Eric and I are developing traditions around our Wooden Spoon Wanderer project. We are building our cooking repertoire for the rest of our lives, and experiencing new flavours together. Sharing a meal is an intimate experience. When you sit down to eat a meal with another person, you are sharing an activity that gives you…
Tag: cooking
Assignment 6: Argentina
Location: Southern end of South America on the Atlantic Ocean Population: 43.8 million Capital: Buenos Aires Geography: Hugely varied, comprising mountainous regions, tropics, and plains Language: Spanish Signature flavours: Beef, corn, pumpkin, cheese, dulce de leche The Menu Eric wrapped up our South American double-header (I got Chile last week) with Argentinian cuisine, and opted…
Assignment 5: Chile
Location: South America on the Pacific Ocean Population: 18 million Capital: Santiago Geography: A long, narrow country encompassing mountain, desert, plain, and tropics Language: Spanish Signature flavours: Seafood, corn, potato, tomato, avocado The Meal Was it ever hard to plan my menu for Chile! I’m a huge seafood lover, and Chile abounds with fishy dishes….
The Low-Waste Kitchen
This year, I’ve committed myself to reducing waste both inside and outside of my home. I’m by no means at zero waste, but I can confidently say that I’m producing less waste than ever before, and that’s something. It felt daunting when I first started researching the zero-waste movement, and I was coming across articles…
The List
When Eric and I gave ourselves our first assignments — using an online random country/territory generator — I received British Antarctic Territory. At that point, we realized we needed to tweak our system. We didn’t want to use a straight list of official countries. First of all, there is some discrepancy as to what constitutes…
Assignment 4: Hungary
Location: Central Europe Population: 9.8 million Capital: Budapest Geography: A hilly landlocked country lying in the drainage basin of the Danube River Language: Hungarian Signature flavours: Paprika, bell pepper, tomato, potato, beef, pork, cheese The Menu Eric wanted to make goulash, since it showcases many of the signature flavours of Hungary. He has always been…
Assignment 3: Samoa
Location: Oceania, about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii Population: 190,000 Capital: Apia Geography: A collection of two large volcanic islands and eight islets Language: Samoan, English Signature flavours: Coconut, tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, etc.), seafood The Menu I found a website in my first five minutes of researching Samoan food that I considered…
Cooking Towards Recovery
When I was seven years old, I became a vegetarian. For many, this might have been a precocious exploration of ethicality, but for me, it was bound up in the beginnings of an eating disorder. This may sound like an over-complication of the situation — what seven-year-old doesn’t love animals? — but deciding to not…
Assignment 2: Togo
Location: West Africa Population: 8 million Capital: Lome Geography: Small Atlantic coastline to the south, savannah in the north Languages: French, Ewe, Kabiyé Signature flavours: Gbotemi (a spice mix of ajwain, clove, cardamom and others—west Africa’s answer to garam masala), seafood, tomato, peanut sauce The Menu Eric was very excited to purchase a mortar and…
Assignment 1: Bhutan
Location: Asia, on the northern border of India Population: 800,000 Capital: Thimphu Geography: Landlocked, mountainous Language: Dzongkha Signature flavours: Chilli peppers, datshi (Bhutanese cheese), dried meats The Menu I wanted to choose menu items that were characteristic of Bhutan. In my research, I looked for language like, “You can’t talk about Bhutanese cuisine without…
Wooden Spoon Wanderer 