Home-made Miso Tasting.

July 18, 2015 Munchkin

Hello there every-one!! Hope you are having a good day. Today, I have two miso tastings from the time when we “were mad about the beans” and made buckets and buckets of home-made miso.

The Shiro Miso: has a higher proportion of white rice to bean (we used blackbeans instead of soya beans since we live in Belize). We have actually been eating through our supply for the last month or so and I was afraid that I would munch my way through it all without doing some proper feed-back.

Shiro Miso Tasting:

Gnome says: overall, it is a light fermentation product; will continue to build complexity with aging. Less salty, sweet and mild tasting.

Munchkin says: I have used the shiro miso in soups, marinating of meat and to flavour pot roasts. All flavour packets have been replaced with a dollop of shiro miso (in fact, we have ramen noodles with this miso). It is so mild tasting, you need a whole tablespoon in a bowl of miso soup.

Hatcho Miso with Beef Jerky: Miso made from bean (blackbean) koji alone. We also added beef jerky and black pepper to make it into “Meat Lover’s” Miso.

Meat Lover's Hatcho Miso. — Meat Lover’s Hatcho Miso.

Meat Lover’s Miso Tasting:

Gnome says: Obviously needs more time to develop but at this stage, still very, very tasty. Has strong mushroom overtones with meat undertones. Can do with more black pepper. Will certainly reach an exquisite taste and will peak in ten years or so. A true masterpiece that has to be waited for.

Munchkin says: Beefy!! Let’s start eating it!! Yum. So rich and creamy. This miso has such intensity of taste, you only need one teaspoon to make a bowl of miso soup.

There is nothing like home-made miso…you can’t buy it for love nor money!!

THIS IS A PAID ADVERT!!!

TOMORROW, ONLY ON MGNEWS PRIMETIME SUNDAY.

WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE CANDIDATES FOR THE MAYORAL ELECTIONS 2015, PARADISE PASTURES.

6pm CENTRAL/ MOUNTAIN PIGGIE TIME.

DON’T MISS MGNEWS!!

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Pets, Philosophy

The Nefarious Mr. Goosie.

July 17, 2015 Munchkin 2 Comments

That dastardly goosie has been casing me for the last couple of weeks; he knows my routine and most importantly, feeding times. He has learnt the art of stalking, infiltration and acquisition of stolen food.

Goosie Stalking; hiding in the shadows of two metal barrels, plotting and scheming away:

Goosie Infiltration and Acquisition of Stolen Chicken Feet:

Cheeky Bugger: Steals Chicken Feet From the Other Bowl Too!!

The Nefarious Mr. Goosie is stealing chicken feet from the dog bowls…whoever heard of a goose eating chicken feet?! I was led to believe that they only ate grass.

If you ask me, the removal of the Wart of Evil “didn’t do nothing” as they say here in Belize:

Mr. Goosie is still displaying evil and wanton traits. Gnome takes a philosophical stance and says that Goosie is the balance on our farm; he describes the fluffy ducks and friendly guinea pigs as the “Yin” of the “Yin and Yang” of our farm. He explains that Goosie has to naturally balance the “good” with his “bad.”

The Yin of our farm:

The “Yang” of our Farm:

Gnome advice to Munchkin: Be brave, Munchkin. Don’t run from goosie! Show NO Fear!!

Amusing, Belize, Fermentation, Food, Plants

On the Joys of Eating Craboo.

July 16, 2015 Munchkin

Yay…It is a craboo season! Gnome and I relish this time when we can sit together and polish off a huge bowl of this delightful fruit together…day after day until the season finishes.

We have some of these craboo trees (Byrosonima crassifolia) growing voluntarily on our land. The fruits are not mature yet, still at a small green stage. We have to keep a keen eye on them because the blackbirds (Carib Grackles) are scoffing off all our fruit (both unripe and ripe) as if there is no tomorrow. The cheeky buggers!!

Anyway, the taste of craboo fruit is like no other. They are red or yellow in colour, round and soft. The flesh is white and has a distinct unctuous cheese-like fragrance with a background of mild sweetness. They are truly umami and it is a wonderful taste experience.

To get the most of the craboo fruit, they require fermentation in plastic bags for a few days (1 to 3 days depending on the degree of fragrant cheesy flavour you would prefer).

A few years ago, we were given a handy tip by a Belizean who recommended that we placed our craboo fruit inside the car to allow maximal ripening of the fruit. So, you can recognise a true craboo connoisseur if they have bags of craboo sweating away in their car and they are totally non-plussed by the cheesy odour emitting from inside the vehicle.

