Cooking in Guyana....Salara!!!

If you like cinnamon rolls, you are REALLY going to enjoy this recipe.  In Guyana, they make something called Salara or Rolly Polly, Red Roll, and I'm sure many other names.  It is basically a sweet treat like a cinnamon roll made with sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon, but also with shredded coconut and red food dye.  I went over to my neighbor's house one night and we sat up, gaffed (chatted), grated coconut, and made some Salara.  I was impressed by how my neighbor kneaded the dough with such ease and she said she doesn't even like baking.  Of course in Guyana, there are very few who actually use written recipes.  As much as I tried to follow along, I could never tell you how many actual cups of flour we actually ended up using.  Luckily, some people do write these things down!

Salara—The Coconut Roll 

(Kind of like a cinnamon roll but with

coconut sugary goodness!)

1 tbsp. dry yeast The Filling:

1/4 cup warm water 1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup shortening 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

3 cups flour 5 drops red food coloring

1 egg beaten

1 tbsp. butter

1 egg white

 

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix and let stand.

2. Warm milk, combine shortening and sugar; add flour and egg. Knead to make a moderately stiff dough. Shape into a ball.

3. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover; let rise to double in size for about 1 hour. Punch it down, divided in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle, brush with melted butter.

4. Combine all filling ingredients and let stand for 1 hour.

5. Sprinkle half the filling mixture on each rectangle of dough. Roll up lengthwise, seal edge.

6. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.

7. Brush rolls with beaten egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

From Guyana-land to Paradise and Back

“The traveler’s past changes according to the route he has followed: not the immediate

past, that is, to which each day that goes by adds a day, but the more remote

past. Arriving at each new city, the traveler finds again a past of his that he

did not know he had: the foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer

possess lies in wait for you in foreign, unpossessed places.” –Italo Calvino

Soon after arriving in Guyana, I marked BARBADOS in big, bold letters on my calendar for December.  I barely knew much about Guyana, let alone Barbados, but that was where I was determined to go in December, even if I had to swim over myself and pitch a tent somewhere.  I only really knew there were white sand beaches and clear water, which was enough to spark some interest.  The flight promised to be reasonable and what other time in my life would I be so close to this country?  As time went on, rumors of other volunteers’ visits lapped in my ears.  Delicious foods like sushi, time to relax, no trash, places to go out further fueled my desire to go.  Still, quite characteristic of myself I barely made our flight out.  I am highly motivated by food it seems and I just had to stop at Bruester’s before Matt, another volunteer, and I headed out.  Nevertheless, we made it and an hour plane ride later, we stepped foot in Barbados.  I also got to meet up with my two good friends from home, which was amazing and comforting to see them.  Just being able to hang out with them like old times made the trip even more worthwhile. 

            Barbados was like having one foot in the Caribbean and one foot in America at the same time.  It was glorious.  We went into the supermarket and I think I did back flips and cartwheels in sheer joy.  Luckily, Matt was there to share my excitement because my two friends from home were sort of like “Really?  It’s just a supermarket!” I think I blacked out at some point of that shopping trip and woke up somewhere in the cheese aisle drooling with like 5 different types of cheese already in my basket. 

 I did sort of resist things at first.  Maybe it was a little reverse culture shock.  I went running and was annoyed by how touristy things were. Where were all the mango trees, the market to buy greens?  Is that a Soursop tree?  Where did all these other white people come from?  Is there any Bajan food?  Then I started to notice, no one was yelling or sipping at me while I was running.  The streets were very clean, no trash.  There were public buses that were big, and ran relatively on time.  I could walk around and not have to worry about people bothering me or being chased by angry dogs.  Suddenly all of the stressors I just factored into my everyday life were lifted and I was conveniently left with white sand beaches and the clearest blue water I had ever seen in my life.  I did however, not forget about Guyanese culture.  I asked for pepper sauce when I ordered my food, I had a few phrases and a slight accent I couldn’t shake, and I was making comparisons between the Guyanese and Bajans. 

“You like pepper?? Where are you from?”  “Your accent is interesting, where did you learn that phrase?”  “You live in Guyana?  Are you married to a Guyanese?” 

I probably was irritating with my inclination to compare Guyana with Barbados, but it was interesting to me.  Those comments made me feel a little less touristy because I felt like I actually knew something about Caribbean culture.  It was probably also driven by the heavily ingrained Peace Corps doctrine to integrate, integrate, integrate.  I noticed I did possess a confidence to navigate a new place.  I road on the public buses, not entirely sure where they went; I got pretty lost one day and just asked people until I found my way.  I wasn’t worried or scared, I had been navigating a new place for 10 months now and it was sort of old hat.  It was also funny to see some things that my friends were worried about, such as no A/C, bugs, lighting a gas stove, I just sort of shrugged.  I’m sure it was funny for them to see me freak out about having some of my clothes washed by a washing machine, being able to do my hair, and did I mention eating lots of good food?  I even smoothed talked our way to get into this sushi place when the guy originally said they were packed.  “But we are Peace Corps volunteers living in Guyana” I pleaded, “this is our one real shot at sushi for a long time, we can sit at separate tables, it’s not a big deal.”  As long as we got to eat sushi and we did.  

