(12) Learning that tastes so good

           

I LOVE learning and cooking foods from around the world. I rarely get to find out if they turn out "right". We usually like what we try but have not idea how authentic it is. One thing I look forward to in Ghana is being taught by navies how to correctly make their foods. Ashley invited me to their home so Micheal could teach me how to cook authentic Ghanaian dishes. We made 3 incredible dishes: Tomato Stew, Fried Chicken, and Jollof Rice. There were a couple unexpected experiences of the night -trying to eat the chicken bones and eating with my hands. The second isn't too new but not something I usually do in front of others. We had no idea that a tradition we started 18 years ago would be preparing us for Ghana. Years ago I wanted to make sure our children learned proper etiquette, so I suggested an occasional "delicate dinner". My husband, being the more fun parent, suggested something to offset this formality and came up with "silly supper". At a delicate dinner we dress nice, eat with all the extra utensils, the gentlemen in the family pull out the ladies chairs to help seat them, and all the finest manners are to be used. On the other hand, at "silly suppers" there are no dishes and we eat with our hands. If it were pizza or hamburgers that would be one thing, but silly supper is  messy foods like spaghetti, salad, ice cream, etc.  Eating with our hands most, if not all the time, will be different. I brought a little of the food home for my family to try; that way they would know what it should taste like when I made it again a couple days later. Everyone loved the food and learning that we will eat with our hands frequently. Accepting new ways to do things, as well as, new foods are all part of the journey.