To express our gratitude for their hospitality, we decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my parents. This was the first time that Dharma and I cooked a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks to a great article from Taunton’s Fine Cooking, the dinner was both simple and fun to make. Fine Cooking describes the article, titled How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner, as an “all-in-one guide to making a delicious, stress-free dinner on the big day.” I’d say that aptly describes it.

What I liked about the article was that it broke down the process into simple, coherent steps. It included a menu timeline, shopping list, and a toolbox of kitchen tools/supplies. This certainly helped to create a stress-free environment in the kitchen.

The menu included:

• Dry-Rubbed Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce with Caramelized Onions
• Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs
• Rustic Mashed Potatoes

We decided to forgo a dessert because neither of my parents eat sweets. Yes, this was difficult given that we have a history of going overboard with baking Thanksgiving pies. A small sacrifice to make… Here are a few pictures of the meal.

Dry-Rubbed Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs

Thanksgiving Dinner

All in all, the meal was a great success. The recipes were easy to follow and the resulting dishes were delectable. I’m already looking forward to the next holiday meal we cook for family (perhaps an Italian-themed four course dinner for Christmas?). The joy of cooking a meal for the ones you love is a most enjoyable experience. For me, great food and conversation shared with family is what holidays are all about (sadly, as I write this, many people across the nation are gearing up for Black Friday; what a crass way to celebrate the holiday).

Cheers to all and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Trying to figure out public transportation was too confusing and time consuming, so I logged some serious mileage ambulating around town. I was a little startled by what I discovered. For being the largest city in Texas, and the fourth largest in the nation, the city lacks that vibrant feeling familiar in many other major urban areas. I’m sure there’s a lot happening, but I suspect it takes time to discover the city’s unique offerings.

So, let’s focus on the highlights of my trip.

The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation
My first stop after checking into my hotel room was Ninfa’s. Finding great TexMex was high on my list of things to do. Ninfa’s did not disappoint! I enjoyed an amazing meal that included delicious horchata, beef tacos al carbon, and the best tres leches I’ve ever had. I walked the two miles back to my hotel after the meal to burn of a small portion of what I ate!

The original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston, Texas.

On Saturday, I hiked over to midtown to eat brunch at The Breakfast Klub. This local institution is renowned for its southern breakfast. I waited an hour in line, which wrapped around the corner of the restaurant, to eat their signature wings and waffles. The meal was washed down with some delicious coffee and sweet tea. Heavenly.

Wings & waffles at The Breakfast Klub.

To burn off the heavy meal, I walked a mile to visit the Rothko Chapel. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of Mark Rothko’s artwork. However, this tranquil meditative environment is absolutely stunning. Rothko created the interfaith art space under the patronage of Dominique and John de Menil. Rothko worked closely with architects Philip Johnson, Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry to design the beautiful sunlit space that encompasses his fourteen paintings. The ambience of the space is moving, as is the Chapel’s commitment to being a place for dialogue on human rights. All in all, the Rothko Chapel lives up to its designation as “a modernist shrine for a timeless art.”

Rothko Chapel

From the Chapel, I hiked across town to explore Buffalo Bayou park. My hope was to spend the afternoon kayaking along the waterway. However, I sadly learned that all of the kayaks were rented from the various outfitters providing service at the Bayou. So, I set out on foot. I was expecting a tranquil stroll along an urban parkway. Instead, I was shocked to discover the hiking trail essentially followed the noisy interstate highways. It was a total bummer. Nonetheless, it was nice to get some exercise and see more of the city.

The Buffalo Bayou hiking trail

Afterwards, I decided to quench my thirst at Cafe Luz before heading back to the hotel. This new coffeehouse in downtown Houston offers craft sodas and excellent coffee that is roasted at the cafe. I tried a made-to-order blood orange soda and an iced toddy coffee. Both drinks hit the spot. I had a great conversation about coffee with the owner while I enjoying my drinks. There was a chocolate making class taking place in the back kitchen, which reminded me of the one we enrolled in while visiting Peru. I highly recommend Cafe Luz to those visiting Houston.

