Brrrrrrr, Nunavut????

So Nunavut has a more challenging variety of dietary options. Becky looked high and low, but Caribou and Char are not a common produce in these here parts. We opted for a common substitute to Char…Salmon. Time for a few small facts:

1. Nunavut is the furthest northern province in Canada and almost the world…I think it is only surpassed by Greenland’s political map and I’m sure there are some Siberian contenders.
2. There are only 14 countries that have larger geographical boundaries and it is the fifth largest country subdivision in the world…poor governor.
3. The major population, and reason for Nunavut becoming it’s own province, are the Inuit…Don’t call them Eskimo! That would be derogative slang. Apparently “Eskimo” is only tolerated in Alaska who do not have Inuit, but rather Inupiat and Yupik people.
4. The Nunavut flag is interesting, it includes an Inukshuk, a five point star and common national colors.

After being heart broken on not finding Caribou, Walrus, Polar Bear, Seal, Muskoxen, Char or even whale blubber, we ended up having an Inuit recipe for salmon. It consisted of salmon, onion, garlic and lemon. Becky and I aren’t big on aquatic life, but Caleb is. None the less, the fish was decent. It was a bit on the dry side though (completely wrapping the meat in tin foil might help to trap the moisture). We also had Bannock…a traditional bread that accompanies meals. It was fun to watch Becky and Caleb make this. Whether there is a huge impact on flour ratio due to altitude or simply a typo in the recipe, they had quite a sticky mess. We ended up adding approximately another cup or so of flour. The Bannock turned out quite delicious.



We did not find a dessert recipe…but Becky is going to make a peach pie later.

I tried throwing the dart backward today…after making new constellations in the wall, I figured I should throw it facing the board. I landed on the Maldives. Should be fun trying to figure out what to have.

Micronesia

And the tradition begins! We decided to start a new family tradition with our new family. Each week we will throw a dart at a map of the world. Over the course of the next week, we will do some research and pick food from the selected target for the next weeks menu…Caleb was determined not to throw the dart anywhere near the Western Hemisphere. The first toss missed the map altogether. The second toss landed on Micronesia…the map is pretty small so it is hard to decide which island group the dart landed on. A few small facts;

1. There are four island groups that make up Micronesia - Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
2. The Micronesian flag is a pale blue representing the Pacific Ocean and the four stars in diamond shape represent the four island groups
3. Their diet consists of locally grown meats (like chicken), oceanic life, fruits and vegetables

We decided to have Micronesian Chicken as our entrée. We asked some friends, the Bowen’s, to join us. They enjoy trying new foods and are fantastic cooks. They decided to make Micronesian Rice as the complimentary dish. The dessert was Baked Papaya. We didn’t have any challenges acquiring the ingredients…accept for the beer. There is a marinade that the chicken is soaked in and continuously dipped in during the grilling. Beer is a key part of the marinade. I went to the store to procure a can. Apparently, it is not possible to purchase just one can…nor can one purchase beer between the hours of 11 pm and 8 am at the store. I have heard of Happy Hour, but not Prohibition Hour. My attempt to be discrete didn’t work. Fortunately the recipe provided alternatives for the marinade. The chicken turned out quite good. The rice was fun and included a spice that turns it red. I’ve never had papaya. It turned out okay. I think the sweet creamy coconut glaze made all the difference.

The tradition kicked off with a success! It was Becky’s turn to throw the dart for our next adventure. After several attempts…one of which landed in the ocean no where near any body of land, she finally landed on Nunavut. That is in Canada…See next blog