Cooking in Sudan

When we first got here, we faced the particular challenge of figuring out how to cook with the ingredients we could find here. Both John and I liked to cook in the U.S. so I felt sure we could figure it out, but it did require an overhaul of how we think about making a meal. In the U.S. our “homemade” meals frequently started from boxed mixes, refrigerated dough, pre-washed and bagged veggies, jarred sauces, and the like. Here, we can’t get any of those things. So every meal starts with flour and water or dry rice or a dirty carrot. We have had to learn to start a few steps back.

Some meals we just try to figure out as we go, but more complicated things like baked goods involve first finding a recipe that has only ingredients we can get here. Although we do have access to a surprising array of food items and the all-mighty Google, this can still be difficult. To find the right recipe, I try using search terms like “basic,” “classic,” “Peace Corps,” “missionary,” or even “Grandma’s.” This is not a fool proof strategy. Like yesterday, I googled “Grandma’s Donut Recipe” (Mmmm… Donuts…) and found a recipe that basically amounted to frying Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough. Really? I mean, really, this is your Grandma’s recipe? Okay, let me talk to your Great Grandma…

Once we do find a workable recipe and make a substitution or two, it generally works out fine. At first I just thought, well this is a pain, but it’s just something we have to do if we want to eat. But lately I am finding real joy in cooking. It’s fascinating to see exactly what goes into our food and empowering to know that I can make things from scratch. Take that Pillsbury Dough Boy! You’re not better than me!

Though he may be cuter…

But in all seriousness, the experience of cooking delicious things from basic ingredients is making me wonder what all those sulfa-gluto-trans-ifides are doing in my food in the U.S…. It remains to be seen if we will keep cooking from scratch when we get back to the U.S. and no longer have to, but it’s freeing to know that if we want to, we can.

Our most common meals are:

• Chili with plain yogurt instead of sour cream
• Coconut curry and rice or stir-fry and rice (John calls it, “rice and stuff”)
• Pizza with homemade dough and tomato sauce
• Tacos with homemade salsa and tortillas
• Pasta with pesto or homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread
• Pancakes (plain, chocolate chip, or banana) or French toast

Some of our favorite treats are:

• Oatmeal and raisin breakfast bars
• Peanut butter granola bars
• Banana bread
• Chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies

Yum! Cooking remains an adventure, but it’s a fun and no longer scary one. Anyone have any meal suggestions that might work for us? Grandmas, we’re looking at you!

-Stephanie

Photos: Personal photos of a banana muffin and tacos! Doughboy photo via a random image search.