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Family Food Adventure:

09 Feb 2022, Posted by Hoyt Totty in Blog

A SKOSH OF BACK STORY:

Were you like me, and most of the world during the initial stages of COVID? Wondering….How am I going to survive another day quarantined and “locked down”?

That is exactly where I was. Searching and searching for something that would make the time pass a little more tolerably.

Between trying to learn a new approach to my job that had always required me being in front of people, I now was having to master the art of virtual.

My favorite painful….and I mean PAINFUL discovery was I am NOT a Kindergarten, or a 4th grade teacher…..I was lost.

So, one day I took my love for food, my love for travel, and asked the family to take a trip with me…to the kitchen.

HOW DOES I DO IT:

Round, and round we go

First, we need a globe…

I ask my 10 year old (Anisa) to spin it, close her eyes, then set her finger down when it felt right. Wherever her tiny little digit lands, that’s where we were headed.

I would then take some time discovering some of the “Best”, and “Most Popular” recipes from that region of the world. Finding out some interesting facts about the country, and how the food came to be.

Obviously, I must run the recipe options by Anisa to have her choose the one that looks & sounds the best.

After the recipe is chosen, we get into the kitchen. There, I am able to start sharing my love of cooking with her.

My 6-year-old (Audrey) eventually got jealous and wanted to join the party. Now it’s a family affair.

SAGE ADVICE & STUFF:

My mom always told me to “Play with my food” when you’re cooking, I love that advice. I am continuously encouraging that thought process with my girls.

There are so many things I cherish about Family Food Adventure nights, one of them is creating a space for quality time AWAY FROM ELECTRONICS.

I have also really enjoyed watching Anisa developing a pallet for foods beyond chicken nuggets, and French fries…. still working on our little one.    

I do truly enjoy witnessing the enthusiasm and pure unadulterated joy of my youngest (Audrey) when she gets to help even with the simplest of tasks…my heart melts like Havarti on a piece of sourdough in the broiler.

Personally, it challenges me in the kitchen, teaches me new techniques, and thought processes about how food behaves. I always learn something new with each recipe.

Using a blender to create a batter was a new experience.

RECIPES a.k.a A SYMPHONY OF FLAVORS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT:

This week I’m taking you to Venezuela.

We made “Cachapas”, and Pabellon Criollo (National Dish of Venezuela). I usually try and choose something “Safe”, because at the end of the day it’s dinner for that evening. Also, I don’t feel like cooking twice…. Nobody has time for that?

https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/cachapas-corn-pancakes/ (Cachapas)            

https://www.thespruceeats.com/venezuelan-steak-with-black-beans-rice-3029474 (Pabellon Criollo)            

I have never open pot boiled & simmered meat like this before, I always thought it would create a dull unimaginative dish, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

WITH A SIDE OF FUN FACTS:

A couple of fun facts on our Venezuelan journey…They are home to the world’s highest waterfall, so listen to TLC, and don’t go chasing them when in Venezuela because it’s a 979 meter drop.

Also, they are home to an “Everlasting Lightning Storm”- at the Catatumbo river you can see up to 100,000 lightning strikes in one night….which has me wandering if this is where AC/DC got the inspiration for “Thunderstruck” aaaaaaahaaaahaaaa (You’re welcome, for getting that stuck in your head).

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/south-america/venezuela/articles/venezuela-facts/

If you check this out, and decide to take a food adventure of your own….let us know how it turned out.

All the links are from the websites I used to find the recipes, and fun facts.

Enjoy, and may your curiosity be unquenched.