Yves and Lai (photo by Roberto Marquez)

Wishing you an excellent 2011

January 1st 2011, from Cartagena de Indias in Colombia.I have just learned how to prepare patacones, plantain cooked in the Caribbean way. A recipe from Lai, the maid from Gases del Caribe office in Cartagena,  department of Bolîvar in Colombia. Very simple recipe.

Take a few plantains; they should be ripe (black in the outside).

Cut the plantains in quarters.

Deep fry them in vegetable oil; half cooked (they should be not too soft)

Remove them from the oil; then flatten each quarter between two pieces of wood; any type; (two cutting boards may work too)

Then, in a mixture of salt,  crushed garlic and paprika (for colour) that you will put in a bowl of warm water, dunk the flattened plantain.

Then put them back in the oil and deep fry again; they should be crisp. And that’s it! Great to accompany fish or any type of meat.

And to sign off 2010… Another year went by, and this one was fast. We must at all cost slow down the time we have left. For that we have to learn how to say no, the “altruistic ‘no’”, and learn how to live in the present moment, the now! We also have to love, and a lot! We have to forget the many passed times, or the many “pasts” (in plural) and to remember our dearest ones; let’s not forget History with the capital “H” and the one smaller one, ours, our mid-teens when we Were, a time when passion for a better World inhabited our soul. Let’s go back to this state of being. We all wish you a great 2011, full of love, health, success and good will. Thank you for being part of our lives.

 

3 Comments

  1. Halina Gasewicz

    Not sure this recipe fits in too well with the ‘starving artists’ diet’, but it sounds delicious!
    I wish you all an abundance of joy in this new year – peace, good health, prosperity, magic, excitement, beauty, and, of course, love!
    Hasta luego!
    Halina

     
    Reply
  2. Jean Larocque

    Yves and Monica thank you for inspiring and reminding all of us in 2010 to stay artistically connected with our innerself. I agree, we must slow down time to reflect on the present, take time to listen carefully, and make time to love life unconditionally.

     
    Reply
  3. Monique Miller

    Living in the now – is my philosophy that I try very hard to adhere to. Thank you for reminding me and for inspiring me.
    Have a great year 2011.

     
    Reply

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We all make art! It is part of culture. It is deeply rooted in human nature as a way of communicating with others. We all need to tell our stories because it is stories that link us all. We are all one, one creative mind! Though, all unique and equipped with unique ways of expressing ourselves. We live in constant search of that unique liberating voice. At Walk the Arts we aim to facilitate our art makers to explore new territories. Our painting classes and art history trips on three continents are meant to be rounded art experiences among small groups of like-minded adults. We offer an environment that fosters creativity. As we always say, art as religion is just a matter of faith. This blog is about living fully the experience of art, about finding our single artistic path, about the joy of art-making. We believe that making art accessible to all will lead to a betterment of our society.

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