#6 Food!

 The food we were served at the Students International base was satisfying and delicious.  Mostly we had typical Dominican food -- sancocho, casabe, tostones, la bandera, avena dominicana, arroz (amarillo, moro, blanco), habichuelas, arepitas, piña, café.  It seemed a banquet every night! But three meals stood out to us, not only becasue they were typical Dominican meals, but because of the friends with whom we shared them.  

At the preschool each day, the smallest children that we had in the mornings went home and we ate lunch together berfore the older children came to school.  On one of those days, Vilma and Yocasta shared with us a Dominican treat called patacón.  Vilma showed Greta and Susie how to make this, so we can replicate it at home.  It's basically a "sandwich" with meat, cheese, avocado, lettuce, onion, pico de gallo, and mayonnaise.  But instead of bread, the ingredients are layered between fried plantains.  The girls had fun making this, and hearing the stories about it's origen in the DR.

      

     

We also were treated to a Dominican dinner of mangú, fried salami, and pickled onions, one of my favorite dishes! Of course, the best part of the meal was that we shared it with our friends, Alex and Lucy, in their home in Cienfuegos.  

 

At the end of the week we went out to lunch at a restaurant with teachers Vilma and Yocasta and had mini-mofongos.  Mofongo is a dish made of mashed plantains with seasonings and meat.  the mini-mofongos weren't as good as the mofongo I've had in the past, but good for the girls to at least taste this typical Dominican dish.