Location: A tiny, autonomous region of south east China Population: 650,000 Capital: n/a Geography: A developed, bustling area, the “Las Vegas of Asia” on the Pearl River Language: Chinese, Portuguese Signature flavours: Pork, beef, rice, garlic, bay leaf, soy sauce, almonds The Menu “I’ve been making too many stews lately,” Eric told me, when I…
Tag: culinary
Assignment 11: Dominica
Location: The Caribbean Population: 74,000 Capital: Roseau Geography: A small island nation comprising mountains, rainforest, and natural hot springs. Language: English Signature flavours: Coconut, tropical fruits, seafood The Menu From the get go, finding recipes from the country of Dominica was a challenge. Search “Dominican cuisine” or even “Dominica cuisine” or even “Dominica country cuisine”…
Culinary Failures
I get really down when one of my kitchen creations is a fail. I get mopey, grouchy, and I don’t want to talk about it. But since the whole idea of the Wooden Spoon Wanderer Project is to push my husband Eric and me beyond our culinary comfort zones, failures are inevitable. When I was…
Assignment 10: Haiti
Location: The Caribbean Population: 10.8 million Capital: Port-au-Prince Geography: A tropical, mountainous country located on the west side of the island of Hispaniola. Language: French and Haitian Creole Signature flavours: Hot pepper, thyme, shallot, pumpkin, plantain, rice, beans. The Menu Eric went ambitious, with a four-item menu that included an array of Haitian flavours. He…
Assignment 9: Guatemala
Location: Central America on the southern border of Mexico Population: 16.5 million Capital: Guatemala City Geography: Mountainous, with small areas of desert, and having coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans Language: Spanish Signature flavours: Tomato, corn, chilli pepper, cocoa The Menu Guatemalan cuisine is highly influenced by the country’s neighbour to the north,…
The Hungry Traveller
Eric and I are big travellers. We don’t own a house or a car or nice furniture or the newest in technological gadgets, but we travel at least two or three times a year. This year, we’ve been to Italy, Bermuda, the US, Norway, and Iceland, and a big part of our travels is tasting…
Assignment 8: Serbia
Location: South eastern Europe in the Balkans Population: 7 million Capital: Belgrade Geography: A landlocked country with mountains in the south and east Language: Serbian Signature flavours: Bread, cheese, cured meats, bell peppers, relishes, flaky pastry The Menu Serbia, Eric learned, has a culinary tradition that intersects European and Mediterranean tastes. Eric loves bread (he…
Assignment 7: Burkina Faso
Location: West Africa Population: 18.5 million Capital: Ouagadougou Geography: A landlocked nation of alternating plains and small mountains. Language: French and Mòoré Signature flavours: Beans, tomato, peanut The Menu Over this culinary journey, I am learning that there is something people are saying the world over: If in doubt, make a stew. Whether it’s goulash…
A Wooden Spoon Evening
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…
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…
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