Be a Foodie Friend – Cooking for Kiva

Foodies are generous people.  They share their passion for food with friends, family and (sometimes unsolicited) strangers.  They come in all shapes, sizes and colors; and are always ready with a recipe, cooking tip or  restaurant recommendation.  In one of those great ironies of life, I have observed that the less that some foodies have, the more they are willing to share.

I once spent a lovely afternoon learning to prepare roasted cuy and locro soup in a very modest home in Ecuador.  When I  decided to go off the beaten path while on vacation in Quito, I got lost.  I had never been to South America before, and do not speak Spanish.  My frustrating efforts to find the correct bus line and communicate with the locals were draining.   I was hot, tired and hungry.  A kind soul, Gabriela, finally took pity on me.  She did not speak much English, but did manage to signal that my bus would not come by until late afternoon.  She took me across the street to her home, and gave me a roasted cuy sandwich and cold drink.  Heaven!!    Gabriela prepared on-the-go meals for local workers out of her home.  She sold the food (for approximately $1 US) from the back door of her modest home to men as they waited for their bus.  I spent the afternoon learning her cooking methods and later boarded the bus with two cuy sandwiches and a container of locro soup.  Gabriela would not accept any money from me; I think that she just enjoyed the company of a fellow foodie.    Before I left Ecuador, I returned with a a dozen colorful scarves as an expression of my gratitude.  (I also had another bowl of her delicious soup.)

Gabriela’s gracious hospitality and delicious food would not be out of place in any five star restaurant in the world.  Unfortunately, the economic environment in Ecuador does not offer Gabriela the opportunity to take her business to the next level.  Gabriela, her family  and community would certainly benefit from such an opportunity, and quite frankly, lost American tourists would probably benefit as well.

The current economic crisis is world wide.  I live in New York, and have been severely impacted; however, I am grateful that things are not a lot worse.  The helping hands that I have received in the past, both recent and long ago, are still a source of strength today.  I want to extend similar helping hands to foodies like Gabriela in the United States and abroad.  Kiva.org allows me to do that.  I have created a team, Cooking for Kiva (formerly Foodie Friends), for fellow foodies to partner in these efforts.  I hope that you will join.  Please check out the links below.  Thanks!!

What is Kiva

How Kiva Works

Join Cooking for Kiva