Sans-Fluff

OK. I gotta be honest with you: I don’t like this blog. I don’t like writing it and I sure as hell wouldn’t like reading it if I was on the other end. Now, I’m sure this sounds negative and pouty, but there’s good reason behind my blog-aversion. My everyday life in Zambia has become just that – everyday life. And while it might sound interesting to you, it’s not all that fantastic to me. I love living here, don’t get me wrong, but how many times can I write about mud walls, wells and pit latrines? You try writing a blog about your kitchen sink and toilet and see how far you get. What about work? I certainly could write loads about that, right? Yeah, I could – but I’m not going to. Peace Corps work – and I’ve made peace with this – Peace Corps work is a difficult endeavor mired in cancellations and corruption. Again, don’t get me wrong, I have had successes; I do have a good ending or two, but its frustrating getting there. And while I still believe in development work, I’ve turned somewhat cynical – and nobody wants to read about that. So I’m leaving work out too.

Then what? Why have a blog if I’m not gonna write anything? It’s just gonna take up cyberspace and the time you invest in checking it. I previously intended to simply delete this fluff blog and forgo the frustration of trying to think up another inane post. Long story short, I was talked out of it. I’ll be keeping the blog, but instead of the usual dribble I’ll be writing about a new founded passion: cooking.

As I’m sure most of you know, I love dining out and did it quite often back in the states. Unfortunately this hobby has completely lost its appeal since all the restaurants in Zambia serve exactly the same thing – nshima with chicken or nshima with beef. I was soon confronted with the question, who will make my pizzas? My tacos? My charbroiled avocado double cheeseburgers with garlic fries? These became deeply troubling issues. And while I was physically sated eating the same vegetable stir-fry night after night, dreams of fettuccine Alfredo and my mom’s chicken casserole became more intense as time went on.

Enter John Crockett, a Welshmen with an enthusiasm for cooking. Volunteering for VSO, he and his Spanish girlfriend, Betty Alie, work in the nearby township of Lundazi. The international couple has continually shown us an incredible degree of hospitality, frequently opening house and stocked kitchen to me and my fellow Peace Corps comrades. Over the past eight months John has taken me under his culinary wing, instructing me on recipes such as curry, risotto, and quiche. But, as all things in Zambia, cooking isn’t a straight forward practice. Being 150 miles from the nearest supermarket, we are forced to be inventive, making simple ingredients entirely from scratch. The total and complete lack of ricotta cheese, egg noodles, and jam frequently leads us to find ourselves curdling milk, rolling dough, and preserving fruits. And while these practices are frequently time consuming and somewhat bothersome, the situation only gets worse in the village. With no refrigerator, no oven, and no stove, the methods of preserving and cooking food become even more extravagant and creative. Making bread, pies, and burritos on a charcoal brazier isn’t impossible, just requires time, patience, and the ability to stomach failure.

So that’s it. Over the next two years, I’ll be bringing you tried and tested recipes from the African bush. It’ll be fun. Well, more fun than the pit latrine stories.

Oh and if you want to read blogs about development check out John’s blog, http://www.devex.com/blogs/208 . He’s much better at it than I am.