American Tacos for Five
Loading Map
Ntcheu,
Malawi
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday night was taco night at the Chilopora residence. In case I haven't mentioned it before, we eat somewhat late here. Tea is usually at 5:30 to 6:30, and dinner typically isn't served until 9:30 or later. That being said, following tea we began to cook dinner.
In Blantyre on Saturday we purchased all the necessary items to complete a meal of makeshift tacos. Among the purchased items were Old El Paso hard taco shells, taco meat seasoning, and salsa. I was surprised to see such a familiar brand in Africa. It was found that this American convenience comes with a hefty price tag. Ground beef was also purchased along with diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese. We figured beer wouldn't be appropriate for dinner, so a bottle of wine was also purchased instead. The rest of our required ingredients were already in stock at the house. These were tomatoes, onions, beans, and rice.
Dinner would include tacos (hard-shell), Mexican beans, and Spanish rice. Tomatoes, onions, and cabbage were all diced. The fresh diced tomatoes were to be used as taco condiments. Cabbage was used in substitution for lettuce. As I said before, they were African tacos.
The cooking began by boiling the beans. These took 2 hours to boil because they were dried beans. To the beans, sautéed onions and tomatoes were added. I also added a teaspoon of Nali (Malawian hot sauce) to give them a little flavor. This completed the Mexican beans. I would come to regret this.
PAUSE: Earlier in the trip Dr. C told me a story about a terrible dining experience in his past. He was eating at an Asian restaurant in Europe, and much to his displeasure the food ordered was overbearingly spiced. Instead of ordering something else he, and his fiery mouth, walked out of the restaurant, never to return. The moral of the story was that Dr. C hates spicy food. He can't stand it.
Our African-Spanish rice was made by throwing chopped onions and diced tomatoes into white rice while it was cooking. It was a simple and straightforward recipe. The ground beef was browned, the fat was drained, and the taco seasoning was added. As the meat was simmering, the taco shells were placed in the oven to crisp. Whenever there was time throughout the meal preparation, I shredded the block of cheddar cheese. Cheese is not eaten frequently in Malawi, thus I was forced to shred the cheese with some sort of spoon. This task tested my patience as well as my stamina. It took me a half hour to shred 8 ounces of cheese. Surprisingly, I remained cheerful. The shells, after 5 minutes of baking, were ready. Therefore, dinner was ready. Cooking makeshift tacos took us around 2.5 hours. Ha-ha.
This was the first time Dr. C, Mrs. C, and Jimmy had ever tried tacos. The camera was rolling as we sat at the table. I wanted to make sure to capture the taco-tutorials. The wine was opened and poured. Then, Aaron and I guided them through the elementary and inexact science of taco making. Minutes later they began to eat. They thoroughly enjoyed the tacos. Mrs. C was exceedingly impressed when we told her the shells were made of maize. The first tacos were consumed and it was time to introduce the Spanish rice and Mexican beans. Mrs. C loved the beans, but they were a bit much for Dr. C and Jimmy.
"It feels like my mouth is on fire," Jimmy said as he swished cold water around his mouth.
"Yes, the beans are quite hot," echoed Dr. C.
I explained that I added a smidgen of Nali to the beans for flavor. The beans were by no means spicy. Perhaps the male Chilopora taste buds are excessively fragile.
They did not care for the beans. In fact, they left the rest of their beans untouched. My bad Dr. C and Jimmy. My bad.
"I wouldn't have known you put anything spicy in the beans if you hadn't told me," Aaron said as he scooped another forkful of delicious Mexican beans into his mouth.
The beans were quite good. I am glad Aaron felt the same way I did.
As mentioned earlier, the cost of the meal was incredibly expensive for tacos. Making this meal for five in America costs between $15-20 at most. In Malawi, this meal cost Aaron and I $56.00 to make. Turns out cheap American food isn't cheap in Malawi!
We were happy to spend the money. It was an honor to prepare dinner for the Chilopora's no matter what the cost. I mean, we gave them the pleasure-filled opportunity to try one of the most delectable foods on earth. You can't put a price on that. To give someone a taco is to give someone life. Life without the taco is life without meaning. Alright, that's a stretch. See I got carried away just thinking about tacos. I guess what I was trying to say is that I enjoy tacos and I'm glad they're a part of my life.
It was a brilliant event and definitely one of the highlights of the trip to this point. Wine and dinner consumed, we retired to the living room.
I am all cooked out. Sweet taco dreams everyone. The journey is still unfolding. More to come.
