cooking

This blog is for my sister! When I was cooking with my teacher, here in my kitchen, I couldn't help but think of my sister. Pretty sure she would have been sick. Germs don't really bother me but even I was quite grossed out. My teacher came over and taught me how to cook a couple of national dishes, which I was very thankful for. They came out great and i'm glad to know how to make them. Plus it helped me pick up some more kitchen words. However, our culture is just very different from theirs. She came in and we started cooking and she had asked me to cut up the whole chicken and put it in the pot. So I got the cutting board I use for meat and my knife and begin to cut it up, I was not doing it fast enough so she found my scissors and quickly cut up the chicken, so know i'm thinking the board, the scissors, and the knife are all dirty and our hands. I go wash my hands, and start to put the other things in the sick, but before I can get the board picked up she is cutting veggies on it. I thought, o-well, those veggies will be cooked, but I knew we were making one thing where you don't cook the veggies so when I got a chance I flipped the board over so at least those next veggies would be somewhat clean. About half way though cooking I realized that she was washing the dishes as we used them, that is great, but then I looked closely and realized she was not using soap. Again all I could think of was raw chicken, on everything. We did have a good meal and no one got sick. She and I and the kids all ate together and Kirk in the other room. It was a great meal and I was very thankful to know how to make these dishes, but after she left, I did go clorox the kitchen and rewashed the dishes. I know when I eat in other peoples home or even at restaurants they do not keep things clean like we would, but it was something different about it being in my kitchen. I have cooked with them in their kitchen and just thought it was normal and it didn't bother me, but being in my kitchen did make me cringe a little ;)
So interesting how different cultures view different things and also just how lacking the education is here.
But for what they are lacking in education they really do make up in hospitality.