So far, we have not found any fellow ex-pats who share our love for this unusual tasting fruit. The locals all seem to have the same feverish enthusiasm as us…I have seen Mayans buy ten bags at a time at the market. I have seen the way their eyes ogle at the fruit as they labouriously go through the bags of fruit, looking for the ripest ones. The job of finding the best tasting bags of fruit, becomes an obsessive task. I know this because I stand side by side with all these Mayans man-handling the bags of fruit as we vocalise our anticipation with “ooohs” and “aaahhs” and smile knowingly at each other. I feel that I have been initiated into an esoteric, sacred custom of Belize! Gnome says that liking craboo should mean that you have graduated successfully into a fellow local Belizean. It is a well-known fact that it is extremely difficult to get Belizean residency in this country…and there is apparently no logical system to follow in order to gain this status. Gnome has suggested that a bowl of craboo should be placed in front of applicants; if they are seen to be eating craboo fruit with great gusto like a local person, then they should be granted the Belizean status! Knowing all the expats down here in Toledo, I would say that, given this test, they would all be leaving en masse!

Belize, Food, Mushrooms

Leftover Greens, Jackfruit, Mushrooms and Guinea Pigs.

July 15, 2015 Munchkin

I have a plethora of photographs, taken at opportune moments which are used for the purposes of writing posts for this Blog. I try to use up most of the photos but sometimes some are “left-over.” So, here are some pictures that can hopefully tie up some loose ends.

I still have not had the chance to add on to the Belcampo Foraging Tour (eco-lodge in Toledo, Belize) which was conducted a couple of months ago. There will be more of this coming soon. Anyway, this is a picture of hierba mora found growing wild on Belcampo grounds. This is a tasty green leafy spinach-like vegetable which is similar in taste and texture to the local callaloo.

You can also buy a bunch of the cultivated variety of hierba mora at the market in Punta Gorda. The vendors use the name “callaloo” interchangeably between this and the Amaranth sp.(true callaloo).

This is another jackfruit off-shoot. I had mentioned in my main article on this fruit that the seeds were also edible. The seeds just need to be boiled for about 20 to 30 minutes until they are tender. In this instance, I boiled the seeds and then stir fried the seeds with sliced garlic and garnished the dish with spring onion (I threw in some left over cassava). Needless to say, the meal was tasty!

And, of course, I can write ceaselessly about mushrooms! We can’t get enough of fungus and we love eating them! Last week, we had spotted a whole load of lovely oyster mushrooms in somebody’s yard in Punta Gorda. We sliced and slow cooked them in butter. We have found that this is the best way to enjoy the delicate tastes of a wild mushroom.

Oyseter.Mushrooms.Beaty — Wild Oyster Mushrooms.

A couple of weeks ago, we stumbled across these mushrooms in our coconut plantation. We identified them as of the Russula sp.; many of the mushrooms of this family can cause gastric upset but none are known to be lethal. We decided to eat a test batch of these wild mushrooms…they turned out to be very good…and no stomach upset!

One more mushroom picture! I raved on about the bamboo pith (stinkhorn) a while back because it was a revelation to me that the Chinese cultivated this particular fungus to eat. Here are some fresh specimens ready for chopping in our soup:

Cooked bamboo pith has the texture of bubbly honeycomb with the firmness of agar. There is no distinct taste. We like them!

And last but not least. Matilda’s little piggies are doing fine. They are still in the maternity ward and they have started eating grass already. Everything on Paradise Pastures seems to be pretty hunky-dory at the moment. More on the Mayor Elections over the next few weeks!

Belize, Farming, Food

Curried Ripe Jackfruit with Lentils

July 14, 2015 Munchkin

Remember a couple of weeks ago we had the big baby?

And I had explicitly mentioned that all parts could be eaten…even the unformed arils:

Well, here is a recipe for this part of the jackfruit, which is usually discarded. I recommend that you do not eat this part raw because it still has some sticky latex attached to it. The best thing to do is to cook it and so this is a yummy recipe for Curried Ripe Jackfruit.

The ripe jackfruit caramelises nicely to compliment the mustard seeds, cumin, tumeric and paprika. Fresh curry leaves are used to enhance the flavour of the whole “sweet and savoury dish.”

We both enjoyed the curried jackfruit with lentils and agreed that NO part of the jackfruit should be thrown away!!

Amusing, Belize, Philosophy

The Tao of Belize: Car Hailing.

July 13, 2015 Munchkin

This is intended as an introduction to the unspoken customs of Belize. Car Hailing is a particular idiosyncrasy pertaining to the Toledo district, the southernmost part of Belize. If you ever go outside of the district, you will find that you can “car hail” amongst fellow Toledo people so it becomes even more esoteric and meaningful. Nevertheless, this is just a simple and friendly way of “saying Hello” to drivers on the road and it is of particular importance in such a small community where everybody knows each other.

