Hello Readers,
I’m writing to you because I received a request for help from my host brother, Maximo, in Nicaragua.
As you may know, Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, the 1st being Haiti. However, right now it does not get a fraction of the attention or help Haiti does.
Education there is abysmal. An estimated 32.5% of the population is illiterate, and even the kids who go to school learn only a few subjects per day, and often in rural places do not have access to well-educated teachers. (These facts are from the CIA World Factbook and from my own experience in Nicaragua).
Maximo has expressed to me his yearning for a decent education ever since I met him in the summer of 2010. To quote him, "Bueno el que puede estudiar y el que no puede no estudia asi es la vida en nicaragua. pero yo si quiero estudiar por que quiero superarme mejor y asi saver mucho mas." or in English: "Well, the person who can study (has the resources) does and who cannot doesn't, that's the way life is in Nicaragua. But I do want to study because I want to better myself, and in that way know much more". As a university-educated person myself, it really hurts to hear about someone who can’t get access even to a good high school.
Maximo himself says that he dreams of studying engineering. Although he is already 19, because his prior education was so lacking it’s impossible for him to apply to universities. We've decided that the best thing for him is to go to a private college prep school called Santo Domingo in Rivas, close to Playa Gigante where he lives. There, he would study Math, Natural Sciences, Economics, Spanish, Technical Vocational Orientation, Physics, Chemistry, Physical Education, Civics, and English. He says he is willing to commute the few hours in bus from Playa Gigante to Rivas to attend classes.
Maximo says that $50 should cover school supplies, and it's 40 córdobas daily there and back to get to Rivas (that's about $1.73). So for 20 weeks of busses that would be about $58. The school itself is $500 per year for a total of $1,000 for 2 years. In total, it'd be about $1,108 for 2 years of schooling.
I am asking those of you with the resources to donate $1, $5, $20...whatever amount you are comfortable with, in order to help Maximo achieve the education he so desires and deserves. You may donate here:
Thank you so much for hearing me out, if you could help me and Maximo out we would be forever grateful. For those of you who plan to donate or have already donated, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping Maximo achieve a better life for himself and his family.
Thank you,
Katie Ehrlich
PS - If you can't help with donations, please forward this blog to your friends!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
To satisfy that Peruvian food craving
As with most places I go, I spent a lot of time in a Peruvian kitchen. Not to mention a restaurant kitchen! Here's my collection of Peruvian recipes. Thank you to my amazing host mom, Liliana Espejo, and my friend Mabel for these!
Chicha Morada (purple corn tea)
-1 kilo whole kernel purple corn (Peruvian purple corn is a beautiful, deep royal purple. I couldn't find any when I looked at the Mexican market, so I just used blue corn. Sometimes it's labeled purple, but it's blue in color)
-The rind of one pineapple
-1 tsp. whole cloves
-2 cinnamon sticks
-6-7 cups water (enough to cover the ingredients by about 3 inches)
-sugar to taste
-pineapple juice from 1 can pineapple
Directions: Wash corn. Put all ingredients but sugar and pineapple juice into a crock pot, and cook on low for 6 hours. Alternately, you can boil it for 2 hours or so on the stove. When the mixture takes on either a deep purple color, or a cloudy blue-yellowish color (depending on your corn), remove from heat, strain, add sugar and juice to your liking, and refrigerate. Usually this is served at room temperature without ice, but I like it a little cold.
Peruvian-Style Pulled Chicken
-2 chicken breasts
-1.5 Tbs. mild chili powder (not US chili powder with onion powder and such, the Mexican kind that only contains actual chilis). In Peru we use one called ají panca, but I can't find that here.
-5 cloves chopped garlic
Directions: Simmer chicken in water until just cooked through. Remove and let cool. When cool, pull the chicken into small strips. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan, and add chicken, chili powder, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes. This is used for the filling for tamales, pan de choclo, empanadas, and various other things.
Pan de Choclo (Peruvian-style filled corn bread)
(for pictures, see my other blog here: Sojourner Food)
-2 kilos fresh corn, ground. (The corn here is less starchy than Peruvian corn. So, I'd recommend instead just using 4 cups corn meal plus enough water to make a crumbly dough)
-4 eggs
-2/3 c. whole milk, or more to make a loose batter
-1/3 c. butter, melted
-1/2 c. sugar (I prefer honey...and my host mom would put in 1 whole cup, but that's up to you)
-1 Tbs. salt
-1/2 Tbs. cumin
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 recipe pulled chicken
-10 kalamata olives, halved
-3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
-1/2 c. raisins
Directions: Mix together all ingredients up to pepper. Put half the batter in a 9x11 pan, then arrange the chicken, olives, egg slices, and raisins evenly over the top of the batter. Cover with the rest of the batter and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through. Serve with thinly sliced onions dressed with lime juice and salt.
