Ham Sandwich Indicted!

We're switching gears from South Asia and talking a bit about a newly discovered love: sardines and anchovies. ...I realize with that statement, I probably just lost a lot of readers, but if you're still with me, I ask you to stick around. I distinctly remember an evening when I was in high school, and I had some friends over for dinner. My dad ordered us pizzas, and when the delivery guy showed up at the front door and handed us our pies, we were immediately olfactorily assaulted by an anchovy pizza which my dad thought "might be fun to try." Being a high school girl, I was appalled and mortified that my dad would order something as gross as anchovy pizza for me and my friends, and we refused to have anything to do with it. Luckily, I've wised up. Oil packed sardines aren't actually all that fishy tasting, and the same can be said for good quality anchovies. Some of the bigger ones are pretty meaty, and actually reminded me a bit of canned tuna in the...

As I think I may have mentioned in the previous posts, the Nepali people love their food, and they love to snack. However, a snack in Nepal is not just a handful of Oreos or a bag of Cheeze-Its, it's practically a meal. The photo above depicts a typically snack stand near the Manakamana Temple. In the foreground are veggie pakoras --sort of a veggie tempura, in the middle are samosas , and in the back is a plate of fried jalebi --fried ribbons of dough soaked in sugar syrup, and behind that, a simmering bowl of potato curry. Since nothing whets your appetite like watching some goats get offered to the Goddess, we decided to grab a bite. When street snacking in Nepal (or any country, really) an important rule of thumb is to eat what's just been cooked, or is being cooked in front of you. In this case, the snack stand had a large crowd, which meant a quick turnover, which in turn meant food wasn't sitting out waiting. KLB and I indulged in samosas (pyramid shaped pa...

Svayambunath stupa (or just Svayambhu, pronounced swi-am-boo), is considered one of the most sacred sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Since entire books have been written on its cultural and religious significance to Nepali and Tibetan Buddhists, I'll just briefly sum it up here..and then we'll get to the party. Svayambhu is a religious complex at the top of a hill just outside of the Valley, capped by a large stupa (a large dome topped by a rectangular tower) and features the eyes of the Buddha gazing over the landscape. It's comprised of hundreds of shrines, several temples, and a few monasteries, as well as shops and restaurants. Pilgrims to Svayambhu frequently circumambulate around the base of the stupa, spinning prayer wheels as they go: But first, just to get there, you have to climb 365 steps. If you can do so without stopping, it is said you can attain enlightenment in the present lifetime...I admit, KLB and I took some breaks. No enlightenment this go around... D...

And now...FINALLY....the first in series focusing on some of the wonderful (and slightly different) food experiences I had while travelling in Nepal. Nepal has a rich culinary identity, shaped by its proximity to India and Tibet, a temperate climate, and fertile soil in the Kathmandu Valley. While it shares some similarities to other South Asian cultures (rice as a staple, liberal use of curry), it nonetheless has dishes that are unique to the region. There is also a subset of Nepali culture in the Kathmandu Valley, the Newars. The Newars are the indigenous people of the Valley, and have their own language (Newari) as well a culinary tradition distinct from Nepal as a whole. My friend, tour guide, translator, and all around awesome host for my trip, KLB, had heard that there was a "secret" local restaurant near her house, and it served authentic, real-deal Newar food. While on one of our shopping excursions, she asked around and we discovered that it was just around the c...

My dear friends of Ham Sandwich... ....I realize it's been over a month (?!?!?) since I've posted anything on the blog. I apologize if you've been coming back here day after day, just to see that the most interesting food even in my life has apparently been King Cake. I actually just returned from a couple of weeks visiting The Roof of the World, aka, Nepal. I have lots to share, and experienced some OUTSTANDING food related adventures that I will be sharing with you in the next few weeks. To keep you occupied in the meantime, I encourage you to check out my flickr account for images of some of my adventures in and around Kathmandu. Thanks!!! Above, my friend Kerry and I enjoy some choila --spicy, grilled, buffalo--and chaang --rice beer at a Newar Buddhist festival.