Home Cooking

It only recently occurred to me that I am an expat. I don’t know why it’s taken me that long to come to that realization, but it has! I’ve met a lot of expats from all over the world, and when asked what they miss most from home, the answer will always be some sort of food, found only at home, and desperately missed. Their eyes glaze over, and for a moment, they’re back at their mother’s kitchen table eating whatever food that might be.


Every time Mark goes home to Australia, he goes with a shopping list for various friends, including his own breakfast cereal, brought back in a Cost-co size box. My first trip back home from London, I came back with a suitcase full of food and nothing but food! I even went so far as to plan my days around which restaurants I would enjoy which dishes, not wanting to ‘waste’ a single meal!


Flavours and smells can instantly transport you back to a place, a time, or even a feeling. And the flavours from home can instantly cure a bout of homesickness. For us expats, home has had to become more of a feeling than a place, since transporting back and forth across oceans is time consuming and more than a little expensive. To be able to be transported back to the warmth of ‘home’ with just a mouthful of food is one of life’s purest pleasures!


On our last trip, I came back with seven jars of salsa, and have worked my way through two jars already in two weeks. When my parents visited last Fall, they brought me salsa from home, and my dad had the gall to try to eat some of it!! I’ve tried repeatedly to make salsa, and still haven’t gotten it right. This Friday, I have the task of bringing a regional dish from home to a meeting at work – as an ice breaker. (That’s a first for me!) Since steamy enchiladas are slightly impractical, I plan to bring salsa. Not willing to give up one of my coveted jars of good American salsa (and partially because my pride won’t let me bring something I didn’t make myself), my weekend project is to make salsa until I finally get it right!


So it’s off to the markets for me to buy copious amounts of fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and yes, even cilantro -- or coriander, as they call it here. I’ll update my progress!

UPDATE
So I made some salsa.  It tastes right, but it doesn't look right at all.  I think it might be my hand blender.  Might see if I can find a proper food processor today if any of the shops are open.  Thanks to all of you who sent your recipes!  I incorporated a little of all of it together to make my salsa!