Symbolism is a means of communication without words and so we have ascribed a name to each of the hailing types in order to give meaning to the gesture. Above all, it is just about having fun. So here are the Fundamental Five:

Rabbit Ears: Gentle but kind. Offers Protection to All on the Road.

Double Gibnut: Double Luck. Gibnut are solitary creatures and are rarely found in pairs.

Pointing Snake: Projection of Inner Knowledge.

Jaguar Paw: Respect to the Power of the Predator.

Upward Facing Dog: Companionship.

Car Hailing in Belize: Upward Facing Dog.

Ok, everybody, let’s start the car hailing revolution. Actions speak louder than words.

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Fiction, Pets

Paradise Piggies: Dark and Ominous Beginnings.

July 10, 2015 Munchkin

This morning, due to heavy rains, the maternity wing of the Paradise Pastures guinea-pig gated community was not inspected. Early afternoon, the maternity ward was found wet and sodden due to a leakage from a faulty water bottle.

All bedding was wet and most importantly, one baby was lying in the wet grass suffering from hypothermia. The piggie was found by Dr. Munchkin (DRCOG), who had come to the facility to conduct a ward round.

Baby Rogelio was rushed to SCPU (Special Care Piggie Unit) for intensive care.

Hypothermic Piggie in Paisley Suite. — Hypothermic Piggie in Douglas (SCPU) Suite.

Despite all due care and attention, the baby was not able to be resuscitated and died at 3pm this afternoon. Mother Matilda must now be brave and strong to give her best to her remaining two babes.

When asked to comment, Mayor Gnome declined. Apparently, he was out of office and is currently on the road starting his re-election campaign.

This sad event brings ominous dark tones to the beginnings of the Mayor Election Campaign.

What does Grandma Stumpy have to say about all this?

Stumpy: We’ll get through this…we always have. Since I was knee-high to a grass-hopper Mayor Gnome has always pulled us through. He won’t let us down this time…

We hope for her sake and the community of Paradise Pastures, that she is right.

The Paradise Piggies must soldier on despite the unbearable loss…what does the future hold for Paradise Pastures?

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Fiction, Pets

Paradise Piggies: Close Call For Mayor Gnome!

July 9, 2015 Munchkin

On Wednesday morning of this week, Mayor Gnome called an urgent meeting to discuss a serious maternity issue. After the last blunder with the homeless baby piggies, he has been extra cautious with decision making for the gated guinea-pig community of Paradise Pastures.

The problem was this mother piggie…look at the size of her! A young teenager, in her first pregnancy, 10 days past her estimated delivery date.

Mayor Gnome called in the Dr. Munchkin DRCOG (member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) for her expert opinion on the matter.

This is what Dr. Munchkin said:

Here in Toledo, Belize there are no facilities available for induction of labour simply because of the small population of this area. The council would have insufficient funds to maintain such a facility. I have examined the young mother and she has an unfavourable, unripe cervix and three foetuses can be felt high up in the uterus and at present, there are no signs of her going into labour. Since this is the first pregnancy for this mother, she would be categorised at high risk so I would recommend an urgent elective c-section.

Mother Matilda was admitted into the Susan B Anthony Maternity wing for observation with a view to a c-section scheduled for Thursday morning.

I tell you what…Mayor Gnome must have been praying ALL night for a miracle because…

This morning, Matilda had a normal labour and gave birth to three sprightly new babies. Cor Blimey…it’s a Piggie Miracle!! As soon as the babies’ bums were licked, Mayor Gnome whisked the babes off into the Paisley Suite for a photo shoot:

Dr. Munchkin was seen shaking her fist at Mayor Gnome! How dare he snatch these babies away from the mother at such a critical bonding time!

She marched into the middle of the photo shoot to take the babies back to their mother! What a scene…angry Dr. Munchkin with her bulging eyes and Mayor Gnome with his “Devil-May-Care” attitude!

What’s Mayor Gnome up to? Swiping these babies so quickly to get a picture?

TRYING TO WIN VOTES FOR….

THE MAYOR ELECTION 21st SEPTEMBER 2015!!! BE THERE OR BE SQUARE.

We have a sneaky suspicion that Mayor Gnome would rather not be square…

He Wants Piggie Votes...at any cost! — He Wants Piggie Votes…at any cost!

Is there a dark side to Mayor Gnome?

Belize, Our Products, Pets, Saving Money, Soap

Our Pet Dip and Pet Soap.

