Got (Camel's) Milk?

So, camel's milk...

So Krishna, who is also leaving Ethiopia, has this brilliant idea of cleansing/detoxing via camel's milk, before we go. Because, you know, Ethiopia.

You see, camel's milk is said to treat constipation which means...

Got my grapes!

Green, green bokeh!

The best feature of my little compound is definitely the grape vine trellis. (Especially, when I transferred to the "house" proper of the compound, where the trellis is.)

It yielded fruits last year, but wasn't keen to "harvest" them, because when I tried to taste one from off the vine, it tasted rather sour. (On hindsight, it must be because I picked up an unripe piece.)

But this year, the translucent green goblets hung too delectably to resist.

Fish Week!

Fried tilapia with crispy fried red onions

Following the meat frenzy to mark the end of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's fasting season -- Fasika ( aka the Ethiopian Easter) -- seems like I took a bad bunch, which interestingly was not from the Fasika feast (doro wot minamin minamin), I think, but from the fiyel (goat meat) tibs from a local restaurant... and then some... (minamin minamin).

Let's eat, kamote!

Too red. Means, it's a little bit overcooked. But still yummy, to me.

Deep-fried caramelized sweet potato. Easily one of my favorite Filipino snack foods.

I (stove-top) baked a cake.

Chocolate cake!

And ate it, too. (Bad pun, geez.)

It's cake mix, of course. Not the best. But at least, there's some chocolate there, unlike the so-called "black forest"cake, pastry shops sell here.

Craving for chocolate cake satiated. Off to the next hungering.

My 2014 in food

My year in food (that I cooked/prepared) can be summed up in one word: eggs. Hands down.

But it was also a year, of invention & reinvention, or should I say cover+remixes. And sure I can count the burnt rice, burned meat, spoiled dishes, expired food, the many food stuff that I had to throw away, whilst mumbling, so-sorry, but there were good times, positively.

Have I adequately fed myself? Definitely, maybe.

A Melkam Genna at Emebet's Home

Doro wat, always doro wat. My favorite. (Note to self: have to ask the recipe from someone.)

While last year, Gavin and I were invited for the Ethiopian Christmas Day at our landlord's place, the next-door neighbor really, for some sumptuous doro wat and coffee, this year, our dayguard, Emebet, (also our landlady's sister), invited me to celebrate Genna with her and daughter Seppora.

Leche Flan

I cook for the pictures.

So, there. My first contribution to Hyperbole, a leche flan recipe.

Crêpe Crap

Sugar-sprinkled crepe.

So, I finally got to buy flour last night. Just at my neighborhood souq, too. See, I've been wanting to, and meaning to, for months now, ever since I craved for chocolate chip cookies (pan-cooked, having no oven), pancakes and crepes. I just haven't gotten myself to actually "buy" it. (Like the much more needed filter water gallon.) My excuse? A lot. "Where'd I buy them?" "I don't see them in shops." "I don't really need flour." And the classic. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow." (And me, bursting in Annie's song!)

Anyway, here you go. My crêpes. Sugar-sprinkled as I totally forgot to buy Nutella or its Ethiopian/Arabic equivalent.

Carbonara Craving

My gooey carbonara.

I've been craving for carbonara since I got back to Dire.

Ever since I had it one dinner at Awraris last week, I was like, "Oh, here's another pasta dinner I could make. And eat." The Awraris carbonara was not bad. Not as savory, and I'd say, bland even. But to me, this is good, as it means I could finish the whole serving because I don't have to drink (to drown the flavor) liquids in between swallows. You get the drift.