2011 - Life Bites

Mapo Tofu Rainbow

If you like mapo tofu, but wish you didn't have to cook an additional dish to get your vegetables, here's my original recipe for mapo tofu raimbow. Eat up! Mapo Tofu Raimbow 1 lb ground pork1 pack silken (soft tofu, cut into 1/2 inch squares)1 bunch garlic shoots (approximately 20)4 medium tomatoes cut into 1 inch squares1 tablespoon Minced fresh ginger1 tea-spoon minced fresh garlic1 medium jalapeno or other small hot pepper (cut into rings)1 tablespoon light soy sauce1 tea-spoon corn starch1 tea-spoon sesame oil1 tea-spoon brown sugar (1/2 tea-spoon if using refined sugar)1/2 tea-spoon salt2 tablespoons cooking oil In…

Merrily, merrily… life is but a dream

Philosophy finds its way into our lives through unexpected sources, such as children songs. ¨Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream¨. The first time I heard this song (not long ago) I was listening intently. I needed to learn the lyrics so I could sing them to my daughter. The profoundness of the last rhyme wasn't lost on me. I quickly wondered why someone would teach a child such a song. A native Spanish speaker that I am, I can't hear a reference to life being a dream without…

Three memories of 9/11

When it comes to 9/11, "We will never forget" is more than an empty phrase. I will never forget where I was that day, nor the memories associated with it: One. I was at the Executive Offices of the Intercontinental Hotel Santo Domingo (currently a Crowne Plaza) - just an ordinary day of Sales & Marketing work. I had three bosses in the five years I worked there. The third one was in charge on September 11, 2001. It was 9:02 a.m. and the hotel managers started to come in, as they did every morning, to gather in the conference…

The pot is really melting: how interracial families are changing the face of America

When I first came to the U.S. as a "cultural ambassador", my first class was Introduction to American Life. It taught me that "How are you?" actually means "hi" and that people asking may have no interest in hearing how I'm doing (a topic for a future post). I also learned that America was a "melting pot" in which people from different ethnicities, countries, and religions came together. This utopia sounded so beautiful, I struggled to understand why then the African American students at the dorm and the college cafeteria hung out by themselves, as did most everyone from their…

Arroz con pollo – Peruvian style

Peruvian cuisine is delicious. A mix of flavors with Native Peruvian, European, African and Asian influences appeals to many palates. Arroz con pollo is a common dish in many Latin American countries, each with its own seasonings and cooking method, but all equally delicious. The Dominican version, called "locrio de pollo", is said to be an adaptation of Spanish paella. It uses tomato sauce instead of the scarce and pricier zafron. In contrast, Peruvian arroz con pollo is green, calling for big amounts of cilantro. A friend recently introduced me to this dish and I loved it. See easy print…

How to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch: recipe and videos

This is a follow-up to my post Chinese pot stickers or dumplings where you can learn how to make fillings for your pot stickers. This post will explain how to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch, using a simple mixture of all-purpose flour, salt and water. Although time-consuming, there are many good reasons to make pot sticker wrappers from scratch: better taste, fresh wrappers are more malleable so they are easier to fold - and most importantly: you know what you are putting in them. If you are making 100 pot stickers or more to store, this method is…

Easy carnitas recipe – pork roast

Don't you just love carnitas? That tender, tasty pork that breaks with a fork and melts in your mouth? I do! It turns out you don't have to go to a Mexican restaurant to get a taste. This is my version of the pork carnitas recipe and it couldn't be simpler. If you decide to use bija or annatto seeds for this dish, see my related post. Easy slow cooker carnitas recipe - pork roast 2 lbs. of pork loin2 1/2 teaspoons ground salt (use 1/2 tea-spoon more if sea salt)2 teaspoons of oregano or oregano flakes1 teaspoon of…

Doomsday Bunkers: Salvation for sale. Can you afford it?

I recently watched the Discovery Channel show 2012 Apocalypse. It shows people around the world making a living from selling doomsday bunkers at outrageous prices, as well as a wide range of survival gear. Other sites, usually blogs by self-appointed modern-day ¨prophets¨are selling e-books, DVD's and asking for donations to keep the 'cause' going. The cause being making more people aware of our imminent demise and 'preparing' them for it. Even the very people who tell you on their posts that they have been endowed by the Gods or powerful aliens to deliver this message want to charge you for…