My Culinary Adventures: Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

Peace Corps pulled us out of Honduras, for my group, about 9 months earlier than we had planned: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/honduras-peace-corp-withdrawal_n_1212544.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false  

I'll keep this blog as a food journal from now on :)

A couple friends are throwing a Super Bowl party today, and while I'm not a fan of football, I am a fan of parties and meeting new people.  One of the requests is to bring something to eat, and I saw this as an opportunity to finally make something!  I haven't cooked or baked since being in my house in Honduras, so I decided to try something new for me - in the form of Irish Carbomb Cupcakes.  I guess I should have waited until St. Patrick's Day, but I have other plans for that weekend and this recipe looked too delicious to pass up.  This was my first time attempting to make my own cupcake frosting and filling, and they turned out pretty good!  I will warn though, there are 3 types of alcohol in this recipe, so kiddos - go light ;)

Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

Recipe from See Brooke Cook

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 cup Guinness (or other stout beer)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream

2 Tbsp butter, room temperature

2 tsp Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Icing:

3 to 4 cups confections sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

6-8 Tbsp Baileys, I would suggest use 6  first, and then add more to taste.

Directions:Cupcakes:

Preheat your oven to 350°, line cupcake pans and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat bring the beer and butter to a simmer. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream until combined. Slowly add the stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat slowly until just combined. Divide the batter in the prepared cupcake pan, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. In the preheated oven bake the cupcakes for about 17 minutes (or until tester inserted into center comes out clean). Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the ganache.

Ganache:

Put chocolate in medium heat safe bowl and set aside. Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, heat the cream/half-and-half until simmering then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If the chocolate has not completely melted you can place in the microwave for 20 seconds, but watch carefully so you don’t burn it). Add the butter and whiskey (if using) and stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to work with (you can refrigerate the mixture to speed up, but you will need to stir it every 10 minutes or so). Meanwhile cut the centers out of the completely cooled cupcakes, about 2/3 of the way deep. When all cupcakes are ready, fill them with the ganache. You can do so with a spoon and your finger, or by using a piping bag with a wide tip.

Icing:

To prepare the icing, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). While on medium speed add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, slowly add the Baileys beat until combined. If the icing has thinned too much add a couple more tablespoons of powdered sugar. Frost ganache filled cupcakes and enjoy!

Computer Donation Project

**UPDATE**
Since I am not in Honduras anymore and cannot work directly with this project or the schools (it has to be person-to-person contact), it has been canceled.
*****

Hello blog readers! 

I am working with 7 other Peace Corps Volunteers in Honduras to get computers for 12 schools and libraries from the nonprofit World Computer Exchange to connect 4,700 youth per year to the skills, opportunities and understanding of the internet. They have shipped to PCVs in Honduras before.

Each school community is also raising matching funds to show the priority they place on these computers for their children and to give them a real sense of ownership after we have come home.

The container of 200 computers will be shipped in late March or early April from Chicago.

I am raising $80 per delivered computer loaded with software in Spanish.

You can read more about our project at this url:

http://www.worldcomputerexchange.org/greatest-need-honduras

and at our Facebook Cause page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Computers-for-Honduras/101288383323883?sk=info

Please "Like" and "Share" the page with your friends even if you are unable to contribute.

If you are interested, please click the "Donate" button and under "Program Designation", choose "Peace Corps Honduras Project".

This is not limited to only the people invited. If you would like to invite others to contribute, please feel free - every dollar counts.

Those of you who work at schools or other organizations that may be able to start up a collection or fund raise for this, please ask for the support of your coworkers.

This money will not go to waste and will help advance the education of bright, dedicated students who are not fortunate enough to have the resources that students have in the states. Allowing them to expand their education and connect to the world through internet is something so simple that we think about in the states, yet such a foreign idea here. Your donation will make a substantial difference, and help open the eyes and raise awareness for these people. I will be sure to include your name in the list of donors that will go to the recipient school.

Thank you to all who choose to play an important role in these children's lives!

