tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1536009439433682752.post7120417944991467071..comments2023-04-26T08:39:57.613-06:00Comments on An Expat Family and Their Adventures: Cooking Adjustments in Guatemala Part 1Benjamin Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06143931257883543792noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1536009439433682752.post-46962639001513761462010-11-21T09:15:13.447-06:002010-11-21T09:15:13.447-06:00I have lived everything you said. It took me month...I have lived everything you said. It took me months to be able to explain these things to someone else in a way that they could make sense of what I was trying to ask for! I remember the day I found baking soda and the day I finally found corn starch! Little victories that made life so much easier in the kitchen. We went 3 years before I figured out those things were sweet potatoes lol. Now we eat them weekly. I hated my gas stove when we first got here, now I would never go back. I still haven't embraced my oven though. I have a conversion chart in my kitchen, but still don't get the results I want. I think it's the quality of my oven. Anyway, this was funny to read. Something I still can't find outside of Guate is shortening. I'm sure it's here, I just can't figure out how it's packaged or who sells it. One day!Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338784611800458980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1536009439433682752.post-89952340541936667322010-11-13T13:10:40.662-06:002010-11-13T13:10:40.662-06:00Maizena has a lot of uses in Guatemala,some I can ...Maizena has a lot of uses in Guatemala,some I can tink of are: <br />Atol de maizena,is a hot drink.<br />Engrudo, is used as a glue in some paper crafts, like barriletes (kites).<br />Dermatology: to treat salpullido y escaldaduras (irritations because of heat or friction).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1536009439433682752.post-83019650818646027322010-10-12T16:45:07.769-06:002010-10-12T16:45:07.769-06:00Oops! I knew that... thank you for catching that, ...Oops! I knew that... thank you for catching that, I corrected it! You are right, "brown sugar" has a different texture here. It's more like sand and less like sugar with molasses in it. For cookies, I have used the "rapadura" and dissolved it in a pot with whatever fat the recipe called for (butter usually) and it works very well. I used it with a healthy version of a snickerdoodle recipe and it was delicious. What that recipe missed, however, was the cream of tartar. Have you found that anywhere?Adinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13217541835894984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1536009439433682752.post-25335239086282815992010-10-12T15:34:07.375-06:002010-10-12T15:34:07.375-06:00It's kind of like scavenger hunt, huh?
Regardi...It's kind of like scavenger hunt, huh?<br />Regarding the Maizena or fecula de maiz, that is actually corn starch. Baking soda is bicarbonato (sodium bicarbonate) and is sold in the pharmacies (not the grocery store usually)for a few quetzales a bag. However, in August, I saw some Arm and Hammer in Paiz in the baking section.....<br />I have a hard time finding brown sugar, but they have something called Dulcet which is the grated Panela--or brick form of brown sugar. It is actually very yummy, especially in cinnamon rolls, but doesn't dissolve completely in cookie doughs. It tastes more like molasses than regular U.S. brown sugar. <br />Happy Cooking!Kemmel and Lisa Dunhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14776303733030794651noreply@blogger.com