...(not me, I know I'm not normal but...)
After living here for a number of years it has been severely beaten into me that a quick (nice) lunch or (sumptuous) dinner of the good variety is difficult if not impossible to find. Possibly this is just Cabrera/Cabarete but...since I live here....
I decided I would try cooking for myself and the family. Now I'm a weird freak about it! Annoyinnngggg! I analyze all food served pretty much anywhere attempting to determine how it was made. Then I dash home to 'remake' it. I foisting it upon my friends who, God love 'em, gobble it up telling me it is awesome (Lord really knows), they really are nice friends.
Then I decide the bread sucks so I learn how to bake. I make poolish, biga and other crap I had no idea even existed a few years ago. Folks, I have **** growing in my refrigerator that bubbles in the middle of the night...that can't be good, right? Okay, the bread is amazing but it friggin' disappears in about 20 minutes (did I mention my friends?).
Anyhow, the question is: Have other ex-pats discovered unknown 'culinary' skills while living here in the DR? The fresh ingredients (exceptionally cheap) compared to the restaurant prices (not so cheap) seem to compel it. The need to 'do it on my own' compared to the American (yeah, Yankee here) concept of relying upon others that the DR beats out of you in 20 days.
...or am I just getting to be an old fart trying to 'rediscover' myself through a loaf of bread, homemade pizza or pistachio encrusted sea bass? Please tell me I'm sane!!!
After living here for a number of years it has been severely beaten into me that a quick (nice) lunch or (sumptuous) dinner of the good variety is difficult if not impossible to find. Possibly this is just Cabrera/Cabarete but...since I live here....
I decided I would try cooking for myself and the family. Now I'm a weird freak about it! Annoyinnngggg! I analyze all food served pretty much anywhere attempting to determine how it was made. Then I dash home to 'remake' it. I foisting it upon my friends who, God love 'em, gobble it up telling me it is awesome (Lord really knows), they really are nice friends.
Then I decide the bread sucks so I learn how to bake. I make poolish, biga and other crap I had no idea even existed a few years ago. Folks, I have **** growing in my refrigerator that bubbles in the middle of the night...that can't be good, right? Okay, the bread is amazing but it friggin' disappears in about 20 minutes (did I mention my friends?).
Anyhow, the question is: Have other ex-pats discovered unknown 'culinary' skills while living here in the DR? The fresh ingredients (exceptionally cheap) compared to the restaurant prices (not so cheap) seem to compel it. The need to 'do it on my own' compared to the American (yeah, Yankee here) concept of relying upon others that the DR beats out of you in 20 days.
...or am I just getting to be an old fart trying to 'rediscover' myself through a loaf of bread, homemade pizza or pistachio encrusted sea bass? Please tell me I'm sane!!!