Cafe Luz (Photo: Houston Press)

Unfortunately, there were a few places I hoped to visit, but I was ultimately constrained by time (as well as crummy business hours). This included enjoying eastern Texas barbecue at Pizzitola’s, drinks at Anvil Bar & Refuge, and a trip to Saint Arnold’s Brewing Company. If I ever return to Houston, these destinations will be on my list of places to visit. Also, despite high prices, I’d like to check out the local specialty shops Maida’s Belts and Buckles and The Hat Store.

Additionally, we visited the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit for a few games of feather bowling. Yes, you heard that right, feather bowling. Once a speakeasy, the bar is most famous for being the only place in the U.S. where you can still play feather bowling. This game, which originated in Flanders, Belgium, is similar to bocce ball and horseshoes. In short, it’s big fun (yes, there’s even a league!). In addition to feather bowling, the Cadieux Cafe has fantastic mussels (so I’m told) and a decent selection of Belgian beers. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Cadieux Cafe | Detroit, MI

Cadieux Cafe, 02 | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe, 02 | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe, 03 | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe, 04 | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe, 05 | Detroit, MI

Feather bowling at the Cadieux Cafe, 06 | Detroit, MI

Our primary reason for staying in the village was to begin acclimatizing to the higher elevation. On average, the altitude of Lima is 433 ft. Cusco’s elevation is approximately 10800 ft. That’s some serious gain. Pisac is slightly lower than Cusco, with an average elevation of 9514. Speaking to this, we thought it would be best to acclimatize slowly and begin at a slightly lower elevation before heading to Cusco.

Pisac is a relatively small and sleepy village. The market, located in the plaza de armas, is really the hub of activity. In the off season there are two smaller market days during the week and a large market on Sunday. However, during our stay there were stalls setup everyday and a massive market on Sunday. Few handicrafts caught our eye, as much of it seemed redundant and not unique. Also, many textiles were produced with acrylic as opposed to alpaca or other traditional fibers.

Though, I will admit that it was fun to watch bus load after bus load of gringo tourists arrive to shop the stalls. One morning we were perched on the hotel balcony watching the locals setup their handicrafts. From one corner of the plaza I heard house music bumping from a sound system. From the other corner we heard Beyonce’s Single Ladies playing. Within minutes of the first bus arriving, the music was killed and traditional Andean music stated playing! Hilarious! This, coupled with the gringos posing for pictures with Andean women in traditional garb, made me cringe. So much of my professional work is to combat this type of cultural “othering,” and there I was witnessing it happening before my eyes.

A Classic Case of "Othering"

Our accommodations, the Pisac Inn, was really great. The small hotel is conveniently located right off the plaza de armas. The family-owned business has a vested interested in preserving the cultural heritage and looking after the social welfare of the local Quechua people. Quite inspiring. So, in addition to feeling good about our hosts, we were delighted with the quality of the hotel. The staff was friendly and accommodating and the food was outstanding. It was here that I tried my first alpaca steak (delicious!), coca tea and chicha morada.

We didn’t do a whole lot in Pisac besides visit the market. We took things slow because of the elevation. Dharma and I both experienced trouble sleeping and some minor headaches due to the altitude. However, we did make time to hike the Incan ruins at Pisac. I wasn’t feeling so hot and we made the mistake of following a group of Aussies along a trail that turned out to be… not a trail. We eventually managed to find the right trail, but not before I fell off the side of a small cliff. Fortunately I caught myself and only managed to bang up my knee and collect an armful of slivers from a bush.

Here are some photos from our stay in Pisac.

The first two days of our trip were spent in Barranco, a suburb of Lima. Barranco is a sleepy and somewhat bohemian area of the sprawling capital city. We stayed at a great B&B called Second Home Peru. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Second Home Peru was once home to the noted Peruvian artist Victor Delfin, whose artwork is on display throughout the premises. His daughter, Lillian, now rents out 5 rooms on the property to guests. The place was simply amazing and the staff was extremely hospitable.

One of Delfin's sculptures, as seen from the balcony of our room.

