OLIVIA IN NC

la misión

Four days ago was the FOUR-year anniversary of my MTC report date.

Ben had to meet us there for something... it was something important that I can't remember... but I loved the chance for this awkward photo.

FOUR YEARS AGO. That's wild.

I had plans to turn the eggplants from Jordan's garden into the Berenjena Guisada dish I loved.

I also had lofty goals of creating a whole new blog—Olivia in the DR—for an online record.

Gimme a break—I was PURPOSELY trying to give my cheesiest cheerleader open-mouth smile...

Well, neither happened on the 27th, but today was my mission's reunion and I couldn't fly home to
see those that became my family—so many brothers and sisters that I never see these days.

So, in loving memory of those "family members," the family I found in many Dominicans, and of the whole entire experience itself, I attempted that favorite dish:

Just the look of the pan, and review of the ingredients took me right back—

the Colmado would sell small little onions, long eggplants, and tomatoes.
It was all ordered by the pound.
If you took a spoon or bowl with you they'd give you 10 pesos de pasta—
(10 cents worth of tomato paste).
And there was not a dish I remember that didn't call for a sopita (bullion cube)—
basically their only spices.

Not many liked this dish. Even some of my Dominican friends turned their nose up to eggplant, but I loved it this way. Egg is scrambled in at the last second to give it an extra creamy texture.

Please, let the steamy-ness fool you into thinking I did it perfectly.

I didn't. The eggplant is supposed to get all mushy before you put it in the pan.

Ana (she introduced me to it) used to set the eggplant right on the gas stove fire and let it "burn."

She'd flake off the blackened skin and the whole inside would be mushy—more for the creamy texture. But alas, I tried baking mine first for a while, and they didn't get that mushy, so I diced them hoping they'd cook and mush in the pan, but they didn't quite get there.

... part of this complete breakfast almuerzo ...

Oh well. Dear mission, I love you. Thanks for all you gave me.