A word about Tortillas

Well, I have found my new favorite food here in Paraguay.

The tortillas.

Why wouldn´t they be everyone´s favorite? Like everything down here, they are fried. But unlike everything fried, I actually enjoy this treat!

So it´s basically flour, egg, milk, and salt mixed together to make the batter. Some people (as seen below) add other ingredients such as onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Oddly enough, I find that a little lettuce and onion make all the difference. But out in the campo where I´ll be spending my 2 years, most people don´t add a thing.

I am slowly learning to make these new fangled tortillas on a fogon. A fogon is the type of stove they cook on here. It is an open flamed type of range with an oven built into the side. Most people think of them like those stone pizza ovens - but that´s if yr real fancy-like....

This isn´t the best photo - but until I can upload some better ones, it gives you the idea of what cooking over open flame is like. Except there is a lot more smoke! I´m also learning to make cheese and milk cows. I think I´ll be ready to open up my own dairy/landscaping company when I get back to the US. Think it will fly?

I know some of you are also saying, 'Uh, since when did Cassie start eating onions?' Well, as onions are sometimes the only veggie I get, and it's either bland pasta with a side of mandioca (basically a potato) - I choose onions.

I'm also eating quite a bit of chipa. I didn't like it at first, but now i find it's pretty darn good right out of the tatakua (the brick ovens that everyone has in their yards).

This fabulous photo (i found online because i still don't have a camera, mom ;D ) shows the chipa bread they make with pig fat, mandioca flour, ground corn, eggs, and anis. They roll it into donuts and place them in the brick ovens on banana leaves. After only about 5-10 minutes, they are ready to be taken out and eaten! Yum!!!! It's a dry bread thats chewie in the inside - that at first I didn't like at all. But now, I think it's a darn good schnack on bus rides and sitting in front of my house.

I hope to get my camera in the mail soon from my mom, so I can start taking photos of my house and my community. Then you can see the REAL Cassie Paraguayan Peace Corp Volunteer!