Our first day was all about food. We participated in a one-day culinary excursion through Pica Peru. The four-hour class began with a tour of a market in Miraflores, where we learned about and sampled Peru’s local produce. Our guide and instructor was chef Carlos Otero. Otero has owned restaurants in Lima, Caracas, and Miami, but now he’s an instructor at three of Lima’s most important culinary schools. His knowledge, experience and relaxed demeanor provided a highly enjoyable and educational experience.

After the hour tour of the market, we went to Otero’s apartment for the actual cooking lesson. We made an amazing three-course meal that included ceviche, fish cau cau, and causa; all prominent Peruvian dishes. There’s nothing quite like cooking a delicious meal and washing it down with pisco sours, Peru’s national cocktail! The cooking class was memorable and we are determined to cook these and other Peruvian dishes at home (scored a signed copy of Otero’s cookbook, which is fortunately in both English and Spanish).

On day two, we went on a 15-mile mountain bike tour of the Pachacamac region outside Lima. The tour, led by Jaime of Peru Bike, meandered along trails near several archeological sites and the neighboring farmland. The singletrack trails along the irrigation canals were insane but fun!

After working up a serious appetite, we hopped a cab to Miraflores to grab lunch at renowned Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio‘s La Mar. Again, we enjoyed ceviche, causa and pisco sours. The food was delectable and the restaurant had great atmosphere. Yeah, we are definitely fans of ceviche. Sadly, despite all of the sushi restaurants in the U.S., there are seemingly few cevicherias. Hmmm…

The remainder of our day was spent exploring Barranco. We never did make it into downtown Lima. It would have been nice to see some of the city and its landmarks, but we had limited time and we stuck to our priorities.

Other general observations/experiences:

• Don’t drink the tap water
• Don’t flush your toilet paper. Throw it in the trash can
• Peru is the home of vintage Volkswagen Beetles
• Motorists, especially hacks, love to honk their horn
• Visiting a country during a presidential election reveals a lot about a socio-economic divisions within a nation

Momofuku Milk Bar

Momofuku Milk Bar

Eataly

Domori

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

iPhoneography=Instagram+PS Express

Our first stop was at the Ayala Crafts Workshop in Loiza to check out the folk art of Raul Ayala. Ayala is a member of the musical group Los Hermanos Ayala and a master artisan of vejigantes.

Vejigante masks and costumes are worn by people dressed as vejigantes, or people who represent 11th-century Spanish Moors, in Puerto Rico during the time of Carnival, as well as during the festival, or carnival, of St. James in July. Vejigante masks date to the 1700s Spanish traditions, and represent a spiritual battle between the Apostle James and Spanish Muslims.

After purchasing a couple of Ayala’s beautiful masks, we made our way further down the coast to El Yunque. EL Yunque is a designated UNESCO Biosphere and the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest system! Imagine a place that gets 100 billion gallons of rainwater a year! We enjoyed a great hike while taking in the lush vegetation and the many beautiful waterfalls along the modernized trails.

Afterward we headed to the beautiful Loquillo Beach to cool off and freshen up with a swim in the ocean. Because we arrived late in the day, we didn’t get too much time to relax in the water. However, by this point we had worked up a pretty mean appetite and we were looking forward to eating at the renowned rustic kiosks next to the beach. I’m not sure how many food kiosks there were, but it seemed like the line of eateries stretched out at least a quarter of a mile. There was so much amazing, traditional Puerto Rican food to choose from. This stop was definitely a highlight of the trip for me!

To end the night we headed further out to Farajo for a kayak tour of the bioluminescent bay. The luminescence is caused by micro-organisms (dinoflagellates) that glow whenever the water is disturbed, leaving a trail of neon color. Because there was a moon, the bay was not nearly as illuminated as one would have hoped. But still, the two hours navigating the kayaks under a star filled sky was amazing.

All in all, this was the perfect last full day on the island. Our flight back to the States departs tomorrow afternoon, so we have limited time for much else.

From Puerto Rico: Day Six

- Devon Akmon