During my time here i have learned a lot about food. Firstly i have learned that i have become mainly a vegetarian. I have nothing against the consumption of meat, but when i have to kill my own chickens and rabbits that i have been watching grow, and taking care of, it kind of turns my stomach. I think being raised in the states away from the actual production of food, and watching so many Disney movies, it makes a person a little sensitive towards animals. Not that there is anything wrong with the use of animals, animals were put on earth to provide us with food and assist us with our daily tasks. But being disneyfied and imagining all of my stuffed animals to have feelings, it is hard to make that leap to treating them like things.
Secondly, i have learned how to cook. I mean really cook. from scratch. Sometimes when i get really sick of mashed food, i want to cook something a bit more American or Mexican. But often times you can't find many ingredients in the stores so i have to cook my ground beef, tortillas, and salsa from scratch. It has been sometimes fun, and sometimes a disaster. I haven't learned to just make American food, i have slowly been learning Kenyan, or meru food as well. i am quite an accomplished chapati maker. everything else i am not so interested in learning so therefore i am not so great at it. Githari, corn and beans, muckimo, mashed bananas, potatoes, greens, and corn, and ugali, boiled corn flour. These three foods are the staple of a Meru diet. And they don't have very much flavor.
Kenya has an interesting mix of Indian spices and foods mixed in with the more traditional foods like i mentioned above. When Kenya was still a British colony they brought over many Indians to build the railroads. Chapatis for instance are Indian. But the Kenyans have taken chapatis and made them their own. Somehow they make them a bit differently, but when i ask the difference they say they say that Indian chapatis just taste bad. Other spices like Marsala's and chilies have also become a staple in the Kenyan kitchen.
For those of you interested in trying some Kenyan/Indian food for yourself, i have found a really great website with a mix of both. I have gotten quite a few good recipes off of it, and i hope you enjoy it as well! pikachakula.com
love to you all!
xoxo
Suz
Secondly, i have learned how to cook. I mean really cook. from scratch. Sometimes when i get really sick of mashed food, i want to cook something a bit more American or Mexican. But often times you can't find many ingredients in the stores so i have to cook my ground beef, tortillas, and salsa from scratch. It has been sometimes fun, and sometimes a disaster. I haven't learned to just make American food, i have slowly been learning Kenyan, or meru food as well. i am quite an accomplished chapati maker. everything else i am not so interested in learning so therefore i am not so great at it. Githari, corn and beans, muckimo, mashed bananas, potatoes, greens, and corn, and ugali, boiled corn flour. These three foods are the staple of a Meru diet. And they don't have very much flavor.
Kenya has an interesting mix of Indian spices and foods mixed in with the more traditional foods like i mentioned above. When Kenya was still a British colony they brought over many Indians to build the railroads. Chapatis for instance are Indian. But the Kenyans have taken chapatis and made them their own. Somehow they make them a bit differently, but when i ask the difference they say they say that Indian chapatis just taste bad. Other spices like Marsala's and chilies have also become a staple in the Kenyan kitchen.
For those of you interested in trying some Kenyan/Indian food for yourself, i have found a really great website with a mix of both. I have gotten quite a few good recipes off of it, and i hope you enjoy it as well! pikachakula.com
love to you all!
xoxo
Suz
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