Cook'n---Marquesan Style

Hi people! It's me again! Today I'm going to be talking about cooking breadfruit fritters, a modern dish with a traditional Marquesan ingredient. If any of you wherever you are can find a breadfruit here's the recipe.

BREADFRUIT FRITTERS.

Mash 2 cups of soft raw breadfruit into a bowl. Add 2 eggs and mix in flour till it holds together well. Drop by teaspoon into inch deep hot oil. Flip with spoon when golden brown. Drain and serve.

Serves 3 or more.

 When ancient Marquesans cooked with breadfruit (they made poi-poi--a sticky, tangy, fermented dough like substance and also roasted it on a fire) the mashing part was done with a mortar and pestle, but we found a food processor much more effective and quicker.

After dinner we used another local ingredient to make our dessert . . . BANANAS! Here's the recipe.

BANANAS MARQUESAS   

Take 1 banana per person. Slice down the center of the bananas and part them so you have halves. Place the bananas in a frying pan with lots of butter let cook for three minutes then flip. Sprinkle with sugar ( lots of it!) and cinnamon (not lots!). Now glug rum all over the pan, (and now for the really fun part . . . ) SET IT AFIRE! After the fire goes out sprinkle with lime juice, (VERY IMPORTANT).

Serve with yogart.

I hereby conclude that the dinner was yummy.

CHRISTMAS IN MAY

My Christmas presents went to La Paz (where we spent Christmas) but we had to leave before they got there. Then our friends on Adios III  picked them up in La Paz and sailed them to Hiva Oa where they left them in a pizza restaurant. We were going to go to Hiva Oa but our rudder broke so we went to Nuku Hiva, 100 miles away from Hiva Oa. Our friends on BLUE MOON picked up the presents for us, and brought them to us in Nuku Hiva.

For us down here in the southern hemisphere it's winter but the months are the same so Christmas is in the summer. And in Australia they go and have barbies on the beach for Christmas, (barbecues, although I did like the idea that they barbecue barbies)  

Thanks to everyone for reading my blog and . . .  Merry Christmas in May!

                               

                                            MAIA!

Marquesan Horses

Marquesan horses were imported by Admiral Dupetit-Thouars from Chile in 1842 and he gave them as      gift to Chief Iotete. The horses were small but strong and their decedents are still living in all the big islands. They're still a very important part of the culture. You can see Marquesans giving their horses baths at the beach, watch people ride their horses down the main street, and see foals dancing around with their mothers. Up in the mountains wild horses gallop to their hearts content, their only visitors are the occasional car. Their colts grow up to be just as wild and free as they are. Some are tethered at the edge of the road, content to graze peacefully. You can see wild and free horses or quiet and meek horses. I think they all love their new home.

A local bathing his horse--pictures by Maia

Landfall

Hi! I'm back! That's right, me the amazing, crazy-but-wonderful Maia Selkirk is back! We have safely

crossed the biggest ocean in the world with only minor mishaps! (Although we did lose a rudder)

We're in NUKU HIVA with our friends on WHATCHA GONNA DO. Nuku Hiva is very green, lush, and beautiful. It rains a lot here. I am attempting to learn French.

We visited some ruins with big, scary, dark pits of despair.(Which are actually sacrifice pits)  

We can't go swimming here cause there's a big old shark here. I saw his fin coming towards the dinghy at the dinghy dock when I was sitting in the dinghy.

                BYE TILL NEXT TIME!

                           MAIA SELKIRK!