A Latin American Feast in East Africa

Surely one of the most enjoyable ways to learn about other cultures is to sample their FOOD. My students and I have been studying South & Central America in our geography class, and I suggested to the parents that we hold a themed pot-luck meal. The response was enthusiastic, so we all started browsing recipes online. Oh boy, so many tempting choices!

And the result was a delightful Saturday lunch together with lots of mouth-watering dishes.

The teachers, students, and little brothers pose with the "class project".

Warning: Continued scrolling may send you running to the kitchen. Because here is the final menu:

Seco de Carne con Tamarindo (Beef Stew in Tamarind Sauce)

Pupusas con Curtido y Salsa Roja (Corn Fritters with Coleslaw and Salsa)

Feijoada (Black Bean & Mango Stew) with Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread) 

Empanadas, choice of meat or bean/veggie filling

Hungry yet?

Not pictured are some neat fermented drinks: pineapple, hibiscus, and tamarind.

We had desserts, too: Baked bananas, Brigadieros (chocolate-caramel candies), and my first attempt at a mousse. (It didn't come out quite right, but hey--It set, I was able to remove it from the mold, and most importantly, it was saturated with passion fruit!)

Thank you, parents, for putting in the effort to make this such a fun event--and for involving your kids in the preparations. I think they enjoyed it all the more for that. (Note to those reading this in more developed countries: Every component of every dish was made from scratch. No shortcuts are available here.)

Next semester we'll study Asia, so who knows...!


Photo credit (for all but the last two) goes to Michael Nicholls. Thanks, Michael!