense. In Cuba there isn't often fresh milk to be had and the spices used are not common to the food there. Tinned milk is plentiful and condensed milk in particular is common.
This week has been far too hot to be using the oven but once the temperatures here drop and I am comfortable in the kitchen I will try the simpler version and report back the outcome. If all is well I shall share the recipe.

This lesson reminded me of how often food that is offerred to us is not the real thing from a region and so my aim is to experience, experiment and share recipes from the kitchen of the local people.

I will start with the Cuban flan and when I get to Cambodia in March I shall start my search in earnest!

I have no idea if anyone is going to be interested in my stories but from previous experiences from my travels and sharing my diary with my friends, there may be a little core group who will follow my journey.