When in Rome…

Several of my young friends, Gerritt Mora; Sarah Austin and others have asked what the food is like here. In a word, it’s VERY hot. They use a lot of curry powder. I learned how to make curry powder, you grind separately then mix together:
½ lb. coriander seeds
2 oz. of cinnamon
2 oz. of cumin seeds
1 oz. of sweet cumin seeds
2 oz. of rampa (a fragrant leaf that reminded me of bay leaf)
3 sprigs of curry leaves
1 oz. of raw rice
2 cardamoms
6 cloves
Put it in an airtight container and use it to season just about everything. I really like: Rottys; folded up flat pita-like bread with hot veggies and curried meats and fish.
String and Egg Hoppers; crepe like thingies that are cupped like a little bowl to hold veggies, meats and eggs
Sambol; which is kind of like a dry chutney or relish usually served over seasoned rice.
I have seen several Kentucky Fried Chicken places; Pizza Huts and Mcdonalds. We’ve only tried the Pizza Hut because they deliver!
To truly enjoy these dishes, you are encouraged to eat with your fingers (but only use your right hand) I’m still working on my technique and several of my shirts have curry stains on them. This is, of course, the source of much hilarity for the locals. But then you know me, spreading cheer everywhere I go…