a true cultural experience

i've never tackled a recipe with a dictionary in hand, especially for a dish i've made at least 5 times before...

...that is, until now.

i decided that for la pascua/easter, i would make something special for the family for our big family lunch. i knew i wanted to make something that i'd made before so i had at least a little bit of experience. i have two recipes here, my sister-in-law leslie's apple cake, the only way i enjoy apples, and my roommate lacey's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. looking at the list of ingredients, i realized that the apple cake would be much easier to make as a first go at cooking in south america.

so the first step was to sit down with my spanish-english dictionary and translate the ingredients. strangely enough, i've never had things like baking soda or cinnamon on a vocab test. next, i asked the nana what she uses to measure things.
"if i need a cup of sugar, what do i use?"
and obviously, she handed me a teacup.
"and if i need a teaspoon?"
again, logically enough she hands me a small spoon, used for tea.
the reality is that my host parents don't cook or bake, so the nana is the only one that does. and as it's her job, she does everything by eye. already i knew it would be an interesting experience.

yesterday morning, saturday, i went to the local supermercado to buy the few ingredients lacking in the house. i easily found the huevos(eggs), azucar(sugar), canela(cinnamon), and manzanas(apples.) so far, so good.

i got home, had to convince my host mom that she didnt need to pay me back for the $4US i spent on the ingredients, and got to work. she was eager to help in anyway she could, so i told her all i needed was help turning the oven on. i had, of course, converted the degrees farenheit to celsius, but, she informed me, the oven doesn't have numbers on it.... you have to do it by levels.
"um...lets just start with the lowest level." again, this would be interesting.

so, i mixed and mixed, using my grand approximations. three eggs, 2ish cups of sugar, 1ish cup of oil, 2ish cups of flour, little baby spoonfuls of salt and cinnamon, and then a taste test. another pinch sugar, flour, oil, and then add the manzanas. after another taste test, it seemed okay. it was definitely different than normal, but it tasted good all the same.
they don't have a 9x13 pan, so i used a couple smaller ones instead.

and into the oven of unknown temp they went.

and then the best part, the universal pleasure of baking---licking out the bowl. mmmmm. anyone who knows me knows how much i love it. it's like a sign of love to me. from the beaters my mom let me lick as a kid when she would make cookies, the very bowls of applecake mix from leslie over the past couple years, to the many beaters i have enjoyed in my apartment in chicago thanks to lacey. if you love me, you let me clean your dishes.

anyways, i waited anxiously and took out the cakes when they were a light golden brown. however, that was yesterday, and the meal wasn't until today. so alllll day and night i wondered how they would turn out.

this morning i got up early (that's a lie) to go buy some ice cream to either accompany the cake or replace it if something went horribly wrong.

and....

all went well! it definitely tasted different. i think it was a little heavy on the sugar and salt, and could have used a bit more flour. but, i think i'd like to consider it the south american version of the apple cake. plus, who could possibly have too much sugar?

this week, i'm planning to venture out with the cookies. my nana told me she's never made cookies and i obviously haven't had any since i've been here, so we're going to make them together. i'll keep you updated. wish me luck.

chao, and feliz pascua.