First things first.....I got your packages and I love love love you! Who knew rice crispy treats could taste so good? Mr and Mrs Pittenger, your package caught me completely off guard and I was so excited....I'm making everyone jealous with all my love from home. And rachel, love of my life Rachel. I love the sister box!!!!! Nail polish, cute undies, Shia Laboeuf.......what more could a girl ask for? I love you all so much! And mom and dad you know I always appreciate your boxes.
And now.....an African haiku
Am I eating sand?
Millet is my enemy
I am not a bird.
I have developed a love-hate relationship with the wonderful and favorite grain of Senegal: Millet. Actually, its a hate-hate relationship. Funny thing, a vet once told me that I should feed my parakeets millet. Apparently its like chocolate for birds, is the way he put it. Now, here I am, right along with the memories of Larry....sad.....eating the millet that he would have loved. I would gladly give it to a hungry parakeet though.
I am not sure how much of the lacciri (millet couscous with a bean/fishbone sauce) is actually millet, and how much is good 'ole fashioned African sand. Secretly each night I hope for something other than millet, it never happens. As I plunge the crusty spoon blindly into the dark bowl alongside my little sisters (who all still have pink eye by the way), I still maintain a little bit of hope that its a huge bowl of Cheesecake Factory Nachos. News flash, it never is. Damn.
Crunch! Oh theres that fishbone again digging its way into the roof of my mouth. Funny, we're not having fish tonight? I just keep telling myself to block it out and pay attention the french dubbed Desperate housewives or 24 (my family LOVES jack bauer for some reason). Four bites in and trying my best to take couscous-like millet the same way I would a pill, oh Mi Haari. Again, I'm full, but this time, drum role please!!!!!! The Pittengers sent rice crispy treats! I savor the processed sugar in the safety of my mosquito net and away from the constant "eat more eat more!" In the village, my bed time had turned into 830-9pm. I'm pretty cool, I know.
But, I must give them credit. With the nastiness we know as millet, they have adapted some creative techniques in its plating. There are a number of ways you can make a millet dish. I, indeed, have tried them all. Unfortunately.
1.) Lacciri: my "favorite" millet dish described more detailed in the paragraphs above
2.) Millet and milk: The actual millet is more fluffy than lacciri, which is more of a paste, and then we pour unpasturized, direct from the utter milk. Oh yea....but surprisingly not too bad and I will actually look forward to this one. Maybe, if i'm hungry enough.
3.) Millet pourrage: Cream/fish sauce/millet and maybe some chunks of something I cant quite make out.
4.) Sweet millet ball pourrage thingy: Sugar, balls of millet and milk. In theory it would be delicious. Its like a cereal like dish. But the unpasturized milk that has been sitting out for a few hours in the hot sun give it a soured taste that I cant bring myself to enjoy. Gag!
-Also, if you leave this out over night it solidifies and becomes more of a thick oatmeal/gel. Yes, I have eaten it and surprisingly its better than the original way. I wonder why I got a parasite right?
However, one thing that I am willing to try on my own involving millet is onion rings. I am pretty sure that I could make some bomb onion rings. Do an egg wash and dip them into pounded millet, fry those babies up. Delish. I'm willing to try it, and then eat the crap out of them, good or not. They can't be worse than goat face though right?
Pounding millet however has become a fun past time. Until my family makes me stop because they think i'm tired and cant stop laughing. Jerks. Africa not fun.
Millet oh Millet (To the tune of Homework oh homework, I hate you you stink):
Millet oh millet, I hate you, you're sand,
I wish I could ruin you with my left hand.
If only the bowl would tip over and spill,
even sans gluten, you're making me ill.
I'd rather take baths with a huge centipede
than be forced to eat millet I'll never concede!
Millet oh millet, I hate you, you're sand
I hate when you grow, get out of this land.
Recent random cravings:
-Nachos from Cheesecake factory
-Tuxedo cheescake (also from the factory)
-Chicken empanadas from Sangria in Chicago
-Dark chocolate M&Ms
-Whole clove roasted garlic bread and oil with herbs and balsamic vinager :)
2 comments:
hey sarah it's good to hear from you again. I was starting to wonder when it would happen again. You are the funniest kid the way you write. good to keep humor on your side during tough times. I am just sitting here eating nachos, empannadas, tuxedo cheese cake and dark m&ms. just kidding. i am waiting for your new address before we/I send anything else. i love you kid and will talk soon.
I got your website through your sisters. I am down here in Houston. She is wonderful and so much fun! I can tell by your site you must be just alike! I have enjoyed reading about your adventures....take care of yourself!
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