Twenty Things You Didn't Know About Honduras (Reblogged from a fellow PCV)

JP (that's jota-pe) in Honduras: Twenty Things You Didn’t Know About Honduras (Or M...: Allow me to marinate you all in some Honduran knowledge… 1. There are four times as many private security guards as policemen or soldiers ...

The Art of Surfing Couches during the El Negrito Feria

The joys of owning a couch are innumerable.  Not only does it make the house look more like a home, give your guests a soft place to sit their bottoms down after a long day, or serve as a midday napping spot, it also allows you to be part of the CouchSurfing program!  Well, okay, so you don't necessarily need to own a couch to participate, but it doesn't hurt :)  I owe so much to that website.  I've hosted 8 people so far, met up with a group of guys I was supposed to host in La Ceiba during Carnaval, and helped another person with planning his trip down here.  My experiences with everyone have been nothing short of inspirational.  I've already written about a couple from earlier this year, I believe.  In July I received 3 different groups of people: one guy from Germany who was living and traveling around Central/South America, one guy from Japan who had decided to travel the world starting with Central America, and 4 guys from Argentina who were doing the whole South/Central American run.  They all came at the perfect time - during our annual feria!  

We had tons of events going on in the park, in the Club, and in the Centro Social.  Every town's feria, or annual fair, is done in honor of some religious figure or Saint.  In El Negrito's case, our feria honored La Virgen del Carmen.  It lasted from July 2nd to 23rd and is really one of the rare times of the year when the central park area is completely teeming with people.  We inaugurated the fair with a float parade, horses, marching band, and firecrackers, then gave out prizes to the best floats at our large bullring.  

Global Warming Float

Another event during the feria was the Carrera de Cintas, a contest in which men ride horseback at full speed towards a rope hung across the road that has small loops hanging from it that the men have to spear with a small stick.  The guy that has the most wins.

There were bull-riding competitions in the smaller bullrings,

Small fair rides and various vendors and game booths scattered around the park, plus fireworks,

Pic by Fede

Music concerts of popular music, ranchera music, merengue, bachata, punta, and a Miss Yoro pageant,

Pic by Fede

Pic by Fede

Oh yeah. And a band that passed by every morning at 4 am playing very loud music.

My site-mate had mentioned to me that El Negrito had a small swimming hole that was a small hike away, so the first CSer I hosted in July and I went with my site-mate to see it, since he knew where it was.  The hike was about 40 minutes down a dirt road and a small trail in the woods and we had to cross several small creeks but we finally reached it.  There was a small waterfall, a big boulder, and the swimming hole actually was super tiny, but very refreshing after walking in the sun for so long!  

My second guest stayed a few days and was a big hit with my friends because he brought his guitar and played and sang for us on several occasions.  Even though he was Japanese, he knew several songs in Spanish and we sat for probably an hour in my house enjoying our own private little concert.  

The other guests I had were from Argentina.  Two guys stayed with me for a while, waiting for their other two friends to get here from Nicaragua and we all became fast friends.  We somehow managed to get into most of the feria events for free, which I attribute to their luck.  One guy was a maker of beautiful threaded bracelets of all sorts of designs and colors, another was a professional salsa dancer, there was a juggler, and then a guy who played the guitar and sang and was just generally high in spirits and fun.  We actually ended up meeting in Utila (one of the Bay Islands) after they left to continue the adventures!  There was one day that we went to a World Vision event at the pool for Dia del Niño and we met this kid who has the most beautiful eyes and perfect smile!  We were all saying that he could be a model someday :)  

Pic by Alan

In Utila

Before the other two joined us, the first two guys (on either side of me in the photo) and I tried to find the swimming hole that I went to before but without my site-mate as our guide, we got lost and ended up walking for hours up the mountain past the point we were supposed to turn off.  I'm kind of glad we did honestly because the places we walked by were absolutely stunning.  It then started to rain super hard but we found shelter in an abandoned building and waited out the storm before heading back.

We did finally make it to the swimming hole another day after asking around, and it ended up being super easy to get to!  I've gone back two or three times after to show other people, and every time it's been an adventure.

