Sweet Saturday
Hmmm… A bold cup of coffee, a hot fresh baguette some brie, one of the best way to start a Saturday… It could storm all it wants outside, I’m feeling warm and cozy inside š
27 Saturday Aug 2011
Posted Food
inSweet Saturday
Hmmm… A bold cup of coffee, a hot fresh baguette some brie, one of the best way to start a Saturday… It could storm all it wants outside, I’m feeling warm and cozy inside š
26 Friday Aug 2011
Posted Food
inSorry for the long lapseĀ since my last post; I’ve been travelling around the country on a quest for some good food. Plus I have to admit that the internet connection is not very reliable in Haiti.
A couple week-ends ago, I heard through the grape-vine that a trip was being organized by a group of people to go explore one of the most beautiful beaches on the Southwest coast of Haiti: Port-Salut
I decided to join them. When I got to the meeting location the day of the trip, imagine my surprise when I found out that my friend, the bus driver and I were the only Haitians in a group of 13 people! lol I could already tell that it was going to be a fun trip. In the group, we had; two British nationals, one Nigerian, one Iraqi, two Greeks, two Americans (one was a Phillies fan woo hoo!), one Guyanese and a Canadian.
The sand on the beach at Port-SalutĀ is really fine and white, the color of the water varies between different shades of turquoise, the beach itself goes on for miles… A very beautiful place to escape for a weekend, a month or a life time lol
Now back to the important stuff; food. With a crowd like this our lunch was meant to be culturally rich!
The trip coordinators brought some basics for us to cook on the beach; a grill,Ā a pot a few mixing bowls, chicken, conch, plantain, veggies and a couple dishes that were prepared ahead.
As appetizer we had grilled conch. Grilled conch “lambi boukannen” is a very common “snack” on beaches accross the country. The fishermen usually grill it in the shell, than take it out, cut it in small pieces and soak it in a tangy marinade made of lime juice, scotch bonnet pepper and salt. This conch was prepared slightly differently, it was already taken out of the shell when put on the grill, and it was soaked in a marinated with a silky consistency. Although, the person so who prepared it refused to share the recipe, I could taste some habanero peppers, cooked onions and garlic, lime and perhaps some sweet peppers and he must have used some oil to emulsify everything.
The main course was quite elaborate forĀ a beach bbq!
We had, grilled chicken, fried plantain, rice and beans, shepherds pie and cole slaw. The chicken was grilled with the same marinade used for the conch. The shepherds pie was a little different, instead ofĀ ground beef, shredded chicken was used. The cole slow was made theĀ Haitian way. This great meal was accompanied with Haiti #1 Lager, Prestige and coconut water!!
The food was excellent!!
This trip was very fulfilling. ItĀ is a great testimony of how food and spirits can bring a group of complete strangers together. And with a little help from a great scenery- turn what could have been “just another trip to the beach” into a Sweet EscapeĀ
P.S. I would strongly encourage that you google some images of Port-Salut, it is truly a beautiful place.
11 Thursday Aug 2011
Posted Food
inSpirit, a word that until I move to Philadelphia meant nothing more to me than an abstract form associated with soul or a supernatural being, now has a whole new depth.
Now that I’ve shared my little enlightening experience with you, let’s go back to food and spirits. Food is a very important part of culture and it’s the most common form of expression that people engage in on a daily basis.
In my opinion, nothing brings people together like food and drinks. Whether it be for a celebration, mourning or just a business meeting, it’s a guarantee that there would be some kinda food involved..
I’m currently spending a few weeks in Haiti, and there is a number of foreigners living here at the moment. Most of them are here as part of a relief/recovery program to help stabilize the country after it was devastated by a major earthquake in January 2010.
This week my plan is to use this very cosmopolitan human database to find out how cultures around the world use food and spirits as a form of daily expression.
Until next time…
Please do share your own experience!