Hello Red Clog Readers,
I’ve been thinking an awful lot about you – you who share in my adventures both around the world and in my home kitchen. I hope everyone is staying healthy and finding the silver lining in this imposed down time. I’m listening to the birds, looking at the flowers, organizing years of scattered recipe clippings and cooking up a storm.
For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to tell you about a cherry blossom trip to Japan that took place exactly one year ago this week. I will do it, very soon. But for today, I find it easier to reflect briefly on a more recent trip and to spend my remaining energy in the kitchen.
As many of you are aware, Bruce and I spent January 2020 circumnavigating the globe. 32,000 miles, 18 flights, 8 countries, 14 cities. We dodged Coronavirus in Vietnam – not once, but twice. We survived a 2am earthquake, measuring 5.5, on the 26th floor of our Tokyo hotel. We flew over the length of Iran, all night long, a mere 2 days after the US bombing there (when other airlines had pulled their aircraft out of Iranian airspace). We were detained in Sri Lanka due to a little issue with documents. And while there were these (and other) moments of anxiety, it didn’t prevent us from having a marvelous time.
I’ll tell you more about those experiences and share related recipes in upcoming posts, but in the meantime, I’m going to pay just a bit of homage to that January trip. Below are 10 (out of thousands) photo memories followed by The One Recipe that has sustained me through the past weeks of Virus-mania. Please enjoy the photographic amuse bouche from our “Around the World in 32 days” trip. And make the recipe. Or any recipe. There is no better time than now for us to be in the kitchen.
On the Road to Hue, Vietnam
It was a cool and cloudy day (which would turn out to be the best weather we’d have all week). We had just pulled over at Vietnam’s version of a rest stop – a welcome respite from the long and windy drive from Hanoi to Hue. After enjoying yet another “cà phê (Vietnamese coffee), we meandered to the water’s edge and found these 2 Vietnamese girls floating on a raft. The bare tree growing out of the water lent perspective to everything else.
Fort Kochi, Kerala, India
Our first afternoon in Kochi, we were exhausted. We had logged only 2 hours of fitful overnight sleep after flying from Singapore to Sri Lanka to India. Thankfully, having first row seats to this Kathakali performance kept us awake. Kathakali is a ritual dance drama with elaborate hand and face gestures and is usually performed by males. The name is Sanskrit and means “story play.”
Angkor, Cambodia
After rising at 4am to see sunrise at Angkor Wat, it was a pleasant surprise to reach Ta Prohm, made famous by the Tomb Raider movie, during a less crowded lunch hour. We even managed to find a bit of shade and support a local woman who was crouched just behind the wall, weaving bracelets and headbands out of wild leaves.
Istanbul, Turkey – on two Continents
One of my most memorable experiences was waking up in Istanbul, taking a 4 hour private foodie tour of the lovely Beyoğlu neighborhood on the European side and then catching the ferry for the 20 minute crossing to the Asian side of the city. Wherever we went, the stunning display of colorful and nutty sweets caught our eyes.
Northern Thailand
We visited an elephant park outside of Chiang Mai. This youngster caught my eye with her facial expression and the fact that she seemed to be having a great deal of fun shooting darts at a wall of balloons. Here she is ready to hurl another dart. These talented elephants also paint lovely pictures.
Hoi An, Vietnam
Oh, Hoi An. How I wish to have visited you 10 or 20 years ago – not when you seemed to groan audibly as you swelled to accommodate the massive influx of New Year’s celebrants. (and not when Coronavirus made its first appearance, infecting 12 people.) But in spite of that, we loved your festive lantern boats, excellent coffee, ancient Chinese wooden houses and incredible markets.
Outskirts of Chiang Mai, Thailand
In northern Thailand, we visited a hill tribe village. This is the home of the long-necked Karen tribe who are refugees from Myanmar and live in huts. Karen women begin wearing the coils at age 5. As they grow, they add more and more coils. The biggest neckpieces can weigh 25 pounds! There are varying explanations as to why they wear the neckpieces in the first place; these range from protection against tiger attack to perceived beauty to a badge of honor.
