Marcie Cooper
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Happy Valentine's Day!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Mangoes
Hello!
It's mango season in the Dominican Republic. Mangoes come in all different colours and sizes and our family (except for one picky eater) loves them! Our boys also love to play under the mango tree in front of our building. Here are some pictures:
Do you like mangoes? What's your favourite way to eat them? Fresh? Frozen? In fruit salad or a smoothie? Mango crisp, anyone? I like them all!
Marcie Cooper
It's mango season in the Dominican Republic. Mangoes come in all different colours and sizes and our family (except for one picky eater) loves them! Our boys also love to play under the mango tree in front of our building. Here are some pictures:
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| Lots of mangoes (the bottom one is from the tree by our house) |
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| A little mango tree we saw on our vacation |
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| A mango the size of a pineapple |
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| "I can get it!" |
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| "I want to fill my truck up with mangoes." |
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| Boys and trucks under the mango tree |
Marcie Cooper
Monday, January 13, 2014
Rice
Happy New Year!
How many times do you think you will eat rice this year? A few? A lot? Three hundred and sixty-five? I think that people around here will eat rice almost every day--if not twice a day! I have been on school field trips where almost every kid had a container of cold rice packed for lunch. They offered to share but I was happy with my sandwich!
Over New Year's we had a chance to travel to the east part of the island where we had never been before. On our way, we drove through field after field of rice. I had always wondered where it was grown! In many places, men were hunched over planting it by hand. What a lot of work!
People all around the country live off of this staple food, including the staff and students at our school. Our cooks prepare so much rice that they have to stir it with a giant paddle. We appreciate their hard work!
When they occasionally make pasta or hot dogs, the kids wonder where the rice is. They just don't seem to get tired of it! Our kids don't either. Our little one doesn't even really like potatoes. It must be because he was born here!
Whether you're eating rice or potatoes or whatever your staple food might be, I hope that you have a wonderful year!
Marcie Cooper
Click here to read more about how Dominicans cook their rice.
How many times do you think you will eat rice this year? A few? A lot? Three hundred and sixty-five? I think that people around here will eat rice almost every day--if not twice a day! I have been on school field trips where almost every kid had a container of cold rice packed for lunch. They offered to share but I was happy with my sandwich!
Over New Year's we had a chance to travel to the east part of the island where we had never been before. On our way, we drove through field after field of rice. I had always wondered where it was grown! In many places, men were hunched over planting it by hand. What a lot of work!
People all around the country live off of this staple food, including the staff and students at our school. Our cooks prepare so much rice that they have to stir it with a giant paddle. We appreciate their hard work!
Whether you're eating rice or potatoes or whatever your staple food might be, I hope that you have a wonderful year!
Marcie Cooper
Click here to read more about how Dominicans cook their rice.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Concón
Hello!
Would you eat rice that looked like this?
If my little boy doesn't get some at school, he comes home crying, "Concón, concón!"
At first, I did not like the crusty, almost burned rice at the bottom of the pot that is a delicacy Dominican kids fight over. Now it is growing on me. I still like it more golden than darker brown but have finally, after a few years in the country, achieved making it.
It took me a while to learn how to make rice Dominican-style. In Canada, I was taught to boil salted water then add the rice, put the top on the pot and let it cook, and then let it sit for a few minutes before serving. To make Dominican rice, oil is heated first and then the water and salt are added. When the water boils, the rice is added but it is stirred uncovered until the water is gone. Then the top is put on and it is left to finish cooking. There are also people who fry the rice briefly in the oil and then add the water. Either way, the end product is a wonderful tasting rice with a layer of concón at the bottom.
Of course, it must be served with beans (habichuelas) but how to make those is a post for another day.
Goodnight!
Marcie Cooper
Would you eat rice that looked like this?
If my little boy doesn't get some at school, he comes home crying, "Concón, concón!"
At first, I did not like the crusty, almost burned rice at the bottom of the pot that is a delicacy Dominican kids fight over. Now it is growing on me. I still like it more golden than darker brown but have finally, after a few years in the country, achieved making it.