Salsa Huancaína
-3 ají mirasol peppers, halved and seeded (If you cannot find these, I like red jalapeños)
-1.3 c. queso fresco
-1.5 c. crushed soda crackers
-1 small can evaporated milk
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-1/4 tsp. cumin
Directions: Fry the chilis in about a tablespoon of oil until the skin starts to blister and the chilis take on a dark brown color. Put in a blender (both chilis and oil) along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. This is usually served over peeled and boiled potatoes that have been sliced and garnished with slices of hard boiled egg and kalamata olives. You may also use this as the base sauce for Ají de Gallina, pulled chicken with ají pepper sauce.
This is also the base recipe for one type of the Peruvian hot sauce, Ají. Ají is also made only with green peppers, sometimes herbs like huacatay are added...but usually it'll be peppers, milk, and crackers or bread :)
This basic sauce is very integral in Peruvian cuisine and is made differently everywhere. This is just how my host mom made it.
Chupe de Trigo (wheat soup)
-5 c. chicken broth (usually made by putting half a chicken in boiling water with 1 peeled and quartered carrot, 1 celery stalk, and 1 quartered leek and boiling 2 hours).
-1 c. whole wheat grains, washed and stones removed
-1 c. lima beans (if canned, rinse first)
-2 carrots, cut into chunks
-2 yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Directions: make chicken stock, then add wheat and potatoes, boiling about 5 minutes before adding carrots. Boil another 5-10 minutes, until wheat and potatoes are cooked through. Add beans, and serve. Usually served with ají hot sauce and lime slices.
Mazamorra de Naranja (orange pudding with meringue)
-6 oranges, juiced
-5 whole cloves
-2 cups water
-1 c. sugar, or to taste
-1/4 c. corn starch mixed with enough water to dissolve it
-Meringue (3 egg whites whipped with 1/2 c. sugar until "a punto de nieve", or until you see soft peaks and it's glossy.
Directions: Bring all ingredients but corn starch to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat to simmer, then pour in starch water mixture and stir until mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and serve in small bowls with meringue on top. I love this hot, but it's also good cold. This is also made with chicha morada (then called mazamorra morada), which will usually have chunks of pear and orange in it, and served with arroz con leche (rice pudding) on top.
Papa Rellena (filled potato)
-1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked in the style of the pulled chicken above
-1/2 c. raisins
-10 kalamata olives, halved
-1 carrot, minced and cooked
-3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
-1/2 tsp. cumin
-3 large white potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
Directions: Mix together all ingredients but the mashed potatoes. When mashed potatoes are cool, take about 1/2 c. in your hand, and form a flat oval. Fill middle with some of the beef mixture, and close potato around it so it is shaped like a football. Fry these until golden brown, and eat immediately.
For my humitas (sweet tamale) recipe, look here.
Let me know if you use any recipes!!
Chicha Morada (purple corn tea)
-1 kilo whole kernel purple corn (Peruvian purple corn is a beautiful, deep royal purple. I couldn't find any when I looked at the Mexican market, so I just used blue corn. Sometimes it's labeled purple, but it's blue in color)
-The rind of one pineapple
-1 tsp. whole cloves
-2 cinnamon sticks
-6-7 cups water (enough to cover the ingredients by about 3 inches)
-sugar to taste
-pineapple juice from 1 can pineapple
Directions: Wash corn. Put all ingredients but sugar and pineapple juice into a crock pot, and cook on low for 6 hours. Alternately, you can boil it for 2 hours or so on the stove. When the mixture takes on either a deep purple color, or a cloudy blue-yellowish color (depending on your corn), remove from heat, strain, add sugar and juice to your liking, and refrigerate. Usually this is served at room temperature without ice, but I like it a little cold.
Peruvian-Style Pulled Chicken
-2 chicken breasts
-1.5 Tbs. mild chili powder (not US chili powder with onion powder and such, the Mexican kind that only contains actual chilis). In Peru we use one called ají panca, but I can't find that here.
-5 cloves chopped garlic
Directions: Simmer chicken in water until just cooked through. Remove and let cool. When cool, pull the chicken into small strips. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan, and add chicken, chili powder, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes. This is used for the filling for tamales, pan de choclo, empanadas, and various other things.
Pan de Choclo (Peruvian-style filled corn bread)
(for pictures, see my other blog here: Sojourner Food)
-2 kilos fresh corn, ground. (The corn here is less starchy than Peruvian corn. So, I'd recommend instead just using 4 cups corn meal plus enough water to make a crumbly dough)
-4 eggs
-2/3 c. whole milk, or more to make a loose batter
-1/3 c. butter, melted
-1/2 c. sugar (I prefer honey...and my host mom would put in 1 whole cup, but that's up to you)
-1 Tbs. salt
-1/2 Tbs. cumin
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 recipe pulled chicken
-10 kalamata olives, halved
-3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
-1/2 c. raisins
Directions: Mix together all ingredients up to pepper. Put half the batter in a 9x11 pan, then arrange the chicken, olives, egg slices, and raisins evenly over the top of the batter. Cover with the rest of the batter and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through. Serve with thinly sliced onions dressed with lime juice and salt.
