Burger Night

Unfortunately, with limited supplies and limited access to obtain new supplies, it can start to feel like you are living in the movie Groundhog Day when you walk into the kitchen for meals. Therefore, among the ex-pat staff, we try to think of new ways to prepare the food that is available to us. I came up with the idea of hamburgers, since I walk past a baker's dozen of cows pretty much everyday. I did not anticipate the idea to be all that unique considering they eat beef all the time here; I was gravely mistaken. Not only had no one actually tasted a juicy burger, but they did not even know what a hamburger was.  Hence, project burger night was put into effect.  We got some fresh  meat at the Saturday market down the street and began our preparations. To obtain the proper consistency, we used a grinder attached to the foundation of the kitchen table.  This means that you have to bend over like a hunchback or squat on the floor rotating a metal handle using sheer muscle power.  I assure you there was not a dry armpit in site. Next, I chopped up garlic and onions for seasoning and mixed it in with the meat.  Dora was on fry duty and cut up all the potatoes and cooked them in oil.  To top off the American burger feast we had tomato salad.  Dr. Tom contributed with a bottle of mustard he had received from a friend at another NGO in the area.

Warning: cover your keyboards before continuing on...heavy salivation is likely to be induced.

         Francis's first hamburger bite. He is clearly mesmerized by the flavors.

Phillip ready to sink his teeth into some meat.

Josephine says, "washing hair takes the back seat when amidst the air is a burger treat."

We helped Darius dress his burger right.

Julius proves to be another satisfied customer.

Yusef has now perfected the two hand "i'm lovin' it" burger pose.

Dr. Tom saluting gluten-free burgers

the full crew with their bellies filled

With the drastic success of burger night among the ex-pat crew, I have decided to plan another burger night for the locals who have also been deprived of hunks of cow hugged by two buns.  I definitely got burger fever because I also decided that I should open up my own hamburger hut at the top of the street.  If this dream because a reality I will try to follow the FDA serving size guidelines.  After all, I don't want to single handedly be responsible for an obesity epidemic in the middle of central Sudan.