It took me a while to learn how to make rice Dominican-style. In Canada, I was taught to boil salted water then add the rice, put the top on the pot and let it cook, and then let it sit for a few minutes before serving. To make Dominican rice, oil is heated first and then the water and salt are added. When the water boils, the rice is added but it is stirred uncovered until the water is gone. Then the top is put on and it is left to finish cooking. There are also people who fry the rice briefly in the oil and then add the water. Either way, the end product is a wonderful tasting rice with a layer of concón at the bottom.
Of course, it must be served with beans (habichuelas) but how to make those is a post for another day.
Goodnight!
Marcie Cooper
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Bananas
Hello!
Last week we were looking at how tall our banana tree was getting and wondering when we would get bananas. This week it decided to start revealing them!
Last week we were looking at how tall our banana tree was getting and wondering when we would get bananas. This week it decided to start revealing them!
We noticed the beginnings of a bunch on Tuesday.
And this is how they looked this morning.
I missed taking a picture on Wednesday but by Thursday we definitely had some fruit. A neighbour boy was playing at our house and when he saw me with the camera he said, "They're nothing more than bananas!" I told him that bananas didn't grow in Canada. We're excited about our bananas!
On Friday there were even more.
And this is how they looked this morning.
It will still take a long time for them to grow and ripen but I'll keep you posted!
Have a great day!
Marcie Cooper
Friday, December 16, 2011
Cookies and Sugarcane
Hello!
Christmas in our house means lots of cookies!
My silly boy loves to help cut out sugar cookies.
My silly boy loves to help cut out sugar cookies.
Sugar is made here although a lot more in other parts of the island. Have you seen sugarcane before? I had never seen it before moving here. This is what it looks like poking through our fence and ready to eat.
People love to bite pieces off and suck out the sugary syrup that is used to make sugar. It is yummy but probably not very good for them or their teeth!
Have a great day! Don't eat too much sugar and don't forget to brush your teeth!
Marcie Cooper
P.S. My Dad is a dentist so I have to say that. I've never had a cavity though!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pineapple
Hello!
Do you like pineapple? It is in season for us right now and we are enjoying it. Have you ever seen so many pineapples? They are stacked up to sell at the side of the road.
I didn't know how pineapples grew until I saw some plants. Look at how the pineapple grows up from the plant. It isn't ripe if it is still red like this.
My cousin taught me a trick to tell if a pineapple is sweet. Try to pull out one of the spiky leaves from the top. If it comes out easily, it should be sweet.
Have a great day and enjoy some pineapple!
Marcie Cooper
Do you like pineapple? It is in season for us right now and we are enjoying it. Have you ever seen so many pineapples? They are stacked up to sell at the side of the road.
I didn't know how pineapples grew until I saw some plants. Look at how the pineapple grows up from the plant. It isn't ripe if it is still red like this.
My cousin taught me a trick to tell if a pineapple is sweet. Try to pull out one of the spiky leaves from the top. If it comes out easily, it should be sweet.
Have a great day and enjoy some pineapple!
Marcie Cooper
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Rice Krispy Treats
Hello!
Today I made rice krispy squares. Some people call them Rice Krispies Treats. They are definitely a treat for us because this is the only time that I have ever found Rice Krispies (although it was a different brand) in the Dominican Republic. Big marshmallows are easy to find but I don't buy them very often because my little monkey gets into them and eats way too many. He thinks that the rice krispy squares are too sticky but the rest of us are enjoying them. We are having a good day. I hope that you are too!
Marcie Cooper
Today I made rice krispy squares. Some people call them Rice Krispies Treats. They are definitely a treat for us because this is the only time that I have ever found Rice Krispies (although it was a different brand) in the Dominican Republic. Big marshmallows are easy to find but I don't buy them very often because my little monkey gets into them and eats way too many. He thinks that the rice krispy squares are too sticky but the rest of us are enjoying them. We are having a good day. I hope that you are too!
Marcie Cooper
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