Arepas all the time…

During my time in Colombia, I have had a steady intake of various kinds of arepas. I have had them for breakfast in the morning filled with queso and a fried egg, seen miniature sized ones replacing fries, as well as being my go-to favorite food for lunch or dinner. So what is an arepa? Basically, it is a flat, round, unleavened patty consisting of soaked, ground kernels of maize, maizemeal or maize flour mixed with water and salt. It is then grilled, baked, fried, boiled or steamed. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, and its stuffing depend on the region. Possibilities include: meat, eggs, tomatoes, salad, cheese, shrimp, or fish depending on the meal. 

One of my favorites has been at a restaurant down the street from where I am staying. It was stuffed with chicken, vegetables and cheese. What makes eating these even more enjoyable is the selection of sauces for squeezing onto each bite. Pina (pineapple sauce), tartara and salsa rosada seem to be the most popular. Each time I go to have one, I feel confident that I am hungry enough to have two, after all, they don’t look that big, right? Forget it, by the final few bites, I am always struggling to finish. But so far, I always squeeze on that last bit of tartara and pop the crispy end into my mouth. Arepas from Colombia might be the food that I miss the most at the end of this trip. I have had them back home, and while I certainly enjoy them, and I encourage you to try one when you have the opportunity, nothing compares to the real thing.

I have to add something about the atmosphere of this place which put a smile on my face. There was a bottle of water on the floor by the door, and also a line of plastic baggies nailed to a rear wall also filled with water. My initial thought was that they were to serve as a reminder of the power of the natural world, when I inquired, I also found out that they are used to purify the space. I absolutely adore this concept. 

A Christmas in Colombia

This was the first Christmas that I have ever spent away from my home and family. It was a year of trials and tribulations, and I was in serious need of sleep, sun, and a chance to recharge. So where did I go? Brushing off a flurry of well intended warnings, I flew to Colombia to spend the holidays. Despite being in a tropical climate and not seeing the white stuff, I was still in the holiday spirit as the streets, restaurants and public spaces are all ornately decorated and twinkling lights dance down the sides of walls, and hang from the trees. 

So the obvious question….what did I eat on Christmas? After a long night of dancing till sunrise, the logical decision for the day was to head to the beach for some seafood soup to recover, which is what we did. The restaurant I was taken to, is beautiful. Open air, thatched roof, and huge tables and chairs out of repurposed tree stumps. 

Since my Spanish is beyond elementary, I have been treated to a surprise at every mealtime as my food is ordered for me. This has worked out quite well as I have been exposed to items that I might have otherwise stayed away from. Such as the seafood soup that was placed in front of me with the head of a crustacean staring back at me. Just call me Anthony Bourdain (who also recently visited Colombian btw). 

Hot sauce was drizzled liberally, lime wheels squeezed, and with a plate of warm coconut rice handed to me, I grabbed a fried plantain and used it to scoop out a healthy first bite. While I call myself “a recovering vegetarian”, and still am getting used to funky textures and tastes that are new to my palate, I enjoyed the soup very much. The consistency was more of a stew, and reminded me of a super sized ceviche. I polished off 90% of the soup easily, but when faced with the task of consuming the little guy on top, I had to admit I wasn’t ready for the challenge and passed him on to my obliging dining companion. 

The remains….

During the course of the meal, a woman selling homemade candy passed through the restaurant. She carried them in a large and heavy bowl which she balanced skillfully atop her head. We got two different varieties. One was a sticky ball of molasses and a grain that I couldn’t identify, my best guess is amaranth or sorghum. The other was a slice of toasted coconut skin, filled with a sticky grated coconut mixture. 

All in all, my Christmas breakfast was all that this foodie could have asked for this year. 

Why not be different and make it a "green" holiday season???

Try as I might this year, I just cannot seem to get into the "holiday spirit" of being a consumer and trolling the malls, waiting in lines, and stressing out over finding that perfect gift for people. Maybe it's the fact that the holidays seem pushed upon us sooner and sooner each year, making me subsequently rebel so that my disinterest in the holiday gradually increases so much that I wait till a few days before Christmas and then I run around in a mad dash. Maybe I have simply become such a fan of "un-cluttering" my life, that the idea of filling my life and others with more stuff seems so wildly unappealing. Or it could just be my inner hippie consciousness rising to the surface again thinking about everything that is going on in the world. Whatever the reason, I started thinking about previous posts that I wrote on gifts to get a foodie. I wondered if I could still write that post this year. I realized I could, but with a slightly different slant. Here are some beginning ideas that have been formulating in my mind for what to get the foodie in your life this year.