I was relaxed, comfortable really and I didn’t even realize that I had needed a vacation.  Luckily, those bold letters were marked on my calendar and I followed through.  I saw beautiful beaches, hung out with my friends, and maybe stayed up a little too late.  Did I mention it was glorious?  As the last day of the trip rolled around, I started to get this feeling of anxiousness that gurgled up from the bottom of my stomach.  I had found something I didn’t know I missed or had just buried it far enough down so I didn’t think I missed it.  If you look at my last blog post, I talked about being so invested in Guyana.  I do care, so why did the very thought of going back made me so horribly uneasy?  I still don’t think I can quite explain it, but the aforementioned quote might help a little. 

“The traveler finds again a past of his that he did not know he had: the foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer possess”

In the new land of Barbados, I dug up things I no longer possess in Guyana.  I am pretty certain we bury those things because it just makes life easier.  It doesn’t mean that you don’t want them back; they are just treasures waiting for another day.  Unfortunately, when you aren’t yet half way through your service, digging them up and burying them back again can be a bit painful.  It reminds me that doing Peace Corps and living in Guyana takes a lot of motivation.  I have lived here for long enough that I didn’t notice the absence of those things as much; I just took it in stride.  We always talk about not having the “real” Peace Corps experience living in Guyana, but it is safe to say that we do face our share of challenges. 

I would love to go home for the holidays but judging by my reluctance to leave Barbados, I am not sure how I would have handled leaving home again.  Fortunately, the other volunteers leaving Barbados felt the same way and we were able to commiserate.  We all made the choice to be here and we all know we want to be; sometimes it just takes some extra convincing, especially when you are leaving a place close to paradise.  Now Barbados is starting to seem like some sort of dream as my mind becomes clearer of my present circumstances.  It all did happen I am certain (and have photo evidence), but the further it escapes the view of the rearview mirror, the more reminding you have to do.  At some point you just get tired of it and set your eyes on enjoying the present. If all else fails, just turn up the music and dance.

                                

I now get to enjoy a 3 week break because my students have a Christmas concert and dinner this week and then 2 weeks off after that.  I will be attending several Christmas concerts, dinners, and holiday lightings.   We also are getting together as volunteers to celebrate Christmas and possibly New Years.  I am sure I will find more things to keep myself busy and get ready for the start of a new year.   My little neighbors are also mad at me for being away so much so I bet a lot of my time will be spent with them.  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and an excellent New Years!!!  I will be thinking about you all as I celebrate in Guyanese fashion.  :-D

Lots of Love,

KB

P.S.  I was reminded that Guyana still has snorkeling and a wonderful beach! :-)

Cooking in Guyana....Pine Tarts!!

In Guyana we have the best pineapple!  Here everyone calls it "pine."  I never knew that pineapples actually on sort of a bushy plant in the ground.  I believe they also take about 9 months or so to grow.  Each plant has one big pine that comes out on top.  Since fresh pine is so easy to come by, a nice sweet treat is something called a pine tart.  It is kind of like a cherry turnover or a mini pine filled with pineapple. As volunteers we joke about finding who makes the best pine tart (and other baked goods) in our communities.  I haven't tried to make them yet myself, but here is the recipe:

550 × 381 - jehancancook.com

Guyanese Short Crust Pastry Dough (Makes 1lb pastry dough)
Ingredients:
4 cups flours
1 cup vegetable shortening (1 stick)
1/4 cup butter
about 8 Tbsp ice cold water
Directions:
Rub/cut/mix shortening and butter into flour until mixture forms a bread crumb like texture. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, and pinch mixture together to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Separate mixture into two and chill in the refrigerator for as least 1 hour. When chilled, use dough to make any Guyanese pastry combination.
Pine (Pineapple) Tarts (makes about 1 dozen)
Ingredients:
Filling:
3 cups crushed pineapples
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 egg yolk (beaten)
(You will need a large circular object to use as a mould and a rolling pin)

Crust:
1 lb short crust pastry dough (see above for recipe)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Filling: combine all the ingredients into a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until pineapple juice cooks down and mixture forms a jam-like paste. Set aside and let cool.
Crust:(See above).
Shaping pine tarts: Separate pastry dough into 10 or 12 pieces. Roll each piece on a floured surface until dough is the thickness of a coin. Using a circular mould cut rolled dough into circles. Fill circle with a heaped tablespoon of pineapple filling and shape into a triangle. Seal ends with a fork. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper,  then coat with egg yolk and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 mins.
Tips and Rambling:
1. Now that you know how to make pastry dough you can make pine tarts, patties, cheese rolls, cheese pies and many other Guyanese short crust pastries.
2. You can make the pine tart filling as sweet as you like, or not so sweet if you prefer, but adding more or reducing the amount of sugar.
3. Some people also add ground cloves to their pine tart filling.
4. In the video I add the butter after I’ve mixed in the shortening to ensure that it is well blended. You can add the butter at the same time as the shortening if you prefer.

