Our plan this week was to visit the schools in the morning to sing and pray for the kids. Unfortunately, this week is vacation for all Nicaragua schools so that plan changed. Instead of going to the schools, I talked with the housekeeper at the house we are staying. It was a great conversation about recipes, God, her children, and her life. She taught me about "ticos" (people who live in costs rica) and I picked up on country rivalries between the neighbors. I got the recipes to make pollo en salsa. (Chicken with sauce), guiso de pipian (a creamed squash dish), carne soya (soy meat patties), arroz Nicaraguense (Nicaraguan rice), and frijoles (beans). When she realized it was already 11:00, we had to get to work in the kitchen. The menu was soy patties, fried plantains (basically french fries), rice, beans, melocoton juice, and vinegar salad. I started with cutting vegetables for the soy patties and the rice. It was a struggle to cut with the dull knife, but I got the job done. Forming the soy patties was an even greater challenge because I couldn't get the patties to stick together before putting them in the oil. They laughed, and thankfully had patience with me. An hour later we were still forming the patties. Apparently 4.5 kilograms of soy makes a lot of patties. It all came together eventually (pardon the pun 😉
What I learned about Nicaraguan cooking today was that they utilize chicken broth packets, a garlic type sauce (they call it salsa inglesa), oil, and pancake mix for about every recipe. I am going to attempt to recreate these recipes at home as soon as I figure out all the words in English, haha. If anyone wants to help, I am sure I can bring you home some extra packets of chicken broth.
Word on the Nicaraguan street says that Paula Dean is having some troubles. Maybe I will just have to have here move here and learn how to cook Nicaraguan food.
Here is your Spanish lesson of the day:
Chiltoma= green pepper
Panquey= pancake mix
Consume= chicken broth packets
Cebolla= onion
Ajo- garlic
Aceite= oil
Melocoton= star fruit
