More from around Bali.
Winter always seems to be a run-around-like-a-chicken-with-your-head-cut-off sort of season- Christmas shopping, vacations, New Years plans, work parties, house parties and numerous deadlines. We all find our ways to survive the cold and for me, cooking is one of the best paths to warmth.
Another great way to get warm is to go on vacation! To Bali! On the beach! Bali warmed (burnt) me for five whole days of perfect perfection. It was a trip of several firsts that I won’t soon forget.
I like to think I’m a fairly experienced traveler who strives to experience new things and meet new people. I’ve Couchsurfed in stranger’s homes and made lasting friendships with people all around the planet and I always try the traditional dishes and cuisine, strange or not, but this was my first time traveling by myself. Yup. Nearly thirty countries, three continents and this was my first time going it alone. I’ve used friends/lovers as comfort crutches when traveling in the past but this time I didn’t feel uncomfortable when I realized that no one could go with me. I surprised myself when I found the ability to navigate a map, keep my head when I got lost and start up conversations with others. For some people, these skills come easily. For me, they had to be learned and experienced.
I snorkeled with sea turtles just off the Gili Islands. I’ll never forget this. I surfaced to clear the fog from my snorkels and a man a few meters was yelling at me. He had a thick accent so I didn’t understand what he said, but then he asked if I wanted to see it. I figured if a stranger is yelling at me to come look at something in the ocean, I should go. I approached the scene and screamed underwater when I saw a MASSIVE turtle swimming around and munching on grass. I was close enough to touch it at one point, but didn’t. I was so content being close to it. The experience brought me to tears.
I dined constantly on fresh tropical fruit. This was not a first, but a noteworthy part of my trip. Pineapple, coconut, papaya, snakeskin fruit, passion fruit, some weird little red thing, mango, you name it, I ate it (except bananas). I couldn’t stop. It seemed like a fabulous idea at the time, but it returned to kick me in the ass at the end. Let’s just say, I’m really glad I had an aisle seat on my flight home, as my regular trips to the bathroom would have been a lot to ask of someone else to roll out of their comfy airplane seat.
Needless to say, my next few postings will be highly influenced by Bali, Balinese cuisine and/or culture and will most likely include a few photos of my experience there. I wish I had something more poetic to say at this point, but for now, I’d rather just let the photos do the talking. Do enjoy. Let me know what you think.
To the minor detriment of finding time to write posts, I have been focusing on finding a teaching job in South Korea for the past few weeks. It’s been a little slow going because I’m being very picky and haven’t actually applied to many positions. Luckily, as ESL teaching positions are quite plentiful, I can afford to be somewhat picky, but a large portion of me just wants it over with. Job searching gives me ulcers. Gah.
Actually, this won’t be my first time out there. I will be returning to SoKo after a year away. I first left North America (as a dual citizen of the States and Canada, I claim North America as my home) in August 2008. My intention was to stay for a year, but it just ended up being too good an opportunity to leave then, so I stayed an extra 2 and a half years.
In that time, I made friends with people from all over the world, traveled to about 25 countries, paid off all of my school loans and ate a metric ton of kimchi. Maybe two. As a Seoulite, I always found plenty of things to do, see, eat and experience. Seoul, like any city, has its plusses and minuses.
#1 plus- the amount of people
#1 minus- the amount of people
I’ll let you ponder that.
I look forward to experimenting with traditional Korean dishes (which is saying a lot- Korean food has such a wide array of strong flavours that experimentation could be extreme) as well as getting to know some more people in food circles upon my return to Seoul. I will keep you updated as things progress. Until then: Pesto!
This summer and fall, herbs were ridiculously plentiful in mum’s garden. It was difficult to find ways to use them all. We were stuck with excessive amounts of (among other things) basil, parsley, cilantro, arugula and yellow wood sorrel.
Yellow wood sorrel is a delightful, clover sized plant that happens to be extremely and surprisingly sour. It’s kind of like eating a flat, dry and green lemon. Well… kind of. It grows everywhere and chances are it is growing in a green space near you. You most likely think of it as a weed, but I can assure you of its usefulness. It is wonderful as an extra salad green, gorgeous as a garnish and a delightful addition to anything needing tang. The entire plant is edible (although the stems get harder later in the season) and loaded with Vitamin C. It has some medicinal properties and will help treat skin rashes, swelling and inflammation. It can also be used as an orange/yellow dye. Thanks yellow wood sorrel for being so fabulous and helping to flavour my pesto to perfection!
My recipe yielded a very large amount of pesto. Luckily, pesto freezes perfectly and months after making the stuff, I’ve still got containers full and it’s still gorgeous. It also makes wonderful gifts.
Garden Pesto
Ingredients
or for those who lack freezer space
Directions
Using a food processor, blend herbs, nuts, garlic, salt and olive oil in small batches. Add small amounts of water for extra blending lubrication. Blend until beautifully smooth with bits of green.
Once the ingredients have finished blending, mix the parmesan into the rest until well incorporated.
Pesto can be frozen for many months and keeps well in the fridge.
Variations
Omit parmesan for a vegan version and add a touch more salt. Or use a salty hard vegan cheese (any suggestions?).
Roast garlic if you’re garlic sensitive, although I would never recommend omitting garlic entirely.
Enjoy!
Turmeric and Twine 