The Joy of Cooking
I’ve never been much of a chef, but I don’t let that get in the way of cooking when I can. There is something so utterly calming about the process of chopping up vegetables and throwing spices into a dish. I guess what I lack in skill, I make up for in creativity and pleasure. Cooking here in Dominica has taught me a valuable skill when it comes to designing a dish. Everything is hard to come by here. There’s no grocery store where you can walk in and buy any vegetable or spice you like. Many things are impossible to find, and even the things that you can manage to locate take a lot of patience to acquire, and change every day. Tonight, I made a pumpkin soup and penne pasta with a vegetable sauce. I would have killed to have had some fresh basil, or even better, some plump mushrooms to add to the sauce. But alas, none of those items were available. So, I made do with what I had. It’s a great lesson, which can be applied to all aspects of life. Learning to use minimal ingredients, and create random dishes at will. I try to apply this same philosophy to life. Of course, I fail miserably at this all the time. But at least I try. Now, time to taste test that vegetable sauce.
My name is Kendra and I am a fourth-year medical student attending
“Everything is hard to come by here.”
Everything?
No, not everything is hard to come by. But the grocery store isn’t open on Sundays, or very late. There are many delicious fruits and vegetables available here, but they are not always in season. I don’t really mind all that much. It’s just that when you come from being a silly pampered American to here, the difference is profound. Americans are spoiled rotten and used to getting anything they need, anytime they want. It’s mostly just about adjusting to the differences. I’m used to being able to get rare items like dried seaweed and wasabi anytime I want. But I’ve been able to get by just fine. By the way, the pumpkin soup and vegetable pasta I made turned out fabulous!
It’s not just that way in the Dominica. Even in Europe, many cities (I’ve experienced it in Barcelona, Roma, Ostea, Gdansk) have stores that close from noon-3pm and reopen only to close shortly at 6pm. That’s just weekdays—businesses that are open on Sundays are definitely hard to come by.
You’re right, Kendra. We are just all around spoiled in America. Will be comin’ to your island to start at Ross med May 2008. Can’t wait
Thanks for the heads up—I’ll be sure to bring lots of dried seaweed and wasabi powder!