Every person I meet has touched me in some way and it's incredibly motivating to see what others are doing with their lives when it comes to traveling.  The last guys are traveling without a schedule, taking the time to stay in a place for however long they want to if they like it, and that way they are able to form meaningful friendships with people and get to know cultures and smaller, non-touristy sites better than your average traveler.  For me, that's the ideal way to travel and know the world.  Because of all these people, I may just have to pack up my bags and go around Central and South America after I finish with Peace Corps.  If I head straight into work and grad school, I feel like I'll miss out on the opportunity to do so forever!

My Culinary Adventures: Lemon Blueberry Bread

It is nearly impossible to find blueberries in Honduras because they are very difficult to grow in a tropical climate; however, I found them and bought 5 pounds frozen for about $10 (L200).  They've been in my freezer for quite a while because I couldn't think of anything to make, but I found this recipe for lemon blueberry bread that looked delicious!  One of the fruit/veg street vendors gifted me a bag of lemons too, so it was perfect timing.  Also, I was growing sick of banana bread.  :)

Recipe
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
Bread:

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I chose not to put them in)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

Glaze (I didn't make the glaze):

2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/8 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest, and blueberries*. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

*Tip: Roll blueberries in flour before adding to mixture so that they don't all sink too much to the bottom.

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

Honduras is home to the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a region of 5,250 sq. km. (about 1,300,000 acres),  and host to the highest level of tropical biodiversity in Central America, as well as the indigenous Pech and Miskito Indians and largely unexplored archaeological sites.  It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, but unfortunately this "protected" land is being threatened by illegal activities such as logging and land clearing for cattle grazing, hunting and poaching endangered wildlife and fish, the use of dynamite in rivers for fishing, narcotrafficking, and the forcing of indigenous peoples off their lands.  Not only are these activities gradually and significantly harming the land and its species, but they are also contributing to the illnesses and displacement of its people whose main source of water is from the rivers contaminated with dynamite debris.  

This insightful, eye-opening and poignant 30 minute documentary takes an in-depth look at the RPBR, how the land and its peoples are being affected, and takes you on a journey to explore a beautiful region of the world where much has gone undocumented.  I urge you to take the time to watch and share the information with others to raise awareness in support of this conservation movement which I feel is extremely important.

Paradise in Peril from Skyship Films

Taken from the UNESCO website:

39 species of mammal, 377 species of bird and 126 reptiles and amphibians have been recorded. Threatened species include giant anteater, Baird's (Central American) tapir, jaguar, ocelot, puma, margay, jaguarondi, Central American otter, Caribbean manatee, American crocodile, brown caiman, red brocket deer, harpy eagle, scarlet macaw, green macaw, military macaw, king vulture, great curassow and crested guan. Reptiles include green turtle, loggerhead turtle and leatherback turtle.

The site of Ciudad Blanca (White City) within the protected area constitutes one of the most important archaeological sites of Mayan civilization. Archaeological remains include the Piedras Pintadas petroglyphs on the bed of the Plátano River, believed to belong to an unknown pre-Columbian culture. The reserve also contains the site where Christopher Colombus first landed in the Americas in 1492. There are some 200 sites of archaeological importance.

For more information:
Official Video Website - Paradise In Peril - Skyship Films

UNESCO

Wikipedia

Friends of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

La Moskitia Eco-Adventures

La Gringa's Blogicito

You Know You’ve Lived in Honduras for a While When...

This little blurb was written by one of my best friends in the PC, Amanda Browne, for our biannual Muni D newsletter.  Definitely accurate.  =)

1. You point with your lips, not your fingers.

2. Parking lots, paved and clearly marked parking lots, excite you.

3. Going to a chain restaurant is living large. (Woo! Fridays!)

4. Spending more than L.20 ($1.00) for a beer is getting expensive.

5. You miss drinking wine that does not come in a twist-top bottle.

6. A 3-hour bus ride to get to the nearest grocery store, mall, movie theater, or chain restaurant is no big deal.

7. You are totally un-phased that said bus ride is in an old school bus jam-packed with people and animals (hence the name chicken-bus).

