Ribfest @ Centennial Park

**VERY DELAYED POST DUE TO MY GIVING BIRTH AND ALL :-) **
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My sister-in-law wanted to go out for Canada Day, and as Enrique would be helping his friend move and I had to watch Kayla, I thought it would be much nicer than sitting inside the house watching TV.

I knew it would be packed, but I was not ready for this. The veritable sea of people moved en mas towards the front of the BBQ lines. Granted, we got there earlier (say, about 2.30pm) than most, but it was only going to get more crowded in the next couple hours.

We got in the gate (the security checked me for alcohol, which is funny, since I believe I'm visibly pregnant) and checked out the main alley of generic stalls, some selling clothes, others jewelry, others yet snacks of various kinds. There was a martial arts demonstration. We stopped by the lollipop shop and at 6 for $5, we vowed to get two each on the way back. We did stop in at a jewelry stall where there was a sale - I bought Jev and Kayla necklaces (Jev a blue bead and shell strands with silver buckle encased front, Kayla a silver starfish, and myself, a beige oblong and blue round shell combo with silver pieces strung between them). After that, we were getting hungry, and it was time for the ribs!

Think of a fairway, one side the front windows for all the BBQ vendors with their pits visible and prominently wafting smoke to attract patrons, one after the other, all too far to see in one go. We didn't even walk to the end of the line to see which we prefered - Jev had been there before with Dennis and they were both fans of Crabby's. She was adamant on going there again for how good they were, and I'm always up for a recommendation, so we got in the already long line and waited. Every line was long. There was no getting around it. But I guess that's what makes it part of the experience - you wait with your people, you chat, you figure out what you want, and you anticipate the food. I even went to the front to take a picture of the options so we could spend our time in line deciding. We all got the same thing; a 1/3 of ribs and coleslaw, but instead of a double coleslaw, Jev got her second side as baked beans. It was so hot out, I just wanted the cool of the veg.

Manouvering out into the park outside the gates was an ordeal! We managed though, and it wasn't long before we found a spot to spread our blanket and get our drinks. I carried our drink bag (bless her soul, Jev helped me) and my Perrier was still icy (how refreshing!). Jev had a Fresca and Kayla wanted her water. Soon we were tucking into the ribs.

Mmmmm... What to say about these ribs. They were fall off the bone, just as they should be. They weren't too saucy, but they were flavourful and juicy. More sweet, not tangy at all, but hearty. All in all, it was some great meat. Hell, if I was scraven, I would have wanted a whole half rack, but a third did me just fine. The coleslaw as well was crisp and light. An overall good meal. Eating picnic style can't hurt the experience, especially with an icy cold Perrier to wash it all down. Odd sightings as we ate: Guys playing soccer and then football just a 'little' too close for comfort, seeing as I have to guard two of us, a three legged Chocolate Lab who was super active and cute, and watching the line for the Ribfest gate double, triple, and quadruple in length.

But we went back in. Jev and Kayla lined up and I waited until I saw them, folded up the blanket and joined them. It was actually moving quite fast. We went back in, got our lollipops, (they got Jev = Coconut, Cotton Candy / Kayla = Coconut, Maple Bacon / Me = Maple Bacon, Raspberry). We headed back to the car after that, but not before sitting down near a tree to enjoy ice cream from a truck. It was the perfect end to the meal, and there were no real great desserts to be had inside the gates. Even the funnel cakes weren't served with any ice cream.

Leaving the grounds was much easier than coming in. The traffic was far less congested. And we were happy with our day.

Bali and Your Belly - Coconuts for the Fruit Stand

The ubiquitous tropical fruit stand. Actually, it could be either friut or veg, but you see them along the highways in almost every tropical country you visit. With a flimsy shelter and well displayed produce, travellers are enticed to stop and pick up groceries or just a snack. I must admit, I wanted that whole stack of passionfruits and mangosteens (see the mottled orange round fruit on the lower shelf and the dark colour round fruit on the top shelf above). At home I find fruit tastes one dimensional. An banana, an orange, and apple, even berries - most of us rely on the grocery stores where they don't retain the complexity of flavour. In the tropics the fruit yields the full benefit of the sun, ripening until their sweet tangy juices develop until bursting.

