A very rambling post with a side of chili.

Above: Not my best picture, as it was taken on the bus, but here's what I've seen every day since the beginning of April: clouds, rain, and more clouds and rain. Also, this is one of the poor areas of Cuba. Please read on for more about why I posted this photo--I need your help!

No one commented or voted "interesting, etc." on my last post... should I take it as a hint that you don't want to read recipes? Or am I the only person reading my blog? If you are a secret reader out there, I would really love it to hear your comments. When you comment or vote interesting, funny, or cool, it lets me know that you liked the post, and I'll know to post on the same topic or use the same idea again. Plus, you must remember that I live a fairly lonely life here in Colombia (although my 17 students informed me that they were my 17 closest Colombian friends yesterday), and when you comment or vote, it makes me feel more connected to people at home. You don't need a blog or a Google account, either. So... you secret readers out there... please let me know what you want to read about!

Okay, so the real part of the post (when I don't lecture my readers):

Onto a more interesting (and vastly more important subject), the photo at the top of this post (as bad as it is), is of a poor neighborhood in Cuba, a barrio in Pereira. I'm posting it to help inspire you... I need your help. I'm trying to come up with ideas to engage my students in a fight against poverty. I want to instill a desire to help and aid the lower classes in Pereira in my students. Teaching wealthy students frequently makes me guilty in this country, but I also realize that my students are the ones that have the ability to make a difference. So, I would like to hear your ideas. How can I teach my students to care about the plight of others, and what kind of projects or activities could we do to help the poor populations? I would specifically like them to help kids their own age. If you have any ideas AT ALL, please comment or send me an email. Thanks for your help!

And now: Why I hate the rainy season.

It has rained here continuously every day, all day for 2 weeks straight. The most sunlight and warmth we've gotten has been little snippets for an hour or two when we are lucky. Usually it's just cloudy and rainy, with a break for 30 minutes here or there. I've been bragging about Colombia's weather for months, but I'm so over it. Until we've moved past this constant downpour, I'm officially NOT a fan of Colombian weather. I know I sound like a big baby, but you have to remember that LPV is an OUTDOOR school. We don't have hallways or doors.. it's all open air. That means that every time it rains, all my posters fall down because the air is so moist, the desks are covered in water because it drips through the guadua shingles, all the bugs come inside to get dry, the electricity frequently goes out, my classroom and my students are covered in mud and water, and my students go CRAZY because there's no where they can go to play except our classrooms because they are the only covered areas! I love the school and it's environmentally friendly/hippie outlook, but I'm definitely not handling the rainy season well. Unfortunately, I've got around 1 more month of it left AND there's another one coming in a few months. Again: I'm so not a fan.

What I am a fan of is a hot bowl of chili when it rains.


Above: Chili, our dinner on Monday AND Tuesday (we had leftovers!)

There are few things in the world that scream American to me as much as a hot bowl of chili on a rainy, cold night. I made chili Monday and was incredibly pleased with how it turned out. Why? (I mean, it's just chili, right?) I was scared it wouldn't work because I can't find CHILI POWDER in Colombia. How is that even possible?

Anyway, here's the recipe. It's certainly not anything like my American recipe, but if you're in Colombia and want a hot bowl of chili, this will definitely satisfy your craving.

Colombian Chile

Ingredients:
3 cups of speckled beans (or black, kidney, pinto, etc. Feel free to mix if you have different types of prepared beans), pre-cooked (see directions below the recipe)
1 red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 red peppers
4 tomatoes
4 tablespoons of tomato paste (pasta de tomate) (you can use less or more if you need... if you don't have any, use ketchup!)
water as needed
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Spices: Cumin (comino), pepper (pimenta), salt (sal), ajo (garlic powder), oregano... I used a mix called "Salsina", a product of El Rey spices, that was garlic, cumin, and pepper mixed.

Directions
1. Chop onion finely and sauté in olive oil until the onions are translucent.
2. While the onion is cooking, mince garlic. Add to the onions.
3. While the garlic is cooking, dice the red pepper. Add to the garlic and onions.
4. Dice tomato and add it to the vegetables.
5. Cook until the red pepper is tender and the tomato is almost mushy.
6. Add beans and liquid from cooking the beans. Add water if needed... the beans should be floating and the mixture should be easy to stir (not stew like, soup like!).
7. Add tomato paste and up to a tablespoon of yellow mustard. Stir until the mixture is well blended.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. When it begins to boil, turn heat down a bit. Stir. Add spices. These should be to taste, but to begin I recommend: 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. If you are using "salsina", you can use it to replace the garlic powder and pepper, but you'll still need 1 teaspoon of cumin.
10. Let it cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Stir often so it does not stick to the bottom.
11. After about 30 minutes, taste the sauce. I added more cumin, pepper, and salt, but you should add as you think you'll like. You might want more mustard--it helps a lot if you like it.
12. Cook for 20 minutes or more over low heat.
13. Serve with your favorite crackers, and if you are Warren, cheese!

How to prepare dried beans (almost any type): Dump beans into a bowl, clean out and remove anything that looks like it doesn't belong, and cover with 2 times the amount of water as beans (so, 1 cup of beans, at least 2 cups of water). Soak overnight (or at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse after 8+ hours, and dump beans into a soup pot. Cover with the same amount of water. Bring to a boil, turn heat down but keep them at a low boil. Cook for at least 1 hour--may take longer, just test them every 30 minutes or so. They should be firm but easy to smash. When they seem like they are almost done, salt them a bit (a teaspoon or a bit more is good). When they are finished, store them in a plastic container in their cooking liquid in the refrigerator.