Salsa Huancaína
-3 ají mirasol peppers, halved and seeded (If you cannot find these, I like red jalapeños)
-1.3 c. queso fresco
-1.5 c. crushed soda crackers
-1 small can evaporated milk
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-1/4 tsp. cumin
Directions: Fry the chilis in about a tablespoon of oil until the skin starts to blister and the chilis take on a dark brown color. Put in a blender (both chilis and oil) along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. This is usually served over peeled and boiled potatoes that have been sliced and garnished with slices of hard boiled egg and kalamata olives. You may also use this as the base sauce for Ají de Gallina, pulled chicken with ají pepper sauce.
This is also the base recipe for one type of the Peruvian hot sauce, Ají. Ají is also made only with green peppers, sometimes herbs like huacatay are added...but usually it'll be peppers, milk, and crackers or bread :)
This basic sauce is very integral in Peruvian cuisine and is made differently everywhere. This is just how my host mom made it.
Chupe de Trigo (wheat soup)
-5 c. chicken broth (usually made by putting half a chicken in boiling water with 1 peeled and quartered carrot, 1 celery stalk, and 1 quartered leek and boiling 2 hours).
-1 c. whole wheat grains, washed and stones removed
-1 c. lima beans (if canned, rinse first)
-2 carrots, cut into chunks
-2 yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Directions: make chicken stock, then add wheat and potatoes, boiling about 5 minutes before adding carrots. Boil another 5-10 minutes, until wheat and potatoes are cooked through. Add beans, and serve. Usually served with ají hot sauce and lime slices.
Mazamorra de Naranja (orange pudding with meringue)
-6 oranges, juiced
-5 whole cloves
-2 cups water
-1 c. sugar, or to taste
-1/4 c. corn starch mixed with enough water to dissolve it
-Meringue (3 egg whites whipped with 1/2 c. sugar until "a punto de nieve", or until you see soft peaks and it's glossy.
Directions: Bring all ingredients but corn starch to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat to simmer, then pour in starch water mixture and stir until mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and serve in small bowls with meringue on top. I love this hot, but it's also good cold. This is also made with chicha morada (then called mazamorra morada), which will usually have chunks of pear and orange in it, and served with arroz con leche (rice pudding) on top.
Papa Rellena (filled potato)
-1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked in the style of the pulled chicken above
-1/2 c. raisins
-10 kalamata olives, halved
-1 carrot, minced and cooked
-3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
-1/2 tsp. cumin
-3 large white potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
Directions: Mix together all ingredients but the mashed potatoes. When mashed potatoes are cool, take about 1/2 c. in your hand, and form a flat oval. Fill middle with some of the beef mixture, and close potato around it so it is shaped like a football. Fry these until golden brown, and eat immediately.
For my humitas (sweet tamale) recipe, look here.
Let me know if you use any recipes!!
Al Final
So, dear readers, it's been several months since I've last written...sorry! I think I owe you an explanation.
Before that though, I've been hearing from all sorts of friends and relatives that they are forwarding my blog to their friends. I just want to say thank you for reading to everyone that I didn't know had this link!
Ok, that said, to start I will recount to you my long and arduous months of January and February:
It rained buckets, the youth center was closed because no one was working with us, and basically half the town left.
The end.
Yes, this is why I didn't write any blogs. There was nothing to write about! It's enough to say, Chris and I cooked a lot, watched lots of movies, and I worked on trying to read books in Spanish. We honestly tried to get something done; we'd try to meet with community members, I advertised my teaching services to everyone and their mother, and we'd pester people in the government offices (if they were even open, which they tended to close often). But to no avail. Everything shuts down during the rainy season, and that's that.
So unfortunately, I didn't work directly with any kids during that time. We worked on minor organizational things for the center, but that was it. However, Chris has been experiencing a whole new Cutervo now that the rainy season is over, you can see all his success here: Peruvian Pato
While there was nothing to do, I watched my saved money rapidly decrease (we found out that we had been paying for the rent for a second house for the host siblings plus paying for our own food, but that's another story), the idea that I really should be thinking about leaving nagged me constantly.
I had been job searching, and all of a sudden a job with the government I had randomly applied to said I qualified to take the initial tests required for the position. That was the catalyst that I needed. I changed my plane tickets from April to the next week (fortunately, free of charge), and in the course of seven days I packed everything, went to experience Carnival in Cajamarca, traveled to Lima, and then boarded a plane for Denver.
