Believe it or not, but my teen daughter was not psyched to go on a summer-long road trip with her mom and little brother.  Go figure.

She’d rather stay home with her friends, doing nothing in particular, and she’s holding on to the hope that I’ll cut this trip short.

I’m still hoping that she will enjoy this trip, and that someday she’ll look back on this with fond memories.  With high hopes, I’ve tried to include stops on this trip that I think she’ll appreciate.

Since she loves spare ribs, and we were going to pass the one place in the world that has BBQ that is so good that it’s listed as one of the 1,000 places to visit before you die, we added a meal stop in Kansas City, MO.

The book lists the legendary Arthur Bryant’s as the place to go for BBQ, but I checked in with my Twitter friends just in case there was a better choice.  BBQ is serious business in Kansas City, and I received a few responses, but in the end, I went with the popular choice.

We weren’t disappointed.  It’s a rustic, totally self-serve, hopping busy sort of place, but the line to place orders moves quickly, and the prices seemed reasonable (even if some reviewers complained about recent price increases.) 

We shared a rack of ribs, and I have to admit, these were different.  I’ve never seen ribs so well cooked that the flavor seems to have seeped through to the bones.  The kids were also very excited to discover a new kind of soda, a red cream, that was too sweet for me, but delicious to them.  I prefer the southern sweet tea.

She still won’t admit it, but I can see that she’s having a good ‘ole time, even with bossy mom and annoying little brother!

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I’m not sure where I first heard about Tony Packo’s Hungarian Hot Dogs.  It may have been in 1000 Places To See Before You Die, although it’s hard to believe that a beefed up hot dog stand would merit the same consideration as, say, the Taj Mahal.

Even if it wasn’t one of the seven wonders of the world, I decided that it was worth a stop on our drive from Cleveland to Chicago, if only to find out what all the fuss was about.  It was on our way, easy to get to, and an inexpensive place to get a meal.

I wasn’t disappointed in the hot dogs either.  They were pretty tasty, not as good as the street hot dogs in New York City or Prague, but delicious nonetheless.  Even better were the creamy cucumber salad, paprika dumplings, and apple strudel.

I still don’t get what all the buzz is about.  Apparently, Tony Packo’s got a lot of media exposure when one of the MASH characters raved about the hot dogs.  Later, celebrities turned the place into an even bigger deal by autographing the hot dog buns.

Now, the walls are covered by autographed buns. 

No strangers to green, moldy bread, the kids asked how come the autographed buns didn’t suffer the same fate.  Accustomed to answering a barrage of questions, mostly on subjects that I know very little about, I came up with what I thought was a reasonable answer.  I suggested that  the airtight packaging preserved the hot dog buns.

The kids believed me too, until an employee piped up that they use Styrofoam hot dogs.  Fake hot dogs seem to be a popular item, and the gift shop was selling them like hotcakes.

I was tempted to bring one home as a souvenir, but I decided to hold on to the squeezable buns with my camera instead.

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Never one to miss a golden opportunity to impart a lesson to my children, I took advantage of our visit to Chinatown in lower Manhattan to point out examples of Asian deference to elders.

“Kayla, Alex, look at those two woman, did you see the way the younger one is holding onto the other, helping her along on the street?  You know, in Asia, children are taught to respect their elders.”

I probably repeated that about five times before they actually heard me, and boy, did I have cause to regret my efforts.  For the rest of the day, smart-aleck Alex insisted on helping his “elderly” mom.

Although I failed to impart any important lessons, the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Manhattan’s Chinatown.

A Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved Chinatown Itinerary

After depositing the car in one of the parking garages on Mott Street (near Canal St.,) we headed straight to Ten Ren’s Tea Time for a cup of bubble tea, a popular Asian drink loaded with tapioca pearls. 

Having never tried this before, I wasn’t sure what to request.  Turns out, you shouldn’t just assume that you will get a hot, milky beverage.  The second time around, I asked for a “Hot, Almond Milk Tapioca Tea.”  This is a delicious, filling drink that is a meal in itself; however, my kids didn’t care for the chewiness of the black tapioca beads.

They preferred the dim sum at the Fay Da Bakery next door where big, steamed pork buns make a cheap meal (approx. $1.65 per bun.) Kayla and I devoured the pork and cabbage buns, but Alex went for the plain version which is basically an Asian hot dog.

I could easily spend an entire day eating my way through Chinatown, but I find that it’s best to break up the food sampling with a little exercise.

