In response to your requests, here's a bit about what I've been eating on my trip. Keep in mind, I'm not always good at identifying tastes and spices, and some of the foods are new to me and I've forgotten some names. But I'll start with tonight's dinner at the hotel and then describe a few other of my favorite dishes so far.
Yes, all of this food was for me. No, I didn't finish it. I told you they're trying to fatten me up here!
Starting from the top and going clockwise: A local fish in creamy coconut sauce and onions, potatoes and a celery-like vegetable, cucumbers that tasted like they were boiled and ever so slightly pickled (my favorite dish tonight), pumpkin (tastes great with mango chutney, much better than with sweet potatoes), jackfruit (whatever that is, its texture is like a fish but supposedly it's a fruit), lentils, mango chutney, chile paste (hot hot hot), rice, and spicy chips.
At Sarath's home my first two nights, I was again surprised at how much I liked the coconut. It wasn't that sweet stuff you get on cakes; it was savory, and blended with a mildly spicy curry and served either with rice or with this sticky rice noodle. I've been told I get this for breakfast tomorrow too! Yay. Geeta also made this coconut bread that I liked. It's thicker than but similar to naan, flavored with garlic and savory coconut.
The dish I liked the best in Ghana (which had several variations) was fried plantains with beans in a light tomato sauce. Mixed beans, I don't know what they were exactly. One could probably use most any bean and it would taste good. Sometimes I had rice instead of plantains, or vegetables instead of beans.
And in Tanzania my favorite dish was beef with lightly cooked bananas, simmered in a broth with vegetables. There are a lot of bananas in this part of the world, which is good for me because I was advised to eat fruit that I could peel myself, to lessen the chance I'd get sick.
The babaganoosh (spelling?) in Cairo is the best I've had.
I hope this post is reasonably satisfying. From now on, I'll pay more attention to ingredients and write about my most unusual and tasty meals. Sorry I can't share samples!
Starting from the top and going clockwise: A local fish in creamy coconut sauce and onions, potatoes and a celery-like vegetable, cucumbers that tasted like they were boiled and ever so slightly pickled (my favorite dish tonight), pumpkin (tastes great with mango chutney, much better than with sweet potatoes), jackfruit (whatever that is, its texture is like a fish but supposedly it's a fruit), lentils, mango chutney, chile paste (hot hot hot), rice, and spicy chips.
At Sarath's home my first two nights, I was again surprised at how much I liked the coconut. It wasn't that sweet stuff you get on cakes; it was savory, and blended with a mildly spicy curry and served either with rice or with this sticky rice noodle. I've been told I get this for breakfast tomorrow too! Yay. Geeta also made this coconut bread that I liked. It's thicker than but similar to naan, flavored with garlic and savory coconut.
The dish I liked the best in Ghana (which had several variations) was fried plantains with beans in a light tomato sauce. Mixed beans, I don't know what they were exactly. One could probably use most any bean and it would taste good. Sometimes I had rice instead of plantains, or vegetables instead of beans.
And in Tanzania my favorite dish was beef with lightly cooked bananas, simmered in a broth with vegetables. There are a lot of bananas in this part of the world, which is good for me because I was advised to eat fruit that I could peel myself, to lessen the chance I'd get sick.
The babaganoosh (spelling?) in Cairo is the best I've had.
I hope this post is reasonably satisfying. From now on, I'll pay more attention to ingredients and write about my most unusual and tasty meals. Sorry I can't share samples!
Thanks Gaby. I'm even more taken with Sri Lanka after seen that feast set out in front of you. Jackfruit is one of my favorite things--and it's strange, a fruit that has the texture of meat--it's delicious. Yes, too bad about the samples!
ReplyDeleteThe news just had a story about Sri Lanka being washed away. "streams into rivers, villages washed away" etc. Hope you stay dry, remember your swimming lessons, and your hat holds up.
ReplyDelete