Since this is my second “Independence Day” away from the US, I decided to bring a bit of American to Guatemala for the day. Since we have a number of students from the United States staying at the house, this won an overwhelming vote of approval.
I offered to cook the evening meal, and decided we would have picnic fare—all before I checked the local market to see if what I needed was available.
The hotdogs weren’t too difficult, though I’m really not sure what is all in the “salsichas” they sell here. Buns were a bit more of a problem, though. We substituted “pirujos” which are LARGE oval shaped rolls, fat enough to fit two hotdogs. One of the guys said that was the most bread he’d ever eaten with a hotdog. Fortunately, the quality of the bread made it worth eating. The various rolls and breads here are rich and soft and chewy—a food in themselves, rather than just something to hold the “real” food. (Yes, that is Coke in returnable glass bottles!)
The potato salad was a bit easier to find ingredients for—though the pickles I bought were more like cucumbers soaked in vinegar that what we consider pickles. Needless to say there were no pickles in the potato salad, though the ones we put on the table were all eaten.
Baked beans proved to be the challenge of the day. . .especially since I had not planned far enough ahead to cook dry beans. I managed to find canned “frijoles colorados” (“colored” red beans with bacon and chorizo) which I managed to doctor up with hickory smoked barbeque sauce and sugar. They looked nothing like baked beans, but it was the consensus of those at dinner that they tasted pretty close to the real thing.
The crowning glory of the evening was “some-mores” which were the easiest to make—once I figured out which of the local crackers were similar in taste to graham crackers. I think they were the hit of the evening. It continues to make me wonder, though, at how expensive chocolate bars are in a country that grows chocolate!
After dinner we partied and danced and just generally enjoy each other. This group of students is really a great bunch—especially two med students from Rush in Chicago. They have proved to be excellent big sisters to Anita’s two girls (along with their more “permanent” adopted big-sister, Katie).
The only thing missing from our celebration this year was fireworks. “Bombas” or large and small fire-crackers are available here year round, and are set off very early almost every morning for one reason or another. Real fireworks are hard to find (except at Christmas!), and look as I might, I could not find a single sparkler!
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