SantéNet Staff Photo

From L to R: KP, Aimée, Mamy, Erika, and Jean-Jacques.

Here’s a recent photo of KP and her co-workers. Who’d have thought the phrase “tall drink of water” would apply to KP? (BTW, JJ’s standing on tip-toes.)

Madagascar Winter

I’m freezing my ass off in Tana’s winter. Woke up this morning to 8° C; no frost on the car windows, but I could see my breath. I suppose I shouldn’t complain, in Fianar it was 4° C. And, in the grand scheme of things, a Madagascar winter is still a thousand times better than a Madison one. (I might think about revising this statement had any of the winters been worth a damn—snow wise—and after having gone out and spent money on x-country skis our first winter that were then never used enough to justify the purchase.) Poinsettias are draining of color from their tips on down and remind me of bomb-pops, minus the blue. Across from where I’m staying is a tree that may be a sweet-gum: its star-shaped leaves litter the ground a little more each day. But more than anything, it’s the bone-cold I feel that lets me know winter is here. Each day, as soon as I reluctantly emerge from my comforter, I feel cold. The house is cold, the office is cold—I’m trapped in some cruel Dickens story. Aside from sleeping, the only relief I’ve found comes from running around the lake by the Score Jumbo, but only after 10 minutes of running have elapsed while constantly rubbing my hands together. And today at work when it got to be too much, I grabbed my laptop battery pack and held it between my hands like mug of steaming hot chocolate. Sad, but true. I only have myself to blame for my condition. I packed poorly when I came up to Tana with KP and didn’t bring enough warm clothes for the month that I’ll be here, and I’m too cheap to go out and buy a sweater when I have a dresser full of them back in Fianar. I’ve got my knitting with me, and could bust out a stocking cap in a day or two, but I’m in the middle of a project for Abinda, and don’t want to risk running out of yarn on a side project. Sadly, even this rant didn’t do much to take the edge off. I guess I’ll just go to bed and dream of Louisville in late August for some warmth.

Señor Dan

Monsieur Hery & Señor Dan

On a recent Saturday night I made my semi-professional debut as a chef, cooking a three-course, Mexican-themed meal for 20 people. The occasion was a kick-off campaign to raise money--and awareness--for historic preservation efforts in Fianar's Old Town. Our neighbor Karen came up with a novel idea of fundraising: a dinner series, held in Old Town, each dinner a different theme prepared by a different chef. All money raised goes towards paying the salary of Karen's assistant. Hery, the owner of Tsara Guest House, a Fianar boutique hotel, graciously donated the space, dishes, and an employee to help serve and clean up. Señor Dan agreed to cook the first dinner.

Karen and I worked out a menu, which wasn't as easy as you'd think. On the practical side, we were limited by ingredients and spices that were available locally or had been brought from the US; there's no Mexican grocery in Fianar (or anywhere on the island, I'd wager). Then there were social issues that dictated our choices of main courses. We ruled out tacos on the grounds that the French don't like eating with their hands, and tackling a taco would have them way out of their comfort zone. We rejected burritos for the same reason and settled on enchiladas, which, we felt, would not send ambiguous messages about the mode of consumption.

The menu is below, but here's a description of the dishes:

Entrée - Pumpkin Soup with Cornbread (yes, I know cornbread is Tex-Mex, not Mexican)
Creamy puréed pumpkin flavored with cumin, cayenne, and bacon--just the thing to chase off winter's chill.

Main Course - Chicken Enchilada with Refried Beans and Spanish Rice (MED, thanks for the rice recipe!)
Shredded roasted chicken, seasoned with Señor Dan's special spice mix, wrapped in a flour tortilla, and topped with red sauce and cheese and then baked. (Karen had a friend in Tana order tortillas from the US and sent over in the diplomatic pouch. Thank you, US taxpayers.)

Dessert - Drunken Orange Cake & Mexican Coffee or Citronella Tea
A white cake infused with spirited syrup made of sugar, orange and lemon zest, and dark rum. Black coffee, flavored with sugar and cinnamon.

Menu de la dia

I cooked pretty much non-stop the 48 hours before the dinner and missed more than ever our dishwasher from Madison. Stress levels were high; there was a lot of pride and my reputation on the line. But, the work paid off. The food all turned out great and folks raved about it afterwards.

¡Que Bueno y Hasta Luego!