....Surprise!! I'm in Denver now! No more Perú blogs now, I'm deeply sorry to say.
But, now that I'm here, I've been applying to job upon job upon job. I also have a remaining 350 Americorps volunteer hours to finish, so I have been working 40 hours a week as a bilingual intern with Colorado Bright Beginnings up on Colorado Blvd. & 6th. Their mission is promoting early childhood education through good parenting practices. I started by entering very thick piles of data sheets into the computer and doing phone survey calls in Spanish, but now I'm starting to do home visits where I give and explain educational packets parents with children under 3. I'm getting very good at explaining childhood development in Spanish! They've also started me on some graphic design projects. After working with so many adolescents who are severely behind in school, it's nice to work for an organization that sort of nips that problem in the bud. Plus I love everyone in that office, I feel very comfortable, accepted, and happy there.
I've also started working on Fridays with Friendship Bridge, a microlending organization that works with Guatemalan women, and I'll start translating soon for Cooking Matters, which does cooking and nutrition classes.
In sum, I'm sad to have left Peru, but I had a wealth of amazing experiences there. It also feels great to be back and doing work (by work I mean not feeling like I'm constantly pushing on a brick wall trying to do something, a feeling that often overcame me in Cutervo). And I've returned an honorary Peace Corps (or as Chris would say, Peacey Corps) member!. I was officially knighted by my good friend, Chris Duron (read his amazing blog here: Living Above the Clouds. He has seriously had the most unbelievable bad luck in the past couple months, you just have to read his stories). I'm also glad to be in Denver, reentering the real world.
Thanks for following the blog! Keep up with me by email please!! ktehrlich@gmail.com
Before that though, I've been hearing from all sorts of friends and relatives that they are forwarding my blog to their friends. I just want to say thank you for reading to everyone that I didn't know had this link!
Ok, that said, to start I will recount to you my long and arduous months of January and February:
It rained buckets, the youth center was closed because no one was working with us, and basically half the town left.
The end.
Yes, this is why I didn't write any blogs. There was nothing to write about! It's enough to say, Chris and I cooked a lot, watched lots of movies, and I worked on trying to read books in Spanish. We honestly tried to get something done; we'd try to meet with community members, I advertised my teaching services to everyone and their mother, and we'd pester people in the government offices (if they were even open, which they tended to close often). But to no avail. Everything shuts down during the rainy season, and that's that.
So unfortunately, I didn't work directly with any kids during that time. We worked on minor organizational things for the center, but that was it. However, Chris has been experiencing a whole new Cutervo now that the rainy season is over, you can see all his success here: Peruvian Pato
While there was nothing to do, I watched my saved money rapidly decrease (we found out that we had been paying for the rent for a second house for the host siblings plus paying for our own food, but that's another story), the idea that I really should be thinking about leaving nagged me constantly.
I had been job searching, and all of a sudden a job with the government I had randomly applied to said I qualified to take the initial tests required for the position. That was the catalyst that I needed. I changed my plane tickets from April to the next week (fortunately, free of charge), and in the course of seven days I packed everything, went to experience Carnival in Cajamarca, traveled to Lima, and then boarded a plane for Denver.
....Surprise!! I'm in Denver now! No more Perú blogs now, I'm deeply sorry to say.
But, now that I'm here, I've been applying to job upon job upon job. I also have a remaining 350 Americorps volunteer hours to finish, so I have been working 40 hours a week as a bilingual intern with Colorado Bright Beginnings up on Colorado Blvd. & 6th. Their mission is promoting early childhood education through good parenting practices. I started by entering very thick piles of data sheets into the computer and doing phone survey calls in Spanish, but now I'm starting to do home visits where I give and explain educational packets parents with children under 3. I'm getting very good at explaining childhood development in Spanish! They've also started me on some graphic design projects. After working with so many adolescents who are severely behind in school, it's nice to work for an organization that sort of nips that problem in the bud. Plus I love everyone in that office, I feel very comfortable, accepted, and happy there.
I've also started working on Fridays with Friendship Bridge, a microlending organization that works with Guatemalan women, and I'll start translating soon for Cooking Matters, which does cooking and nutrition classes.
In sum, I'm sad to have left Peru, but I had a wealth of amazing experiences there. It also feels great to be back and doing work (by work I mean not feeling like I'm constantly pushing on a brick wall trying to do something, a feeling that often overcame me in Cutervo). And I've returned an honorary Peace Corps (or as Chris would say, Peacey Corps) member!. I was officially knighted by my good friend, Chris Duron (read his amazing blog here: Living Above the Clouds. He has seriously had the most unbelievable bad luck in the past couple months, you just have to read his stories). I'm also glad to be in Denver, reentering the real world.
Thanks for following the blog! Keep up with me by email please!! ktehrlich@gmail.com
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