This is a typical example of how difficult a very simple task can be made: trying to mail some clothes to someone as a baby present.
Found correos. Tried to buy box for clothes at correos. No boxes at correos. Woman at correos said something something blah blah caja al floreria. Went to floreria. No cajas there. Woman at floreria said something something blah blah el fundo dereche. Went to the end of the line of shops and found cajaria (why don't they just have them at the f'ing correos???) Told woman that the caja she thought I needed was too big. She proceeded to cram stuff into caja and in doing so ripped the card. I tried to tell her that I should get the caja for free because she ruined my card (no quiero pagar porque TU molestared mi tarjeta!) Of course, she no intiende. i said I wanted to organize the stuff before I taped it up. She said a bunch of stuff-possibly her family history-which was then translated for me as "not in here, not enough room." Okay. Went outside to organize stuff. Bought box, but found out they have no foam peanuts or other stuff. I asked (with gestures) if they tape it there. Yes. She handed me a role of tape. I sighed. I then realized that I didn't have the address anyway, so I would have to go home, then come back. Walked home, via the swings and panaderia. Got home, got cute blonde baby out of stroller. Cute blonde baby drank some milk, then spit up on clothes I was going to send in the mail. Put clothes in laundry room and told nana they needed to be washed but not put away. Sighed again. Ate some chocolate. Got misty eyed at thought of going to UPS store with nice chinese guy, boxes, and foam peanuts (and cards) all together. Sighed.
For those readers who are not as fluent in Spanish as I am (ha ha), here are some definiitions: cajas = boxes, dereche=right (well, it's either dereche or derecha or derecho. whatever), correos = post office, nana = maid,
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
foreign cuisine
I had planned all along to make empanadas for Thanksgiving (but our stuff arrived from the US the day before, so that didn't happen), then it got moved to Christmas. And now the season of noel is upon us, and yet our home is not filled with the savory scent of baking empanadas. Por que? Porque yo estoy sick of trying to cook here!!!
It started with the idea of giving people fudge for Christmas. My mom created the world's easiest fudge recipe-you use 5 ingredients and cook it in the microwave. It's very tasty as well, but...nothing can be that easy in Chile. First I couldn't find baking chocolate, but I did find marshmallows (though flavored with vanilla), and what I thought was canned milk. I also got a bit confused about the difference between butter (manteca in my book), margarine (margarina), and shortening (which is apparently also sometimes called manteca, as I found out after I bought some).
So I tried to use the manteca (which was shortening, not butter) because I have always preferred the taste of things made with butter over margarine. And I used chopped up Hershey's chocolate bars, because chocolate chips don't exist here. And the vanilla marshmallows, and "probably" canned milk. Really, the sugar was the only thing I was certain of.
The first batch came out very goopy, like it didn't have enough marshmallows. So I made another batch, but with more marshmallows. The consistency was better, but it didn't really taste chocolaty enough. So I figured maybe the chocolate was wrong, and I decided to look harder for baker's chocolate with less milk in it. I also looked for non-flavored marshmallows, because the vanilla didn't seem like a good addition.
After a trip to the market, I was re-energized and ready to try again. So I did, with my bowls, and big wooden spoon, but to no avail. The third batch was also goopy, though more chocolaty. I decided the marshmallows must be the offending culprite, because though the recipe calls for marshmallow fluff (and I have a better chance of finding Diet Dr. Pepper than that), I was melting down marshmallows instead. Batch number 4 was given extra marshmallows, and I used the good chocolate, and it tasted good, but basically like very chocolaty flavored marshmallow.
So I gave up. We did figure out, though, that everyone here gives the security people Christmas gifts, so I felt compelled to make something for them. I tried to make some cookies, but overbaked them so they are unfit for gifting.
I did manage to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning, and a nice shrimp dish for dinner last night, with coconut milk and ginger, but my chef's hat has been deflated enough by the fudge-making experience that I just don't feel up to trying with the empanadas right now. Maybe for New Year's, or Valentine's, or Easter. But not today.
It started with the idea of giving people fudge for Christmas. My mom created the world's easiest fudge recipe-you use 5 ingredients and cook it in the microwave. It's very tasty as well, but...nothing can be that easy in Chile. First I couldn't find baking chocolate, but I did find marshmallows (though flavored with vanilla), and what I thought was canned milk. I also got a bit confused about the difference between butter (manteca in my book), margarine (margarina), and shortening (which is apparently also sometimes called manteca, as I found out after I bought some).
So I tried to use the manteca (which was shortening, not butter) because I have always preferred the taste of things made with butter over margarine. And I used chopped up Hershey's chocolate bars, because chocolate chips don't exist here. And the vanilla marshmallows, and "probably" canned milk. Really, the sugar was the only thing I was certain of.
The first batch came out very goopy, like it didn't have enough marshmallows. So I made another batch, but with more marshmallows. The consistency was better, but it didn't really taste chocolaty enough. So I figured maybe the chocolate was wrong, and I decided to look harder for baker's chocolate with less milk in it. I also looked for non-flavored marshmallows, because the vanilla didn't seem like a good addition.
After a trip to the market, I was re-energized and ready to try again. So I did, with my bowls, and big wooden spoon, but to no avail. The third batch was also goopy, though more chocolaty. I decided the marshmallows must be the offending culprite, because though the recipe calls for marshmallow fluff (and I have a better chance of finding Diet Dr. Pepper than that), I was melting down marshmallows instead. Batch number 4 was given extra marshmallows, and I used the good chocolate, and it tasted good, but basically like very chocolaty flavored marshmallow.
So I gave up. We did figure out, though, that everyone here gives the security people Christmas gifts, so I felt compelled to make something for them. I tried to make some cookies, but overbaked them so they are unfit for gifting.
I did manage to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning, and a nice shrimp dish for dinner last night, with coconut milk and ginger, but my chef's hat has been deflated enough by the fudge-making experience that I just don't feel up to trying with the empanadas right now. Maybe for New Year's, or Valentine's, or Easter. But not today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
