Multi-Culti

Today was a worldly day for the Hungry family.  Mama and I had lunch from a newly-opened Jamaican restaurant, trying a whole new cuisine (thought Mama knew the Golden Krust patties from childhood).  We enjoyed the red peas (kidney beans) and rice with a coconutty flavor, pigeon peas and rice, peppery cabbage and carrots, fried plantains, salt fish and ackee (a fruit), callaloo and salt fish, bammy (fried cassava root), jerk chicken pattie, mild beef pattie, vegetable pattie, "peanut punch," very gingery pineapple juice, and coconut water.  Plus tastes of sweet potato pie and bread pudding and a dark, sticky "spice bun" bread to bring home.  Mmmm, we'll go again and I definitely recommend it.  But you've got to like pepper if you're going to eat more than peas and rice and plantains!  And if you're adventuresome, there's oxtail soup and curried goat head soup!  Coincidentally, I picked up right before lunch a Vegetarian Times special edition on global food that contained Jamaican recipes (plus all of the usual veg locales--Egypt, China, Japan--but also Greece, and more.)

This evening was multicultural night at school, with teachers and parents presenting activities and crafts from a variety of nations.  The kids had spent a lot of time preparing--Sis and Bud's classroom celebrated China (at least the door did, as it wasn't an activity center) and Sis and Bud contributed some of our decorations; they made flags of their heritage for the cafeteria (Bud chose Chinese and Sis chose . . . French?!   I mean, she is, in part, but it seemed an unlikely choice . . . until she admitted it was the easiest of the flags I'd shown her!); they also decorated the hall with windsocks based on different flags--their class did Mexico.  I think between the two kids, we managed to visit every country in two hours.  We started in Africa, where they played Djembe drums, copying the beat of the main drummer and two of her students.  They played a drum version of "hot potato" which deteriorated quickly and humorously.  Bud practiced step dancing in Ireland while Sis and I had her hand henna-ed in Pakistan.  From there, she made a toilet-paper-tube Phoenix in Greece, which was challenging with her dominant left hand covered in henna goo, while Bud made a paper blossoming cherry tree in Japan.  Deciding against "making a chicken" in Greece, Bud then Zumba-ed happily (he really loves to dance, while Sis skipped both of those) in Colombia and Sis made pasta necklaces in Italy after listening to Strega Nona.  For the USA, Sis helped make care packages for a local charity.  We also sampled world cuisine, which for me mainly consisted of eating flan homemade by the mother of their classmate.  There was also a young man demonstrating Korean martial arts, specifically Tang Soo Do, with a sword and a staff, which Bud studied with interest before explaining his own kung fu experiences (he was still in his uniform because he had class this evening).  I'm so glad their school offers this celebration of cultures representing the diversity of the student population (especially after yesterday's "Chinese, Japanese" incident); it's one of our favorite school events.

And then we went home and rushed to bed--after reading about some English mice in Tumtum and Nutmeg--so that Bud could rest up before his kung fu belt test tomorrow.

World of Flavors

Last night was yet another date night (yes, that is three is a week!, but now Babysitter goes back to college) and we had Middle Eastern food. A highlight is always choosing desserts, which we sampled and then saved for the kids. The pastries are never labeled, you just pick, but I'm beginning to recognize some of our favorites (the chart is from here)

• fingers, with pistachios and this incredible honey, so creamy tasting I'd have sworn there was vanilla
• flowers (or bird's nest baklava)
• maybe harissa (or namourrah), which is semolina cake soaked in syrup with almonds on top. Sis's favorite.
• baklava, of course, but as this was Middle Eastern and not Greek, it was pistachio not walnut
• Bourma, which is a phyllo rolled filled with honeyed pistachios that is then cut in disks so you can see the inside. (not pictured here)
• Mammoul with pistachios (perhaps also called kanata?). Or maybe it was Osmanlia with pistachios. It's hard to tell from pictures and several languages . . . . One had shredded phyllo on top but wasn't kataifi

But tonight's dinner was actually Swedish, because after our Middle Eastern dinner, we cruised IKEA. And, after buying nighttime reading lamps for the kids (a la Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook) and a water pitcher for the table (a la The Family Dinner), we hit the food section: Swedish meatballs, cream gravy, lingonberries, crispbreads, Swedish cheddar-like cheese, various pickled and creamed fish in jars, Swedish pancakes, elderflower syrup, and some more desserts, including the little almond cakes and the arrack-flavored chocolate rolls. We didn't eat all of that for dinner, but much of it, calling it How to Train Your Dragon, or Viking, food (as opposed to the other Silk Road food.)

We began to brainstorm other foods from around the world we'd like to try. We've done, at home or in restaurants: Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mexican (at least Tex-Mex), Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Native American (at the Museum of the American Indian), Greek, Southern/soul, BBQ, Jewish deli (plus latkes), Indian, "American home standards." The kids want to try French, and not just crepes. We are also considering Spanish, German, and New Orleans night. Mama and I love Ethiopian but think they probably aren't ready for that.

A question for you, Lambeth--what would you serve for English night? Or would it have to be tea? Maybe in honor of the upcoming royal wedding . . . .