Marari Beach, Kerala, India
One of our most unexpected delights was the time we spent on Marari Beach in Kerala, India. The food was fantastic (I counted 20 different chutney options at dinner!). Every afternoon at 4pm, the staff wheeled a tea cart onto the lawn and served hot chai with banana bread or banana fritters. The chai is poured from a bit of altitude to create a layer of foam on the surface. It is also said that this improves the taste (and cools down the tea).
And now on to the recipe, which has its roots in India as well.
This recipe is called “Life Saving Dal.” I can attest to the accuracy of the title. It’s the one thing I feel like eating every day, especially while I’m social distancing and sequestering myself at home. A self-proclaimed lentil-lover, I find this dish to be the perfect comfort food. I add a fried egg on top to round it out and typically serve it with some Norwegian seedy crackers (Trader Joes) or grainy toast to scoop up every last lentil. The recipe is from Simon Majumdar’s wonderfully-titled book “Eat My Globe.”
Click here to view the recipe!
27 Comments
Love, love, love your writing! So descriptive, almost feel like I’m there! Well….not really. But living vicariously through you! Looks AMAZING! Sending socially distant, long distant hugs!
Thanks, Dee! that’s what I had set out to do – bring some interesting places and people and plates from around the world to you. These days, the best we can all do is armchair travel. Thanks for writing!
Alysa, What a wonderful escape from all we are faced with right now! I hope Instacart can find all these ingredients to make this hearty Dal. Thank you for my highlight today! Karen
Thanks for your note, Karen. I hope you can find the ingredients..if not, you can probably omit or substitute and just change it up a bit. after all, that’s how some of the best cooking happens!
I WANT MORE!!
more of your wonderful descriptions that .make me feel i am right there with u.way more.details.please of all these fabulous adventures. thank you
thanks so much for your note! ok, I will get right on your request! 🙂
I always love hearing about your adventures! This one sounds like it was particularly adventurous!! Thanks for sharing and providing a good read and some great photos while we stay home and social distance. XOXO
Thanks, Roz! Appreciate your support. Yes we were lucky to get this one in still before the world turned upside down. Look forward to celebrations together later this year!
I was wondering when you would write again. Have you ever considered giving cooking classes?
Thanks for your note! i have actually been considering cooking classes…and these days, one could do them virtually! any thoughts about what you’d like to have on the menu?
A much nicer respite than sheltering in place. I missed those clogs!
Love,
Marty
THEY’RE BACK……those red clogs. And frankly, these days, happy to be quietly waiting out the current craziness before they trot off again!
thanks for writing!
That Dal is Delicious! And brings back great memories…
🙂 it was a trip of a lifetime. can’t wait to do another!
Thank You, Dear Girl. I especially love the express on Elephants “face”
thanks for writing! and yes, the elephants were pretty incredible. they paint way better than i do! (not that that’s saying much…)
That Dal looks amazing! Wish I had the ingredients to make it. 🙁
Thank you, Alysa, for taking us on your snapshot journey. I always love reading (and vicariously living) your posts. Once again, YUM!!!
Thanks for writing, Teresa…that lentil dish is comfort food at its best. soon we will get through this crazy time and be able to cook what we want when we want again. Can’t wait for that..
Thanks for taking us on this beautiful trip! 🙏
Thanks for writing! India part 2 brought back memories of OUR India trip…a mere 4 years ago…
What awesome timing you had to do this amazing trip!!! I particularly like the two girls in the raft. I’m inspired and excited to go to Vietnam! Thanks for the recipe- it sounds wonderful- looking forward to trying it. Perfect time now to nurture our bodies with good food.
Thanks, Michelle. Of course i thought of you alot in Kerala, what a special place. and yes, the girls in the raft just captured a moment..it was an ordinary moment but something about it…You will love the Dal, i think. let me know!
I loved reading about your travels!! Why don’t you offer an online cooking class so can can make this dal or any dish together?
Thanks! Fellow Dal lover that you are! and yes, i am definitely considering some online or (in the future when it’s safe to be out and together again) in person cooking classes with an ethnic/international theme….thanks for mentioning!
Keep these memories fresh–and not to yourselves!
Aww, thanks for writing! I will put up some more photos in future posts. We were so lucky to sneak this trip in just before our world turned topsy turvy.
What an amazing, fabulous trip! How exhilarating to read about it and see the pictures, a nifty alternative to the howling threat outside! Many, many thanks!