I've been going through a bit of peanut butter withdrawal down here. It's not that it's completely unavailable-- for $8 i can get a mini-jar of PeterPan, I even found a medium jar of Reduced Fat JIF for about the same price-- I'm just not willing to shell out that kind of money, especially if it's not a full-fat product!
Then, I heard a friend of a friend mention "big bags of peanut butter" sold at a place called Makro. I didn't believe her. Colombians don't eat the tasty nut-paste, and don't know what to do with it when they see it...why would they sell it in big bags?
My curiosity got the best of me, so I took the 15 minute walk from my apartment to Makro-- best described as the Colombian COSTCO. And, no kidding, there it was! Between big bags and jars of jams and fruits was a stack of "big bags of peanut butter"...reasonably priced!! Ever have a moment that is hugely meaningful and important, but no one around you knows, or cares, or would understand? That was me, giddy with glee, in the bulk-jam isle. Looking around with a "Can you believe this!?" expression on my face, eyebrows high, smile stretched... no one cared. But, no matter...I returned home, squeezed the contents of one of the bags into my JIF jar, dunked a cracker, and congratulated myself for overcoming cultural and culinary differences. Yum!
I met Magola through a friend here and we immediately hit it off. Magola is very high-spirited and kind. She loves music, cooking and learning new recipes. She insisted I visit her in her awesome old-school kitchen to learn to cook like "Paisas"-- people from this state. I have been over several times and on my most recent visit we baked my standard vegan chocolate chip cookies with a banana base. She likes to make me a big lunch that always leaves me stuffed. Here you can see her veggie-n-rice stuffed peppers, plantain soup, salad from goodies in her garden, home-made fruit tea (strawberry and pineapple), and an "arepa de chocolo"-- a corn-based pancake that is very common in Colombian cuisine.