July 8, 2015 Munchkin

Today we were in Punta Gorda doing our delivering, “hailing” and the usual town stuff. In Punta Gorda, everyone knows you so you have to go through the custom of “hailing.” Ignore this at your peril! Basically, you need to say “Hello, how are you?” to everyone that you know…who happens to be crossing the street, sitting in their shop, driving in their car or standing in the queue in front of you. If you can handle a bit of small talk then that is an added bonus because every-one loves to stop and chat. If you ignore anyone who knows you, you are considered an “ignorant outsider” or just plain rude. These are the unspoken rules of a small community.

We delivered our Pet Products to The Farm Store in Punta Gorda. This particular shop is owned by Mennonites (Anabaptist Christian Group who emigrated originally from Germany and now settled in Belize) and run by local Mayans who have converted into this particular faith. The Farm Store sells anything to do with farming, hardware and pet supplies, basically, anything that is useful to man or beast! We delivered the following:

This is not the same as our same-name soap for people. This one has a higher percentage of active ingredients so that it is extra strong for the treatment of fleas, ticks and mites in pets (usually dogs and cats). Gentle but effective, without the use of strong chemicals.

We also took this opportunity to launch our new pet product: Lime Sulphur Pet Dip for Mange, Fleas, Ticks and Ringworm.

This is the label with the instructions. We used recycled beer bottles for this product because they are the cheapest thing to use so that we could sell the product at a rock-bottom price. Gnome created a tag to go with the product with regards to the philosophy of recycling; unfortunately, the network connection to the printer wouldn’t work so we didn’t get this part printed in time. So, this tag will be on the next order:

…Gnome Philosophy stuff in small writing for anyone who cares to read Gnome humour.

We use all our stuff on our own pets; they are very healthy and have the reassuring smell of sulphur to them:

This is a picture of the very friendly bossie of the Farm Store. He is a lovely young man:

So, you can now get our pet stuff at the Farm Store in Punta Gorda. The products will be posted up in the Apothecary soon for those of you living outside Toledo or outside of Belize.

Amusing, Belize, Food, Mushrooms, Soap

A Day in a Life of Munchkin and Gnome.

July 7, 2015 Munchkin

This morning, we got up a tad later than usual at 6am. We sat down to have a hot honey drink whilst drunken baymen (black stingless bees that buzz and bumble in a swaying motion) swarmed around us trying to steal honey from our mugs. It wasn’t that comfortable because every-time I took a sip, the bees would make a mad swoop for the mug and I would cough and splutter trying not to swallow a single bee! What a way to start the morning!

This is a typical day in the life of Munchkin and Gnome.

We mixed up a batch of soap; this time we made Chocolate Vanilla Cookie which is fragranced with a blend of essentail oils to give off the smell of oven-baked cookies. They appear marbled at first but with time, they assume a uniformity with a light chocolate brown colour.

Gnome then went off to procure a large stick…wahooo!! The Big Stick is coming out so coconut products will be available soon!

I went off to wash the dogs…they were actually really well-behaved today as I soaped them and then doused them thoroughly with Sulphur-Lime Dip (a Gnome Bored-in-Belize concoction) which is used against fleas, tics, mange and ringworm. It is great stuff and works well…however, we all end up smelling of rotten eggs. Afterwards, I had a shower and doused myself in lavender oil.

Next, we both donned our respectable clothes to go into town to assume our identities of Doctors Munchkin and Gnome (or “The Doctors” as we are known in Punta Gorda). We had an appointed patient review.

So, we did our doctoring stuff and as Gnome was walking down the path, he spotted a decaying tree with a whole load of oyster mushrooms growing on them. You have to be on the look-out at all times for mushrooms to pop up! They were such beautiful clean specimens. We picked the whole lot of them and I was so pleased with our find that I let Gnome store them in my town hat.

We also spotted White Goods on a Pick-up! Our Pick-up game that we like playing where we spot white goods on trucks for points.

Munchkin: Sloooow down! What do you think it is…a washing machine? Or a mini freez…

Gnome: Quit blabbering! Take a picture now!! We’re turning left now!! Pronto!

As we were leaving Punta Gorda, we stopped off by the sea to have a hot drink together (yes, I brought my food bag with the thermos flask…no biscuits this time). We stared out at the choppy sea and marvelled at the enormous amounts of seaweed on the shore. This will be a Munchkin and Gnome project for the future…this particular seaweed is called “sargassum.” It is of particular interest to us because it is actually used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is named Hai Zao and it is used to dissolve phlegm, act as a diuretic and relieve oedema.

Homeward bound back to the farm where I cooked up curried ripe jackfruit and lentils for lunch:

Will post recipe this week! Too much to write about…

And that was just the morning of a typical day with Munchkin and Gnome!

Casa Mascia Apothecary

Monthly Archives: July 2015