8. You match your earrings, shoes, eyeshadow, and all other accessories to the color of your shirt. (I’m talking all the same color.)

9. Toilets that flush and showers that work are a luxury.

10. Hot showers that work are even more of a luxury.

11. You speak in Spanglish when talking to other English speakers. O sea, you throw in Spanish words and phrases because they just make more sense. (Did you see what I just did there? Did you get it?)

12. You get really excited when you can speak English with people. A little too excited.

13. You open things with your teeth.

14. You drink water, milk, and sometimes juice or soda out of a bag.

15. Your toenails are always painted (for girls/women).

16. You own or carry around a machete. You know, to blend in.

17. You say good-bye to everyone you pass in the street. (Adios!)

18. You are no longer woken up by donkeys baying or roosters crowing throughout the night.

19. You are no longer woken up by the 4am bus as it honks its way down the street in the morning.

20. You eat your meals with tortillas instead of utensils (you scoop up the food in the tortilla).

21. Things like ‘he has the evil eye’ is a legitimate medical diagnosis. (True story: my [host] aunt took her one-year-old to the hospital in Tegus and “tiene el ojo” was what the doctor there told them.)

22. Being in a room or a meeting with women openly breastfeeding their children is totally normal.

23. You assume that any time you schedule for a meeting, no one will show up until an hour later (at least).

24. You prepare for when the person or people you NEED to meet with call you at the last minute to give you some excuses for why the can’t come/why something didn’t come through, a.k.a. the “fijese que”.

25. You never go out after 10 p.m. unless there is a town dance/event (for smaller sites).

26. Reggaeton and Ranchera music have grown on you.

Lago Yojoa, Pulhapanzak Waterfall, and Taulabe Caves

Ah, Honduras.  What a pristine, beautiful landscape you have!  That's one thing about this country - there are incredible sites to see, and for the most part, for much cheaper prices than other Central American countries.  The only thing is Honduras doesn't know how to market what it has to attract tourism!  It's really a shame that there's so much natural beauty here and not a lot of foreigners know about it.  I've slowly been crossing sites off a mental list of places to see.  Each visit has been a great adventure with unique unforgettable memories and I hope that stays true for the remaining places.  

The last weekend in June I went on a long-awaited trip to Lago Yojoa (Lake Yojoa) with my best girl friends in PC.  We stayed at Agua Azul and had our own 3 bedroom cabin complete with balcony right on the lake.  Other than the ever-present mosquitoes, the place was beautiful.  It's one of the nicest budget hotels to stay at, and there weren't too many other people there either so we were free to blast our music and have a dance party if we wanted.  The hotel has a gorgeous restaurant with optional outside seating on a deck that overlooks the lake, and has a pool table as well.  There were several activity options too, like canoe, kayak, pedal-boat, swimming pool with slide, etc but we only ended up using the pool, which in itself was refreshing!

Photo Credit: Morgaine Belanger

One of the days we headed to Pulhapanzak Waterfall, a popular tourist destination here and the largest waterfall in Honduras at 140 feet.  Beforehand though, we ate breakfast at D&D Brewery, and I was extremely pleased to find that they served BLUEBERRY pancakes!!

It is nearly impossible to find blueberries in this country, but they were there, and they were absolutely delicious.  Two backpacker girls wanted to join us on our way to the waterfall, so we went together in a friend's car.  The place has zip-lining, swimming, and a guided tour behind the waterfall.  We opted for the tour, which I heard from others was an intense feel-like-you're-drowning experience not to be missed.  The tour guide lead us down to a swimming hole which we jumped into from the rocks and enjoyed that for a bit before starting the treacherous walk through and behind the waterfall into the small cave.  We all had to join hands, tilt our heads down chin-to-chest, and breathe through our mouths as the water pounded on us and we navigated through varying depths of water on slippery stone.  The cave fit about 15 people, so there was enough space for my group.  It was dark and damp, but was the perfect refuge for a brief respite before heading back out.  As we waded back through the water, the guide mentioned we could jump from a 30 foot ledge if we wanted.  I excitedly made my way to the jump off point, felt a brief pang of fear as I brought myself to the edge, and quickly jumped off, crashing into the water below.  It was a great adrenaline rush, and the whole tour made for an unforgettable experience.