A $12 pack of seeds? $50 to send a goat to a family? $100 to support a woman entrepreneur? Even a gift a little as $20 could irrigate a farmer's land for 2 months! Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change. More gift ideas: https://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/all-gifts/
 

 Or spend $20 on a "Foodie's Delight" at Natural Resources Defense Counsel to help grow the local and organic food movement. Keep the foodies in your life happy and healthy with this mouth-watering gift! You’ll be helping NRDC to grow the local and organic food movement and ensure that all of us have access to an abundant supply of healthy, locally-grown food, free of pesticides and other toxins. It’s the perfect way to honor your loved ones’ commitment to delicious food that’s good for us and good for the planet. Check out this and other ideas at: https://www.nrdcgreengifts.org/gifts

My latest obsession: Neem

I used to have someone in my life who lovingly mocked me by saying "so is this the latest twigs or berries that you have discovered from the rainforest?" While it irked me at the time, there was real merit to this statement. Since attending cooking school, my interest in the health benefits of all sorts of vegetables and plants became more of a personal hobby than ever before. So during this past summer when I developed a rash, I naturally shunned the advice of doctors to take prescription medicines, and instead consulted my friend who worked behind the lunch counter at Cosmos market. She directed me to the front of the store where a small display near the cash registers held bottles of herbs, oils and tonics. I can't even recall how many  years I have been shopping at Cosmos. How had I not seen this before? This was my first introduction to Neem. I started by using the oil on my skin. Honestly, the smell is appalling. Sort of combination of garlic and ginger. It took several attempts to wash it out of my clothing. But it did the trick. So then, I got curious. What were the other benefits? Turns out, neem is flat out amazing, and of course, very little research has been done on it. I am sure the list of benefits are longer than this, but here is what I have found out on my own thus far.

• Neem relieves dry skin.
• It soothes itchines, redness and irritation.
• It improves general skin health and immunity, combating bacterial infections, as in acne, boils and ulcers, psoriasis, eczema, scabies, head lice and more.
• Used as hair oil, neem promotes shiny, healthy hair, combats dryness, prevents premature graying and may even help with some forms of hair loss. Neem oil also makes a great nail oil. No more brittle nails and no more nail fungus.
• anti-bacterial; anti-viral; anti-septic; anti-diabetic; anti-fungal
• spermicidal: neem shows great promise as a natural means of birth control.
• Neem helps our body to combat mild infections.
• Neem works as blood purifier. Consuming raw neem leaves or powder helps in eradicating toxins from the blood. 
• It helps in proper healing of wound, burns and injuries.
• Removal of dark circles under the eyes and skin infections.
• Neem is helpful in constipation, indigestion and restoring taste of mouth.
• Neem helps in maintaining proper secretions of liver etc.

I am a complete believer in this plant. I have started taking 2 pills a day for general health, one in the morning and one at night. If you want to learn more about this, I suggest starting your reading here: http://www.neem-products.com/neem-medicinal-properties.html. In my opinion, at approximately $5 a bottle, and all these benefits, what do you have to lose by giving it a shot?

The Hodge Podge returns for a second time!

New England Lobster Rolls at Captain Scotts

It is a rare occasion that finds me home and without plans on a Saturday, however that was the case this past weekend. I was trying to motivate myself to be good and go to yoga, but not being terribly good at my convincing myself. I was however dressed and halfway out the door when my dad suggested that I should join them in a trip to the shore, and with that, all best intentions for a workout evaporated. Quick costume change later, and we were scooting down route two towards New London. I didn't realize that lunch plans were included in this daytrip, and found out that my dad had been doing some research into new locations in his ongoing quest for the perfect New England lobster roll. We pulled into the scenic downtown and found our way to a small street that passed through some old boarded up Dutch style warehouses before dead ending at a parking lot already jammed with cars. The above mural was one of the first discoveries, found in the parking lot, painted on the side of a small structure. 

