Let the treasure hunt begin! Cooking for you is how I show my love for you. This means that whatever I make for you has only the very best, freshest and healthiest ingredients. This weekend, I dedicated myself to making you my personal rendition of a Latin-American favorite, The Paella.
In order to responsibly walk you through this experience (
making Paella is not cooking, it should be an experience that you feel), I felt that I should break up the meal in segments so that you could be there with me every step of the way. Welcome to
Part I, where you, my best friend Lisette and I will go shopping together to the local Asian Market.
So right now you may be wondering what a Latina is doing shopping for ingredients to make a Latin dish, at an Asian Market. Some time ago I realized that Latinos, Asians,West Indians, East Indians and Africans use many of the same ingredients.
The beautiful aspect of this is that the same ingredients are used to make entirely different dishes around the world. There are things in this life that are universal; to smile and laugh when we're happy, cry in sorrow, embrace with love, the use of arithmetic and to have your soul touched by music are all examples.
Another thread that binds us in this world is also the ingredients that we use to cook. Just as any two artists from opposing corners of the world would pick up a paint brush and stroke their canvases with rhythm and abandon to create entirely distinct portraits, two cooks from anywhere in the world can use the same ingredients to create their own magic.
Upon arriving there, we usually stop in their bakery section and have a warm Coconut-Pineapple bun with a Diet Coke. We always end up splitting the soda because neither one of us can ever finish a can on our own. My mom is the same way, I must have gotten that from her.
While shopping at the market, we met a Chinese man who happened to hear us immersed in a conversation about the vast selection of herbs that they had and what we used them for. The interesting part was that Lisette and I were speaking in Spanish, and he joined in perfectly fluent Spanish as well. We learned that what we would call Bay Leaves, he calls Curry .
While at the Seafood section of the market, which is enormous, we met a man from Ghana. He was also so interesting to talk to about how we often frequent the market and the ingredient selection. This man also knew how to speak Spanish. I love how when I am there, I feel so connected to the rest of the world, if not by common languages, by common ingredients.
I take my kids there as well, to share in these lessons and the experience. My little one in particular once told me that while there she feels like we are traveling and no longer in Upstate, NY. Taking children shopping for ingredients, can be an eye-opening experience, and even a Social Studies lesson for them.
I wanted you there with me as well, so let me walk you through some of my favorite sections...
Treasure Hunt the local Asian Market
Come on, follow me...
 |
| One of the parts that I enjoy the most about this is experience is shopping for fresh herbs. |
 |
| I'm not familiar with all of the herbs here, but I'm certainly willing to try them at some point... |
 |
| My absolute favorite herb is Reca'o (Coriander). This is the essence of Sofrito. |
 |
| Yuca (Casava)... Now that's what I'm talking about! |
 |
| Aloe for home remedies, and Papaya |
 |
| Vast assortment of roots, such as Yautia (Tuber Root & Taro Root) |
 |
| Radishes? Yes, Mom. Radishes... |
 |
| I love watching people shop for ingredients. |
 |
| Fresh fruit and the mangoes that I love so much. |
 |
|
| I wish we could have gotten more pictures of the Seafood section, it's huge. I was afraid of getting thrown out for excessive picture snapping. <Flash, flash, flash...> |
|
|
| | |
|
| |
|
We must have spent a good hour there. The prices are [wholesale] amazing, especially for the area that I live in where there aren't too many Ethnic communities that are well-represented. This market is a jewel shared by several communities, with a common goal; to make delicious meals with the freshest and most delicious ingredients available.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of our Paella series. I say ours, because it's yours and mine...
*Special thanks to Lisette, for helping me with the photos.
When I spoke about Aloe being a home remedy, it prompted me to send you this link. I ordered the book for $.37 cents. With shipping & handling the book was less than $5.00. I love these things, and I'd like to share this with my daughter.
No comments:
Post a Comment