A long weekend of indulgence has left me craving a simple lo-cal dinner of Curried Carrot Soup for Meatless Monday. It’s quick and simple with a complex taste, and who could resist these multi colored carrots I found at the farmers market!
Ingredients:
- 2T canola or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2t. curry powder
- 2”piece of ginger-grated
- 1/4 t. tumeric
- 4 cups sliced carrots
- 1 peeled ripe pear or green apple
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 c. Stonyfield greek yogurt
- toasted cashews, matchstick carrots, scallion and a little yogurt for garnish {all optional}
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, ginger and curry powder and turmeric, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped carrots and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat stir in chopped pear or apple and cook for approx 1 hour.
- Let cool and process in a blender. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving stir in 3/4 cup yogurt. Stir to heat, being careful not to let it boil once the yogurt has been added.
- Garnish if desired
What better way to embrace a new culture and pick up unique tips about the local cuisine than a cooking class during your travels. The chefs undoubtetly have insider knowledge about the area markets and seasonal foods of the area. Some can even be part of a bigger picture with visits to farms, wineries and markets filling out your days. Cooking experiences can be found all over the world; here are a few to whet your appetite.
Many of the locations feature sustainable, organic ingredients, and a few have their own farms right on the premises. Agra tourism has skyrocketed in recent years, and cooking is on the agenda of many. Whatever the case, eating and learning about local ingredients is a great way to support a sustainable economy in the travel industry.
Eating in Italy and France is a well known sport, and one I can embrace wholeheartedly! The markets are filled with the freshest of ingredients. Experience the best of the countryside—and cuisine—in a day or weeklong time frame. You’ll find striking beauty, spectacular views and charm. The Slow Food principle thrives here, and many produce award winning artisan products of fruit, honey and olive oils.
- Toscana Taste and Beauty is a cooking school hosted at Il Paluffo in a Tuscan Eco lodge. They offer an all inclusive seven day Tuscan experience which combines cooking classes, wine excursions and cultural excursions in nearby Florence, Sienna and other small villages. Traditional recipes focus on organic ingredients and the opportunity to enjoy an authentic hands on taste of Italian life.
- A school with over 30 years of experience, Case Vecchie in Sicily is run by a family that has been cooking their whole lives. Three and five day courses are paired with visits to local cheese tastings at dairy farms or coffee sipping with the local barista. If you’re a fan of tomatoes, a taste of the school’s own sun-dried pastes and confits will satisfy. The estates wine will have you reminiscing about your wonderful experience once you arrive back home. Homestyle recipes will ensure you’ll appreciate with all five senses the Sicilian dolce vita.
- The Cooking Classes of Patricia Wells in Provence leaves visitors swooning. In addition to learning to cook traditional French dishes, the experience of living like a local and soaking up the culture of life in Provence is what has her students raving about the dreamy weeks that sell out far in advance. One of particular interest to me is the Black Truffle Cooking Extravaganza-a focus on the most luxurious and rare of ingredients. Truffles are included in all of the prepared dishes and participants take part in a truffle hunt. Students will come away with a new appreciation and understanding of this exotic ingredient of French menus.
Finishing off my photo essay of Bagan will take you through the rest of my visit to this ancient city which was once the unifying capital of the regions that would make up Myanmar.
The road between Bagan and Mt. Popa {our next stop} is lined with a number of quaint places that make palm liquor and sweets from the sugar palm. Along with demonstrations, you can have snacks and purchase the products made there.
I learned from our guide that there is a significant problem with diabetes in the country, much of it stemming from the prevalence of this crop, combined with rice and the snacks and sticky deserts that are consumed throughout the country. The government is working hard to disseminate information about the disease and encourage residents to get treatment.
The liquid from the palm is tapped and carried down from the trees by very agile workers.
A must have is the infamous tea leaf salad. I had heard much discussion about this Burma speciality before I left, and it was described as everything from magical and unique to make sure not to miss it. Being a tad squeamish, I wasn’t sure what to make of a FERMENTED tea leaf, but it truly lived up to it’s reputation. Crunchy, sour and savory, the tangy green tea leaves are doused with fresh lemon juice and then tossed with tasty peanuts, various seeds and chopped vegetables, tomatoes, chillies and fried garlic.
There is so much to see in the city, a Bagan photo essay is the best place to begin. Landing in the early morning is like stepping into a fairy tale. A slight haze is surrounding the temples which stretch as far as the eye can see. Antiquity and mystery is scattered across the dry plains. Colors are completely different from Yangon, there is very little green and the countryside is not filled with the glistening gold of our first stop, but golden grasses and naturally colored brick temples of an ancient capital.
The morning was spent walking around the Min Nan village and exploring the stupas and temples of the area. Each is more beautiful in it’s decay than the last.
The area is still home to over 2500 structures, so you can imagine how many must have filled the area in the 11th and 12th centuries. Families created their own buildings as a sign of wealth and power, probably similar to the thought process behind all the McMansions that pop up around Boston, my home town.
The country is much more primitive here. Many people rely on ox cart for transportation and the roads are often not paved. It is a simple way of life. The internet has arrived, but it is slow and painful. After a BIT of frustration, we found it was better to just turn off for a few days and take in all the countryside had to offer.
It was impressive to see the restoration work being done on the inside murals. Many have all ready been restored to their former brilliant glory. It is a slow, painstaking process of removing years and years of dirt and grim buildup, but the magic revealed underneath is pretty spectacular. Especially when you consider how old the original paintings are, and the natural materials they must have used for pigments.
