Shameless Promotion of Sawah Bali

As many of you may be aware, my mom Phyllis (Phiphi) Kaplan has moved to Bali, Indonesia full time to start an NGO called Sawah Bali.

Being Social Media Captain (as I have been named) I feel it is my job to promote this wonderful cause through any means that I have. Check it out! Read about it! Like us on our Facebook page!

Some Food Porn for Your Viewing Pleasure

Today is my friend Anna's birthday. A few months ago we had stumbled upon this great little restaurant (right at the top of the hill to go down to Guapulo) called Warmi. We happened to come upon it on a Sunday around 1, and discovered their fabulous brunch menu and artisan beer! They also sell many types of jams, sauces, honeys, spices, teas, deserts and more, which are all locally made (many in house!) We were informed that they also do nice SEVEN COURSE DINNERS with WINE (reservation only) on the weekends. I am very glad Anna decided it would be a good place for her birthday dinner last night!

I promise to try to remember what everything is and describe it so that you ALMOST can taste it (I wish I could eat it again that's for sure!)

1. We started out with an avocado, tomato, and pepper salad, topped with arugula, and with a acidic tomato lime broth poured over it.

2. Next came roasted tomato, eggplant, and a portobello mushroom, topped with prosciutto and asparagus and balsamic reduction.

3. Seared tuna with a peppercorn crust and homemade mustard. 

4. Tuna tartar with MINT mixed in. Also topped in the homemade balsamic reduction. I too was skeptical at first of the tuna/mint combo, but WOW was it delicious!

5. I will admit by this point I was SO EXCITED about the food I spaced out and didn't fully listen...but this was fish marinated in herbs and on top of mashed...well it was delicious.

6. Now we were unsure if it was going to be 6 or 7 courses, so this was exciting when it came out. We also agreed that we were all a bit hungry, that is until we were served RISOTTO! This was a cheesy fish risotto served with shrimp. Yes it looks like mac and cheese, and honestly it sort of tasted that way too and was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

7. Finally we made it to our 7th course. This desert was homemade yogurt on the bottom and then a chocolate cookie and...honestly I don't remember what was on top. It was really good though, and not too sweet, which was perfect. 

It was by far the fanciest meal I have had here in Quito. Everything was extremely fresh and well prepared, and it was nice to return to my foodie roots!

A return to Ecuador

After 4 lovely weeks of vacation, bouncing around from California, to Vermont, Boston, Bard and NYC, and seeing more people from all walks of life than I could have planned on seeing, I am back in Quito to continue teaching.

It was rough to get back into the swing of things at first, but I definitely feel like I have learned a lot since last cycle. I have recycled my lesson plans, while changing them in certain places to make them more effective. I have 3 new classes (so about 45 new students). It will be a new challenge, but I feel much more prepared! 

Last weekend I went on a small adventure down to Guapulo, which is a small section of Quito set down a hill. One of the most famous parts of Guapulo is the church pictured below. From my apartment to the top of the hill where the road starts is about a 15 minute walk.

The walk down is a windy cobblestone road, but it is full of impressive graffiti at every turn. The road is lined with businesses. There are actually quite a few artists co-ops down this way. The walk back up was ROUGH. My lungs lost their 10,000 ft conditioning!

The church was closed to the public for the day, but the entry way was still open.

And alas, one of the best ways to remind me that I am back in Quito is that THE FRIDGE IS BROKEN AGAIN!!!!!! By now I have become a master, and here is a creation of a lentil stew/soup with zucchini, purple sweet potato, and tomatoes. It got covered in sriracha sauce, which is one of the few food items (including maple syrup and earl grey tea) that I brought back with me because it was simply too hard to live without.