I spent Christmas Eve with my host family learning new recipes for Belizean dishes. My host mom is such a fantastic cook that she even teaches me how to make American dishes tastier. Have you ever tried diced ham in mashed potatos?!
I am on my second book in the Golden Compass Trilogy, called The Subtle Knife. It is part of a series called His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys magic and fantasy fiction, but make sure you read the books in the correct order!
The rain has kept much of the holiday festivities indoors, and while I enjoy card games and puzzles, one of my favorite new hobbies is crocheting. My host mom taught me, and we often crochet together around the table while we talk and tell stories.
One of my favorite recipes I learned this week was for fresh bread rolls. Since cow's milk is not as common here, coconut milk is often used as a tasty replacement for water in baking and cooking. Coconut milk gives the bread dough a sweet, nutty flavor, and it helps bind the dry ingredients together. Typically, in Belize, fresh coconuts are shredded and soaked in water to make coconut milk. While many people have coconut trees in their backyards, you can also buy a bag of fresh coconut shavings at the market.
In order to make sure the dough bakes just right, it must be kneaded for a very, very long time. Ms. Rubi taught me that the dough is ready to bake when you cut into it and see dozens of tiny air bubbles.
