So I have received a few emails of people asking about what is up with the latest drama and our friend Abdolaye. You know Ian and I keep talking about how we almost need a whole separate blog sometimes for our Abdolaye stories. He is a case study in cultural differences and things being lost in translation.
Let me first state that Abdolaye is a good person. I think he means well and its clear he's in a funny place in his life. His father, a very respected scientist, passed away this past year. Abdolaye is the oldest son, 27, and yet to be married and is only partially employed. he never finished school. Lets just say he has a few unresolved issues. Regardless, he always shows up with a smile on his face and at least the intention of doing good.
He's almost like a comic book version of himself at times. He splashes water all over everything, almost ruining some of Ian's field books. He started pouring dirty water down the sink and backed up the drain something fierce. And seriously, every time he comes, there has only been one time(when he had somewhere else to be) that he doesn't spend at least an hour inexplicably sitting quietly and alone on our couch.
Regardless, he's doing his job, responding when we ask something to be done differently (like not splashed all over the place), so there is nothing we can, in good conscience, do. We just have to keep feeding him, riding out the awkward silences, and learn our own strange things we do that seem to make him finally go...seems every time I start cooking he decides its time to leave.
Also, he and Marshall adore each other. Marshall gets so excited when Abdolaye shows up and takes him. Abdolaye loves Marshall so much that the day after Tabaski, he came by in his super fancy clothes with his friend who is a professional photographer to make sure to get a picture of Abdolaye holding Marshall.
Abdolaye has a young friend, Moussa, who lives 2 doors down who is equally as awkward, although his intentions are a bit more clear. Ian let him play his PSP for about 3 hours the first day he was over here. He keeps coming for another shot at it. Moussa supposedly is in high school with the desire to go to college and become an accountant, although I see him out and about in the neighborhood, just about every day.
So thats whats up with Abdolaye. He's on his way now and Ian, again, has something that HAS to be done today. Seems to always be the case the days that Abdolaye comes...
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Food
So a few of you have asked about a couple of things involving food. First, am I working on my cookbook...ah...Marshall is teaching me about the kinds of goals I should really make with a small baby living on Mali time. In otherwords, the answer is no. The other question is what do I do with my days...I've been nesting in my new home and getting to know my neighborhood and city. Everyday I basically live the life of an American housewife. There is cleaning to do, always lots of laundry with cloth diapers. I go to the market pretty much everyday to get fresh food for dinner and the next day, meat, veggies and bread. We go for a long walk once a day to get out and see something new, or perhaps just fun. And this is interspersed with naps from Marshall that allow me to return some emails, update this blog and take care of odds and ends logistically for our lives.
I have also been asked what we eat as the image for some is of a small African village, which this is not, and others, a place with limited food choices. Let me tell you, we are actually eating quite well and not too different from the average American family. Once a week we go to one of the few Western style grocery stores in town and get some luxury items like Nutella, cheese, butter, toilet paper otherwise, we eat very well from the small and large markets that aren't too far from our home. For Chirstmas dinner we had a fantastic beef tenderloin(ummm...a $40 cut of meat in the states for about $4...it was sick), mashed potatoes and green beans with mushrooms. The mushrooms and butter were the only add on items.
Another thing about the cookbook is that there are new things I am discovering here this time around that keep getting added to my list of things I want ot learn how to make...frufru, black eyed pea sandwiches...and seriously, I had something that tasted like some of the best pork rind ever the other day, but I know it wasn't pork...so many treasures, so little time!
Below are some recipies of some things we've made recently/new staples here in Mali. Some of these things, honestly, we would have never cooked in the states
Last nights dinner (serves 2)
Spicy Guinea Fowl and Green Beans
1 small Guinea fowl or chicken
1/3 c dijon mustard
1/2 t hot red pepper flakes
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 small onion
6 cloves garlic
1/2 lb green beans
1 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the green beans in water until tender. Add butter, salt and pepper. Toss, cover and set aside.
Ok, I honestly can't give a temperature that this was cooked on...it was number 7 on our strange oven thing...I'd check the standard per pound roasting times for a chicken(or duck if you are using guinea fowl) online or in a standard cookbook like Joy of Cooking. Preheat to that temperature.
Rinse the poultry. Rub with dijon mustard and set in roasting pan. Sprinkle inside and outside with salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Coarsly chop the onion and 3 cloves of garlic and stuff inside the body cavity. Mince the other 3 cloves of garlic and rub all over. Cook according to instructions above.
