Tuesday, June 29th -- Cooking

This morning I went to 7:15 am mass, had oatmeal for breakfast, and then went to school. Julia and I continued to organize and clean out the giant dumpster container and will finish this project by tomorrow morning. We had a half day at the school because of our cooking lesson! Anthony, the man who cooks the meals for the Friars, agreed to give us a lesson on cooking some of the staple foods that we have been eating. Chapatti, secuma, and ugali.

The source of this lesson stems from the lofty plans that Julia and I made for next week. We were brainstorming what would be a good, edible treat that we could make for all 220 students. After contemplating making cookies, brownies, and a few other ideas, we decided on making them chapatti. We plan on surprising all of the students on the Saturday the 10th. This is the day before we leave Kisumu.

While waiting for the chapatti dough to sit, I finished the book “Nickel and Dimed” which I have been absorbed by the past few days. After completing the book, I kept thinking about how easy it is to take thing for granted. In the US, the number of people who have a job and still struggle on welfare is extremely high. Many times the poor in the US go neglected because the wealthy are in denial of this extreme problem. Being on my trip, I have seen more than ever that there is no job that is ever beneath me. Certain jobs are definitely more glamorous than others. But the unpretentious ones are often the most necessary.

One of my favorite books is the “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He opens his book with the lines:
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’”
The American Dream of working hard to earn a successful, prosperous life is not how the equation always works out. It is necessary to walk in another person’s shoes to know what their life is comprised of. Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of “Nickel and Dimed”, is admirable for her willingness to take a chance and leave her fairly comfortable life as a journalist to experience and document the struggles of making minimum wage or below minimum wage while paying for rent and food in three different cities.

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Here is the recipe for Chapatti that I jotted down while it was being prepared (serves 28):
- 1 ½ packs of flour (2 kg)
- 1 table spoon on salt
- Cornoil
- Milk
- Optional: finely grated peppers, carrots, onions
- * Warning: we did not measure the oil, water, or salt! Use with your discretion.

First mix the flour and 1 pack of flour. Pour about 3 tablespoons of corn oil. Rub the contents together until it is a sandy texture. Pour lukewarm about ½ a cup of water and ¼ of a cup of milk into the mixture. Mix with your fingers and add more milk if it feels dry.
Then, flour a surface where you can spread the dough and knead it together toward its center. Flour the pot. Place the ball of dough in the pot and lightly sprinkle oil over the dough to keep it moist. Let the dough sit for 40 minutes while it is covered in the pot.

Then, knead the dough, add flour, and roll the dough with a rolling pin. Spread oil with over the dough once it is flat. Cut the dough with a knife or pizza cutter into 10 thin, long slices. Roll each strip into a ball. Cut some of the strips if they are too big. Try to have 14 balls of dough. Then roll each of the 14 balls until they are flat and thin.

Blanching: Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Put the circle of dough on the empty pan, let it heat for 30 seconds, and flip once it starts to bubble. For a fluffy, drier taste, skip the browning!

Browning: For a moister taste, continue! Put the chapatti back into the pan one at a time. Add oil and spin the chapatti in the pan and flip (Anthony’s tip: just like a dj spins cds).

Lastly, cut each circle in half. Either fold the chapatti or roll it up. Enjoy :)