Fortunately, Chinatown is one of the few places where my family enjoys window shopping.  The exotic wares are always intriguing, and we can usually find worthwhile items that don’t break the family budget.  Shopping in Chinatown can even be a good opportunity for the kids to practice budgeting skills (see Kids Tour Chinatown video!)

Kayla is on a mission to collect candy from all corners of the world, so we made it a point to enter the candy shops and grocery stores.  While she purchased mango candies and chocolate-filled golden Buddhas, we left unusual items such as dried sea cucumbers and shark fins untouched.

At the Chinatown Gift Center, the kids picked up pop rocks ($1/2 boxes) and squishy balls ($1 each.)  Both provided endless amusement, even attracting new friends when we visited Columbus Park.  While I watched men intent on Mahjong competitions, and women chatting over card games, Kayla and Alex dazzled a little girl with their squishy ball maneuvers. 

If we had just ended the day’s travels right there, we could’ve gone home well satisfied.  But, no, I was set on visiting two more shopping Meccas: Pearl Art, the 5-story cookie jar for artists; and Pearl River Mart, a treasure box of Asian home goods.  We picked up good quality art supplies and an array of specialty lunch boxes, as well as a couple of children’s books. 

Of course, by this time, Alex was complaining that he had had enough shopping to last him lifetime.  And, I still wanted to return to the Ten Ren Tea Shop for the traditional Chinese tea set ($18) and Oolong tea.  It’s a good thing that I had parked on the same street as the tea shop!

We picked up the tea set, ate dinner across the street at Amazing 66, and drove back in time for a well-deserved early night’s rest.

Tips For a Visit to Manhattan’s Chinatown

Chinatown Map - Print out this handy Taste of Chinatown map.

What To Eat - 

A Guide To Bakeries In Manhattan’s Chinatown -  Illustrated guide and recommendations to some of the best food bargains in NY. 

A Guide To Cheap Snacks In Manhattan’s Chinatown – From food carts to take out.

A Guide To Soup Noodles in Manhattan’s Chinatown – When you want a lighter meal, or comfort food, try the soup noodles.

On foot with kids, it’s often easier to pick a restaurant based on what’s convenient when the whining starts.  When that happens in Chinatown, I head for a restaurant that draws a local crowd.  That’s how I found Amazing 66, a cheap, family-friendly restaurant where we enjoyed a meal for 3, with leftovers, for under $40.  Best bet for the kids: Sesame Chicken on a broccoli bed, dumplings, and spring rolls.

By the way, I haven’t tried these yet, but I plan to come back to sample the many flavors of the highly recommended Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and the Egg Custard King Two Cafe. 

Getting There – Since there were three of us, and we were planning to stay in one area of New York City, it was cost-effective to drive to our destination.  Parking for the day, 12noon-8PM, was just $30.00.  Round-trip Metro-North train fares would’ve cost $10+ each, and we would still have had to pay for subway fares. Click to Compare Parking Rates.

More On Living By Learning In New York City

Kids Tour Chinatown – A video tour of Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Oompah Time: German Fest in New York – Celebrating New York City’s Bavarian heritage.

Exploring History in a New York Minute – Exploring ancient history at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A World Tour In A New York Minute – United Nations, Chinatown, and Little Italy – all in one day.

Looking for Greek Gods at the Met – Friday night is date night at the Met.

Don’t Forget The Digital Toys On The Next Field Trip! – Digital media can enrich a visit to city attractions.

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Each year our Girl Scout Cookie Sale Season brings a new theme and a new cookie flavor.  This year, we have “Imagine if….we could change the world!“  Accompanying this theme is a cookie with a little bit of Latina flavor, the Dulce de Leche.

Oh, yeah!  That’s right.  Our new cookie has ribbons of Dulce de Leche, the Argentinean caramel treat that draws me like Winnie the Pooh to a honey pot; a jar of Dulce de Leche in my refrigerator is a siren whose call I cannot deny.

Fortunately for my diet resolutions, local supermarkets don’t carry Dulce de Leche.  The last time I spent a few weeks in Buenos Aires, my waist line gave evidence of the many varieties, including prize-winning brands, that can be found on Argentinean grocery store shelves.

Here in Upstate New York, I’m lucky if I can even find the Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.

Fortunately, it’s not that hard to make your own Dulce de Leche, you just have to be vigilant so that you don’t get burned by an exploding can (an experience my sister will never forget!)