Viande Hachee Sandwiches(ground beef sandwiches....this is Malian street food....)-Serves 4
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion
1 green pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 medium tomato
1 T vegetable oil
2 T white vinager
1/4 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise
Crusty French bread
Dice the onion, green pepper and tomato, mince the garlic. Sautee all of that in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to sweat. Add the ground beef, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Brown the beef. Add the vinegar and cook 5 more minutes while stirring. Serve on french bread spread with mayonnaise(or mustard and ketchup).
Hard boiled Egg Salad- Serves 2
1 head romaine or red tipped lettuce
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 carrot
1 large potato
1 T vegetable oil
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 c peanuts
Dressing
1/4 c olive oil
1/3 c white vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Slice the potato into french fry slices. Fry in the oil over medium high heat until golden. Peel and chop the carrot and cucumber. Dice the tomatoes and eggs. Divide lettuce evenly onto plates. Divide other ingredients evenly and top with chilled dressing.
As for the street food. I got all excited, as you may recall, about learning the technique for cooking many things here. Yeah, so this is for the RPCVs laughing at me about now, I quickly forget, its all in the oil...a kind we can't get in the states...thats really all there is too a lot of it...
Happy eating to you all and happy new year!
I have also been asked what we eat as the image for some is of a small African village, which this is not, and others, a place with limited food choices. Let me tell you, we are actually eating quite well and not too different from the average American family. Once a week we go to one of the few Western style grocery stores in town and get some luxury items like Nutella, cheese, butter, toilet paper otherwise, we eat very well from the small and large markets that aren't too far from our home. For Chirstmas dinner we had a fantastic beef tenderloin(ummm...a $40 cut of meat in the states for about $4...it was sick), mashed potatoes and green beans with mushrooms. The mushrooms and butter were the only add on items.
Another thing about the cookbook is that there are new things I am discovering here this time around that keep getting added to my list of things I want ot learn how to make...frufru, black eyed pea sandwiches...and seriously, I had something that tasted like some of the best pork rind ever the other day, but I know it wasn't pork...so many treasures, so little time!
Below are some recipies of some things we've made recently/new staples here in Mali. Some of these things, honestly, we would have never cooked in the states
Last nights dinner (serves 2)
Spicy Guinea Fowl and Green Beans
1 small Guinea fowl or chicken
1/3 c dijon mustard
1/2 t hot red pepper flakes
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 small onion
6 cloves garlic
1/2 lb green beans
1 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the green beans in water until tender. Add butter, salt and pepper. Toss, cover and set aside.
Ok, I honestly can't give a temperature that this was cooked on...it was number 7 on our strange oven thing...I'd check the standard per pound roasting times for a chicken(or duck if you are using guinea fowl) online or in a standard cookbook like Joy of Cooking. Preheat to that temperature.
Rinse the poultry. Rub with dijon mustard and set in roasting pan. Sprinkle inside and outside with salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Coarsly chop the onion and 3 cloves of garlic and stuff inside the body cavity. Mince the other 3 cloves of garlic and rub all over. Cook according to instructions above.
Viande Hachee Sandwiches(ground beef sandwiches....this is Malian street food....)-Serves 4
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion
1 green pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 medium tomato
1 T vegetable oil
2 T white vinager
1/4 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise
Crusty French bread
Dice the onion, green pepper and tomato, mince the garlic. Sautee all of that in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to sweat. Add the ground beef, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Brown the beef. Add the vinegar and cook 5 more minutes while stirring. Serve on french bread spread with mayonnaise(or mustard and ketchup).
Hard boiled Egg Salad- Serves 2
1 head romaine or red tipped lettuce
1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 carrot
1 large potato
1 T vegetable oil
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 c peanuts
Dressing
1/4 c olive oil
1/3 c white vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Slice the potato into french fry slices. Fry in the oil over medium high heat until golden. Peel and chop the carrot and cucumber. Dice the tomatoes and eggs. Divide lettuce evenly onto plates. Divide other ingredients evenly and top with chilled dressing.
As for the street food. I got all excited, as you may recall, about learning the technique for cooking many things here. Yeah, so this is for the RPCVs laughing at me about now, I quickly forget, its all in the oil...a kind we can't get in the states...thats really all there is too a lot of it...
Happy eating to you all and happy new year!
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