Friday, October 11, 2013

I Want Food!

This is another post on behalf of the Personal Photo Challenge. When they posted back in September that this month's challenge was pictures of food, I once again said to myself, "I got this one". I had hoped to take some new pictures of food, but I just do not know where the month went. Luckily, it seems that I have always been drawn to taking pictures of the things I ingest. What could that possibly tell you about me?

We must always start with dessert. What a sad world it would be if we were too full after the main course to enjoy the decadent pleasures of chocolate. This picture was taken in 2011 at the Green Lake Christian Writers Conference. Yes, we are always spoiled with good eats!

The cuisine that I have enjoyed in Kenya hasn't been that much different from home. Random meat and vegetables in some sort of gravy or broth, served with potatoes, rice or pasta. While in Kenya this May, however, our host took us to the Ethiopian restaurant my last night there. Ethiopian food was not at all what I expected (are you thinking bread and water too?). The main dish to order is injera, which looks like a white and airy pancake, but doesn't taste like much of anything. You break off pieces of it to use to scoop up the rest of your food.
What is the point of food, if not to eat it? Joe, one of the Kenyans who worked with us, was skeptical about this dish. After trying one bite, he declared that he now knew why Ethiopians were so skinny, and I don't think he ate anymore.
While in Ayacucho, Peru, in 2009, we were served one of the their most popular dishes, cuy. I was there with three other Americans, and one of these women couldn't bring herself to try it. The other two ate it with reservation, claiming it tasted "gamey". Sorry, ladies, you hadn't grown up in the Northwoods, and have never eaten genuine wild game so you don't know what you were talking about.

I thought the cuy tasted just fine, a bit like Cornish game hen. You can look it up on line or on a previous blog post.
My last night in Peru we also went out to eat. We were in Lima waiting for our flight home and stopped at the mall in Miraflores and had dinner at Mangos restaurant. I had a wonderful dish with chicken and greens. I can't take credit for this picture; one of my traveling partners took it for me. But like I already said, what's the point of food if not to eat it. 


11 comments:

Donna said...

Haha, I noticed that you featured a desert first! Smart thinking! And I think I wouldn't have any trouble with my weight if I lived in Ethiopia. Gosh, that doesn't look appetizing at all. The cuy looks kind of scary too! You look cute where you are caught scooping in the food.

This is a fun post and sure helps to open up my eyes on how the food is very different in other parts of the world. I'll stick with the gooey chocolate desert! Thank you for jumping into the photo challenge and bringing some international flair!

Donna said...

Your first photo looks Delicious!!
The others look...Interesting!Hahaa...I think I would also like to try the different foods...The young man's expression is priceless!
Well done!

Vee said...

What interesting food! While I'd not try it...right...I am that shallow, that picky, that something; I can say that it looks pretty. Oh, I'd eat the first item with no problem!

Chris Loehmer Kincaid said...

I used to be the world's pickiest eater. It is amazing what a little international travel can do for a person!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love the photo of you....look at your eyes! And the food looks interesting...you are braver than most of us, I see! Great looking dessert and something very different for the challenge! Hugs!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I wouldn't make it in the far corners of the world with food I couldn't pronounce or guess the contents of. You were brave to try everything, and the last photo is priceless!
The chocolate dessert, no problem there - comfort food.

Lorrie said...

HA! I know exactly what cuy is - we lived in Ecuador for 21 years and often saw it being grilled over open air charcoal grills.

Food around the world is a great choice for this challenge - it's all in what we grow up with and learn to love, isn't it?

podso said...

I enjoyed your photos! I recognized the injera and wat from Ethiopia. That's a good photo of it. It's not my favorite but I enjoyed it for two weeks this summer and did not get skinnier. (They use a lot of butter in the sauce!) Oh well. Nice to visit your blog.

Susan Marlene said...

Wow, that desert was very American looking....I think I could dish up some look-a-like sample!! Some of this food could be a magazine photo sample for sure!! :)

ClickNCamera said...

Lucky you, being able to travel and try such interesting food! I think the cuy would be my favorite, it looked yummy. Great post, enjoy your day.

Denise said...

Random meat, that scares me. If you ever convince me to go on a mission trip , I will remember to pack some protein bars.