My Rainbow-ish Cooking Show

Step#1: Half oranges and juice them.

When Sun and I first got married, and we invited some friends over for a meal, I would scour AllRecipes.com to find something new and yummy-sounding to try. Hubby would walk into the kitchen from his med school rotations and wearily ask, “Are you sure?”

To which I would optimistically beam, “Worse case scenario, we order a pizza.”

I never cooked much until I got married, and in many ways I had no choice but to learn how. We started our newlywed years on the island of Dominica. Where the restaurant choices at the time were limited, and the operating hours short and the variety…well, there was none. There was local food, which comprised of mostly chicken and plantains and there was the KFC an hour drive away. Not just a regular hour of car travel by the way, but a winding around mountains, nausea-inducing, bumpity bump hour later. By the time you arrived in downtown Rousseau, you had little desire to eat. Fresh air was far more important than finger-licking good munchies.

Step #2 Make Jello, decreasing cold water
to 3/4 cup and pour into orange halfs lined
in a cupcake tin.

The other thing about Dominica were the items that the local grocery stores carried. Or more clearly, did not carry. They didn’t carry much. In terms of items or variety. Even fresh milk was a rare commodity. After taste-testing every brand of boxed milk, we settled on the Parmalat brand, which wasn’t always available either. These were the years I learned how to make pancakes from scratch, because Aunt Jemima just didn’t travel to our island. Wahh. Actually, that’s one thing I still do. Make pancakes from scratch.

But today’s recipes have nothing to do with breakfast and everything to do with rainbows and birthday parties.

Beware the tiny punture that happens
at the bottom if you juice too much.
I had a couple of leakers and had to
remove, soak, and refill in a new orange
half. Better a little pulp than leaking Jello water.

I love colors. So when Princess #4, the girl of the hour, picked multi-colored party plates for her big day, we went with the rainbow theme. Planning to make only a rainbow cake and add rainbow sprinkles to cupcakes, I stumbled upon a fairly easy recipe for rainbow Jello slices. So I followed the directions, and don’t they just look so pretty?!? This is an overnight project or at least give yourself a window of a few hours for maximum jiggle in your jello. What I enjoyed was the citrusey taste of a little pulp when you bit into the light Jello-y goodness. Added bonus. Freshly squeezed orange juice. 🙂

I waited 24 hours before slicing the halves
Twice. With a sharp knife. Slice and sink
in!

The Rainbow Barbie Doll cake was to be the center piece of the party table. And it turned out relatively nice. Just not exactly what I had planned. For starters, Indian Barbie’s body (the cake) did not look like an extension of her sari. I couldn’t get the correct color of yellow icing, and if I had baked the cake in a bowl instead of a bunt pan, the flowing, Cinderella skirt might have looked more real. Unfortunately, I found the glass baking bowl the next day. Just where I left it. On the top shelf of our dishes cabinet. Oops.

Funny story about Bollywood Barbie. We actually bought her in India. In 2003, when we ventured across the ocean with three little ones for hubby to complete a four week elective rotation in international and rural medical care, I scoured the entire country of my origin for an Indian-looking baby doll. I wanted my girls (then three) to have dolls that looked like them. Nothing. Not one. I was disappointed. But in Delhi, we did find Sari-clad Barbies. At $25U.S a pop. We splurged and bought two. But I must say, even back then, the blonde hair and white skin didn’t sit right with this Mama who was trying to teach her girls that they are beautiful with their different shades of brown skin and flowing black manes.

Make a white cake mix according to the
recipe. Then divide liquid mix into bowls
and add food coloring to create colors.

But as I put together Sarah’s Barbie rainbow cake, I kind of appreciated Blondie in her gold and red threads. Reminded me of the book I heard about several years ago called, The Coconut Generation. Because that sums up what many of us Indians growing up in America are like. Brown on the outside, but white-ish *American on the interior. And that’s okay. I love coconuts.

The blend of cultures in our lives is natural when you’re growing up in a country different from your ethnic origin. And when you’re living in a diverse state like New York, many of your friends are married to spouses of different colors and the rainbows of the human race just add more layers and get prettier, in my opinion.

I love my mixed babies. I have four nephews that are Columbian/Indian and two nephews that are African-American/Indian. And our princesses are South/North Indian with hubby and I coming from the opposite ends of India *Kerala (Hubs) and *Punjab (me.)

Pour batter into pan, in rainbow color order,
and add the newest color in the middle of the
last color poured. This is where a bowl works
better than a bunt pan.

The purple didn’t quite turn out as
pretty as I had hoped.

Bend and secure Barbies legs.
Using ziplock bag, keep Barbie’s
skin and clothes from touching
cake.

Ice as desired, attempting to create
colors similar to Barbie’s clothes if
you’re going for the dress extension
look.

So the party went for a couple of hours. With the kids and parents oo-ing and ahhing over the colorful food and festivities. My older three helped run the craft table, giving manicures, making bead bracelets, and playing puzzles with Beara’s little friends and cousins. Gave me a chance to chat with the parents. And sound smart as I explained the how to’s behind the Jello slices and the girly cake. Not that I need to impress my friends. Just like to show off my culinary skills *a smidget that emerge every once in awhile when I come up for air from my bat cave. Where I do my writing.

Sing Happy Birthday, Make a wish, Blow out Candle, and…

Speaking of, come to realize that the last blog of this week will actually be my 100th Post! Hard to believe that when I started this adventure, In Search of Waterfalls, I discovered much much more. Than just waterfalls. 🙂

Can’t wait to cross that line with you. Thanks from the top of my waterfalls to the bottom of my heart for sticking with me. As I grow in my writing. Find my voice. And follow my dream!

Love You All.

Signing out.

Masala-Marinated Mama

♡♡♡