I was happy to know most of our fellow travelers were eager to stop here and pick up some delicious treats. You have to admit, the display is enticing - they know how to attract buyers. The variety is outstanding. Being a Caribbean girl, I always prefer tropical fruit. Our Van (see left) stopped and we didn't wait long before the road was clear to run over. We were inundated with children wanting to sell us trinkets, which was both sad and frustrating, making our fruit stop bittersweet. One of our companions with a big heart even had a hard time with a child following her into the van! They are persistent, but not aggressive, which pulls at my compassion. I hope they are family with the fruit vendor, so at least they benefit from our purchases.

On a separate leg on one of our journeys we crossed paths with a coconut stand. We had coconut previously at a restaurant (read: tourist trap) which turned out to be lacking in flavour and a bit of a disappointment. This stand, however, made up for it completely. It was young, full of sweet water, and I'm not sure about everybody else, but mine had young tender flesh. Ah, I miss fresh coconut! They chopped it for us and we enjoyed it on our continued drive.

I don't think Enrique got one, I believe we shared. So when it came time to get the flesh, I used my nails to pare away the flesh from the bowled interior to feed him large sections of the almost jelly like flesh. OUCH! It's not easy to do. It takes time, but I wasn't going to let that flesh go; great coconut meat is not easy to come by. Of course we shared it - I fed myself as well - and oh, for such healthy food, it is damn tasty.

I enjoyed these last minute stops. Not only are they delicious, but it was fun. En & I lucked out in traveling with a great group, and everyone had a great sense of humour and weren't afraid to pipe up to Jack (our guide) and say "oooh! Coconuts! Let's stop!"

It just goes to reinforce my belief in straying (even if just a little) from the beaten path. That restaurant was great and an interesting experience, but if you want the best stuff, you gotta go to the local vendors.

Bali and Your Belly - Padang!

Street food in the far east has a far different connotation than it does here in North America, and while we are catching up, the variety and freshness are still incomparable. Padang is not just food, it is an experience. While it is not street food in the conventional sense, think of these mini-restaurants as take out stops where most Balinese order and zip off with plastic bags on their mopeds. Sit down (hidang) Padang exists throughout Indonesia, yet the few we saw had limited seating which was usually empty. This location pictured was run by Muslim Balinese, not too common in this predominantly Hindu nation. For the best experience, we asked our driver to take us to his favourite Padang shop. He couldn't stop smiling the whole way.

Padang is an activity in ordering - my initial attempt was overwhelming. 'How do I start?' I asked. As usual, the Balinese proprietor was very helpful, explaining the process as I went. First, you select your items. Most dishes are peppery, salty, and/or sauced with a coconut milk base. The meat stews tend to this chilli coconut taste. They have something like curried hard boiled eggs, dried and salted fish which looked like pomfrets, steamed greens, salty unsauced grilled chicken, and various curries, usually of organ or fibrous cuts. You pay only for the items you select. The order is then placed on a banana leaf on top of a pile of steamed rice (which absorbs any yummy sauce) and wrapped up for the journey. Condiments? I (of course) asked for hot sauce, and instead of dousing it over our food, they packed a little plastic bag, tying it off at the top (the way Enrique does with produce, lol) and sending us on our way with a smile. I cannot emphasize how friendly the Balinese are.

In every culture that eats from banana leaf (including ours), they claim it flavours the food. Nothing overt, but there is a tastiness imparted from the experience. When I see a leaf, I unconsciously want to use my hands to eat, but this time, eating on our bed, I decided a fork would be best. Once we returned to our room I brought a tray to the bed, laid out the food, and found a glass in which I could place and unravel the plastic bag of pepper sauce (see below). We settled in to silence as we enjoyed the first few mouthfuls. Sure we were hungry (not a day went by in Bali where we weren't exhausted by the evening), but that food was just the sort of hearty dinner you would expect from someone's home. It was comforting. It was spicy (yes, we both needed some additional pepper sauce). And after a refreshing shower and settling in, it was the perfect sedative. Sure it's glistening with fat, but it's the good kind - the kind that comes naturally from the food, not processed like a dirty water hot dog, but from food that was recently cooked from fresh ingredients bought that exact day. And if there is one thing I can appreciate about any given culture, it's the drive to keep local food and heritage flavours alive and on a plate. I don't care if we have to venture away from the tourist dense strip of burger joints and fried chicken to get it.