One thing that will follow me my whole lifetime from being taught at home, is a never ending curiosity about things. Naturally this meant googling Captain Scott to see if he really existed. Thus, a quick bit of history on the fella. According to the restaurant's website, Thomas A. Scott lived from 1830-1907. He moved to New London in 1871 to build the Race Rock Lighthouse with his company. He was featured on "Ripley's Believe it or Not", for an event befitting of a good captain. "In January of 1870, Captain Thomas Scott brought his tug alongside a sinking ferryboat carrying hundreds of passengers in New York's North River. Using his own body, Captain Scott plugged a hole at the waterline of the listing boat. 

Scott's arm which protruded through the hole, was severely lacerated by the ice cakes, but all aboard the vessel were saved."
Ok, enough history...moving on. This place seems to always be busy! There was a line when we arrived, and it never ceased. New people just kept arriving to take the place of those served. The nice thing was that everything moved smoothly and despite the line and nobody seemed to wait more than 5-10 minutes for their order. My parents had one thing on their mind, and that was lobster rolls, so at this point, that is the only thing that I can review! But the rest of the menu looked worth investigating, with crab salad rolls, fried scallop rolls, or whole belly clams also catching our attention. Next time. We grabbed a picnic table in the sun (half of the outdoor dining is shaded for those more careful about their sun exposure than us), and watched the seagulls who were splitting their gaze between us and the incoming fishing boats. Atmosphere was pretty entertaining between that scene on our left, and the Amtrack line on our right. Then came the rolls. 

The regular sized are on either side, and of course the middle one is a large, for my dad.
Buttered bread stuffed with large pieces of fresh lobster, accompanied only by a slice of lemon. So fresh, nothing else needed. There was some coleslaw served with it, but we didn't pay much attention to it, besides a cursory bite for taste. I am new to lobster, and seafood in general, having been a devout vegetarian for the majority of my life. With that disclaimer in place however, I was impressed and will say that I ate 80% of it before letting my dad finish it. Not bad for a first attempt! Around the side of the restaurant is where you can purchase live lobsters, or lobster meat by the pound to take home and cook at home. If that's not your thing, they also had Maine steamers, cod, flounder, Noank oysters, Atlantic Swordfish and littlenecks. Although we saved our appetites for visiting the Salem Creamery at the end of the day, if you want to indulge your sweet tooth immediately, there was also a tempting ice cream list to take note of!!! 

Captain Scott's Lobster Dock, 80 Hamilton Street, New London, CT 06320
(860) 439-1741
Website: http://www.captscotts.com/

To Curry with Love

I am on a constant quest to find the best Indian food. This obsession began in childhood when my family and subsequently friends, frequented Kashmir Restaurant in the South End of Hartford. Since its recent closing, I have been searching, largely unsuccessfully, for something comparable to satisfy my curry cravings. In the past few weeks however, I have made three visits to Bollywood Grill in Glastonbury and have had very tasty experiences. I was too hungry on the dinner visit to take time to photograph my food, but we sampled the Lamb Samosas, Navrattan Korma and Lamb Briyani and accompanied it with an order of Raiti and Paratha bread. My only complaint about dinner was that the waiter confused the level of spiciness in our orders, and I got the spicy one, and my companion was left wishing for a bit more. Since I love spice, I wasn't that upset over this. It was still delicious. 

The buffet is offered 7 days a week from 11:30-3:30. It is $8.95 during the week, and $10.95 on the weekends. The two dollars extra on the weekends means that you are given a glass of champagne along with your meal. The buffet is plentiful by all means. There were two types of soup to start off with. A traditional tomato, and sweet and sour soup. A basket of paratha bread was set up next to it, suggesting a logical paring. 

The remainder of the buffet table was chock full of delicacies such as biryani, saag paneer, lamb, chicken or fish curries, and on the 2nd visit I discovered a wonderful squash dumpling that I couldn't get enough of. The chefs at Bollywood Grill strike me as not only masterfully creating classic dishes full of flavor and spice, but also playfully reinterpreting these dishes with new twists. 

I struggled with getting through a second plate because I wanted to sample every dish that was laid out. So when I got to the end of the buffet where there were desserts, I wanted to explode. But I couldn't give up, because I had spotted a dessert among the traditional offerings that I really felt I needed to sample. It was a mango dessert which tasted like a mango lassi in a pudding/ ice cream consistency. I could have eaten several helpings of this alone! Overall, I will be going back to Bollywood Grill for a 4th, 5th, and many more visits in the very near future.