Musings on a fresh-baked cookie: A global perspective

Finding a long e-mail from my good friend Dan in my inbox this morning really brightened up my day. For some reason, messages from the island nation of Vanuatu always make me smile. That being said, I thought I would share just a tidbit from this morning's e-mail:

"I was actually day dreaming just recently about those wonderful days in college when I'd come home from class to find that every surface in our kitchen was covered with cookies. That just doesn't happen in Vanuatu nearly as much as it should, I think because the first step when baking here is usually 'sharpen your machete and head out into the bush to cut down some trees for firewood,' which is kind of a daunting opening to a recipe, even for the most determined of chefs. Although, actually, I could probably start baking things by just leaving them in my house during the middle of the afternoon."

And yes, that's a picture of Dan opening a coconut with his machete in order to have an afternoon snack. Perhaps after my next baking-fest I'll think twice before bemoaning the onerous process of doing dishes. After all, I'm lucky enough to have running water and an oven that requires nothing more than the twisting of a knob to operate.

-Adriana