Recipe adapted from: http://metemgee.com/tag/how-to-make-guyanese-pinetarts/

Invested

Diya lighting the path

We have finally hit double digits.  We are in the big leagues now.  Not exactly newcomers and not exactly old timers.  I had a dream last night about leaving Guyana and I awoke with a deep sense of sadness.  Maybe it was because I was feeling particularly Guyanese yesterday.  I was amongst the regulars at the Saturday market, waving to several people who actually called me by name instead of the usual “white gyal.”  I bought a coconut shredder and used it to make coconut milk for shrimp curry.  Of course when you have shredded coconut, you also have to make Guyanese sugar cake.  Maybe it was because I spent most of the day with my little neighbors who half the time drive me absolutely crazy and the other half make me absolutely adore them.   We pretty much wreaked havoc on my entire house making pancakes and having a dance competition where they dressed up in some of my clothes.  I’m glad that my every day clothes are great for dress up!  That dream made me realize how invested I am here.  I was before, but in a different sort of way.  I was invested in the idea of Peace Corps.  I re-arranged my life and was ready for 2 years of whatever it had to offer.  That was my original investment.  I can tell you, while preparing your life for this type of change is a big deal; it doesn’t have the strong binding sense that you would think.  I remember how overwhelmed I felt when I first moved to my site.  There were spiders and cockroaches and a whole neighborhood full of people to meet.  I knew nothing.  Every cell in my body was screaming at me to get out now and run as fast as I could away from this place.  Deep down I knew I wasn’t going anywhere.  I had already made my original investment hadn’t I?  But I still had those thoughts. 

Condom race at Mini GLOW

                I started writing this post at 5AM (Guyana has REALLY changed my sleeping habits) and at precisely 5:30AM, when I figured I could go back to sleep, my little neighbor knocked on my window asking if I was ready to go run.  I rolled out of bed and got ready to go.  A song by Mumford and Sons states, “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.”   My stomach always knew Guyana and I would be fast friends, but my heart was a little more apprehensive.  I did have a few early set-backs that put my guard up and often in Peace Corps you find your love tends to be unrequited.  The rule of thumb is to proceed with cautious optimism.  Nonetheless, Guyana has slowly crept its way into my heart.  I could tell from how devastated I felt when I knew my students had a tough time on my section of the national exam they recently took.  I could tell when one of the women in a group I work with asked me to write down some information for her because she wanted to be able to present on a health topic.  Certainly, rolling out of bed at 5:30AM on a Sunday morning is more than enough proof for me to see that my heart, my life, are indeed invested.   My investment is no longer a matter of what things I changed at home to come here, it is now that things here matter to me.

                I am seriously surprised that 10 months have already flown by.  There is a quote by C.S. Lewis that sums the whole thing up very nicely: “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.”  To think back where I was this time last year is almost surreal.  It also scares me how fast time has been flying.  Two years seems like a long time, but in terms of making any sort of difference, it’s hardly enough.   Something I’ve also noticed is a change in my planning.  I used to think and even posted about all of the different scenarios for my life after Peace Corps.  I would sit in my hammock and day dream about them.  Now I am planning month to month.  The thought of life after Peace Corps ironically seems further off than before and a bit more daunting than I originally romanticized.  Instead, those plans are now neatly, nestled in the back of my mind.  

Diya Lighting

We had a lot of success with our mini camp GLOWS and also got to celebrate Diwali a Hindu festival of lights.  It was really amazing to see all of the houses lit up with small candles called Diya.   Also, many mandirs have competitions where they decorate floats with lights and scenes with a god called Latchmi.  Each village will pick their best Latchmi to represent them.  (For more information about Diwali click here!)

          



I also thought that I would have January to reflect and re-organize myself a bit in terms of projects and plans.  It seems, however, that things keep popping up, so we shall see if that actually happens.  For now, I am ready to leave for my first vacation of the year to Barbados.  To say that I am excited is a drastic understatement, but it will do.  I am also looking forward to celebrating Christmas in Guyana.  Apparently, it is kind of a big deal. People are really starting to decorate-I’ve been told I should have Christmas curtains- and the blasting Soca music, which normally tells people to wine up and down has changed to the more wholesome melodies of Santa Cluase is Comin’ to Town. 

Beautiful Latchmi

                I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day.  Admittedly, it was a little sad here but we all got together as volunteers and had quite a delicious feast (turkey included).  We plan on doing the same for Christmas.

Lit up Diwali float

Sending much love from Guyana!

-KB