After our lake trip, some of us headed to the Taulabe Caves and did the guided tour of 400 meters.  The caves have been explored up to 12 km, but still nobody knows exactly where they end at.

My Culinary Adventures: Chickpea Curry

Wow, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything!  I've been busy with work, couchsurfers, and an island vacation!  I will write about all of my adventures soon.  Meeting so many new people traveling the world has had  a drastic influence on my potential plans for after service.  All will be revealed in due time =].

For now, however, I leave you with a delicious chickpea curry recipe.  I haven't cooked anything new in a while but I've been inspired to cook more, cook healthier, and get my personal life on track.  Let's hope the motivation stays with me and I'm able to reach my goals!

Recipe

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

I took this recipe and made a few changes and additions and it turned out even better (in my opinion).  I almost used coconut milk instead, but then realized I didn't have any.  Ni modo, it still tasted great!

Ingredients

3 Medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Medium yellow onion, diced

2 Teaspoons garlic, minced

1 Teaspoon ginger, minced

Curry powder*

Garam masala* (If you don't have garam masala, just use the spices in the link. That's what I ended up doing.)

Cumin*

Salt*

Cayenne pepper*

2 Medium tomatoes, cubed and crushed

1/2 Cup cream or milk

1 (12 ounce) Can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Juice of 1 small lime

4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Sliced almonds for garnish

*All spices to taste

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain, and set aside.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. 
3. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. 
4. Add in crushed tomatoes, cream or milk (I used whole milk), chickpeas, and potatoes and mix well.  
5. Toss in lime juice, 3 tablespoons cilantro, and some almonds. Simmer 5 minutes.
6. Once it's done, feel free to add some fresh cilantro and almonds on top and serve with brown rice!

My Culinary Adventures: Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

One of my English students gifted me a huge bag of sweet potatoes a month ago, and I knew I had to put them to good use because I don't think I had ever seen sweet potatoes in site before.  I used some of them to make Sweet Potato Fries, and the rest I planned on making a pie with.  In the states I always stayed away from sweet potato fries and pie because I was already so used to french fries and pumpkin pie that the idea of sweet potato anything seemed incredibly foreign and distasteful to me.  I looked upon these new recipes as a challenge to create something I actually enjoyed eating, and it worked!  With the right amount of spices, anything can taste wonderful :)  I unfortunately didn't have a regular pie crust so had to make one myself using crushed vanilla wafers, but that also turned out pretty delish.  It's topped with whipped cream, made with the whipping cream found here, some sugar, and vanilla.

Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust Recipe

Adapted from Baking Bites

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups vanilla wafer cookies

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1 egg white, lightly beaten (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place cookies in a plastic bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin or can.
3. Put crumbs in a mixing bowl and add in sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter and mix well to combine. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
4. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate (or 9-inch square baking dish) and gently spread into an even layer over the bottom and sides. Press crumbs in firmly to create a tight crust. 
5. (Optional) Use a pastry brush to gently brush the beaten egg white over the surface of the crust (you do not need to use the whole egg white).  This step will help create a seal on the crust and prevent it from getting soggy from a moist filling.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust just begins to turn golden brown around the edges.
7. Cool completely before using.

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Adapted from Food Network

I originally put the ginger in as stated in the Food Network recipe, but in the end, the ginger didn't quite complement the pie, so I've taken out that ingredient in the recipe below and instead put pumpkin pie spice, which contains a hint of ginger but combined with other spices as well so it's not too overpowering.

Ingredients

2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick melted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more if you're using Honduran vanilla extract, which is insanely weak)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup milk

9-inch unbaked pie crust (or in this case, a pre-baked crumb crust)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then chop into quarters and place in a pot with boiling water.  Boil about 30-40 minutes until completely tender.
3. For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.