Lunch

After deciding we were fed up with fried falafel, pizza, schwarma, and paninis (not what you think: more like cheeeeeeez inside of a large pressed, heated baguette), we (a number of us: okay, half the group, which is six people) decided that we refused to eat fast food for lunch everyday and that we were going to make fresh food for lunch each lunch hour.

We have lunch from 12:30 until 2:30 (very traditionally Senegalese. They like their food. And their rest. And their ataya. And they're...doing nothing) so we are planning to spend every Saturday in Casino Sahm, the local (and only?) supermarket in our region of Dakar. It's a bit like Shopko, but also a bit like Fred Meyers. It's also a bit Senegalese. For example, there are around 9 different varieties of Nutella like products to choose from. There is Nutella, of course. But then there is Chocopain, Choco-lion, Choco Mousse (that what we have at my house. The logo is a insane rabbit wearing a cape), Choco King, and of course the store brand Casino-Sahm version. The Senegalese love the stuff. Understandably so.

Last Sunday we made the Casino tour and bought a number of different things. We bought some pasta, some beans, corn, veggies (some...), salad dressing, olives, etc. But the store is missing a number of things that are assumed to be in grocery stores in the US. For example, Casino Sahm does not sell sliced bread. There is no such thing as whole wheat here (tragically), they do not sell plain yogurt, flip flops (okay, this one might be a stretch, but remember when I said this place was like Fred Meyers? They sell bras, backpacks, highlighters, and toilet plungers, but NO FLIP FLOPS), cinnamon, chocolate chips, solid cheeses, or milk.

No milk. No milk that comes from cows, that is. What is powdered milk, anyway?

So, this past week we have crafted some lovingly-made home-cooked meals and manged them on the sunny patio. We don't have to wade through taxis, we don't have to pump exhaust through our lungs as we march towards the fast food place. Instead, we just eat egg scramble and fruit salad with (sugary) yogurt and sip at our bissap juice.

I don't think we'll ever go back to fast food. Unless its two-for-one-pizza Tuesdays...