Shepherd's Pie

Enjoying ethnic food as I do, I have often wondered what Canada’s national food is? The best I can come up with is Shepherd’s Pie - or in Quebec - Pâté chinois. I guess every culture has its own version of this…some sort of ground meat with gravy of sorts, a vegetable (corn, or carrots), topped with smashed potatoes and baked.

Well today I decided to make a Mexican version. It went something like this:

Take yesterday’s road runner chicken (minus the feet) and shred
Add yesterday’s roadrunner chicken juice (minus the fat which I took off after I froze the juice)

Fry some red onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in hot oil until caramelized
Add 1/3 cup of quality white wine (brought from the sunny Okanagan of course) and reduce by half
Add in diced carrot and a tsp of herbs de provence (grown in my Oliver garden and dried….you see, THIS is why I needed 2 large suitcases!) season and cook until softened

Pour into a baking dish

Smash yesterday’s baked squash with some thick Mexican cream and some salt and pepper
Smooth over the chicken mixture and top with a mild shredded mystery Mexican cheese
Bake until you run out of wine to drink.



While wondering around for hours looking for the Mercado del mar(fish market), I was surprised that the several people I asked had no idea where it was…even though it was within several blocks of where they were working. It is possible it had little to do with them, a lots to do with how terrible my Spanish is. Duolingo tells me I am 37% fluent – I think the program lies.

Duolingo is however a pretty good free program for learning languages. I have been doing lessons since last November, and am pretty surprised how easily I read. Speaking is quite another thing…my accent is terrible, and I often forget that adjectives change from masculine to feminine depending on the sex of the word they are describing.

I guess the word “sex” is not the best word to use when discussing grammar – I wonder what sex sex is?? Anyway, I suppose “gender” is more appropriate. At any rate, remembering gender when speaking is difficult, as is understanding people who speak a hundred miles an hour. Mexicans speak much quicker than the bots on my ipad. (I love having conversations with bots…I can practice ordering food, or asking for directions, and the language bot will respond accordingly – and I get points when my sentences are particularly advanced!).

I have read that the best place to go learn Spanish is in Columbia because they speak slower and have a neutral accent. Stephane and I have thought about going there after our 6 months are over here. There are several Spanish schools in Cartagena – a beautiful colonial city on the Caribbean coast. Another alternative where learning Spanish is reasonably inexpensive is Ecuador – another country I have wanted to visit for some time. Perhaps we will go to both countries and I can cross a few things off my bucket list, including the Galapagos Islands. If we don't make it that far, I can at least say I HAVE already seen the blue footed boobie! A bird only to be found there – and in Islas Marietas National Park - a group of islands in Mexico - not far from here.

Anyway, we finally found the market and I bought some nice tuna filets and a whole mackerel - known here as a Sierra.

Fresh fish and fruit are a big part of what we love about being here - and of course the views are to die for. Last night Stephane awoke in the night and this was the view out our bedroom window.