Whip up a batch of Dulce de Leche and serve a dab with the new Girl Scout cookies, es delicioso!

Dulce de Leche Links:

Dulce de Leche Recipe – It’s easy; all you need is one can of sweetened condensed milk.  Click the link for this, and more, Dulce de Leche recipes.

La Salamandra Dulce de Leche – Order a jar through Artisan Sweets.

Related Articles:

Make It a Hit with Girl Scout Cookies – Find out how girls are learning entrepreneurial skills while collecting cookies for deployed military troops so that they can enjoy a taste of home.

Cuban Flavors At Miami International Airport – A Linzer cookie filled with Dulce de Leche goes very well with cafe con leche.

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Don’t judge a book by its cover.

That’s the message my daughter’s 3rd Grade teacher drove home when she served the class chocolate-covered garlic.

Tourists crossing the bridge onto Paradise Island, home of The Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, should keep that in mind as they pass Conch Row.

Seeing the collection of ramshackle shacks, most tourists give it a pass to dine at the over-priced restaurants that can be found on the resort grounds (and in many US malls.)

It’s a bit of a hike to walk across the bridge to Conch Row, but it’s well worth the walk, especially when you can avoid eating at a Johnny Rockets or the $46 per adult dinner buffet.

For just $11, you can get the freshest conch, battered and fried, served up as Cracked Conch with salad, peas and rice, and a soda. Wash it down with a super-sweet Bahamas Goombay Punch soda or the local Kalik beer.

More Flavors:

Café con leche, Empanadas, Cuban Sandwiches, and Dulce de Leche cookies in Cuban Flavors At Miami International Airport.

Tropical Drinks and Conch is on the menu in Flavors Of The Bahamas.

There are some culinary delights that I’ll never sample. For example, grilled scorpion is one menu item that I Won’t Try For Love Or Money.

Selecting tropical fruits in New York City in Flavors of America: A Tropical Fruit Stand In NYC.

Discover corn dogs and Italian ice at Coney Island in Flavors of America in New York City.

Ice Cream Incentive – The ingredients in Blue Moon ice cream are a well-kept secret, but see if you can pick them out at Moxie’s in Troy, NY.

Would you like to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email? (Click this link. Fill out the form. Don’t forget to click on your verification Email. Look for this in your mailbox.) You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

A tropical drink is almost a requirement on a Caribbean vacation.  In the Bahamas, this has inspired a plethora of exotic concoctions with fanciful monikers: Bahama Mama, Love Boat, Goombay Smash, and Seeing Double are just a few.

Even the underage crowd enjoys the non-alcoholic tropical drinks, especially the daiquiris that taste like iced tropical fruits.  Our favorite?  The Mango Daiquiris from The Twin Brothers Restaurant in the local hang out, Fish Fry on Arawak Cay.

Going To The Fish Fry

Our new Bahamian friends, two girls who we met working at The Atlantis, offered to introduce us to Bahamian cuisine.

We piled 6 people into each of the girls’ 5-seater cars, seat belts optional.  I was in “Choco Babie”, as the car proclaimed on its windshield decal.  It’s a sweet ride, but it couldn’t keep up with the other car.

Every few minutes, our driver’s cell phone shouted, “It’s Peanut Butter, Jelly Time,” signaling that our friends in the other car were checking up on us.

It’s a catchy tune, but, here in the Bahamas, it should have been, “It’s Daiquiri, Conch Time.”

Our friends made early reservations at the very popular Twin Brothers Seafood & Steakhouse to beat the local crowd that converges after the race tracks let out.  Even so, it was a boisterous setting with competing loudspeakers from at least three clubs, including the popular Cricket Club.

Comfortably ensconced on the balcony, we could hear the music and look down on the gathering crowds.  And, we could almost imagine what it might be like to visit the Bahamas during Junkanoo, when bands “rush” Nassau’s streets.

But, we weren’t there for the music, or the party, or even the “down home atmosphere.”  We were there for the “Down Home Food.”

Conch, Conch, and more Conch

Early in the day, Kayla visited the touch tank in Atlantis’ mythical “archeological ruins,” The Dig, where she handled a real, live, conch.

Later, when sampling the Conch Salad, with seasoned raw conch, I couldn’t help but remember the live conch in the touch tank.  But, this didn’t stop me from fully enjoying the dish!

And, I fully enjoyed the Conch Fritters and…

…the Grilled Conch in a foil packet filled with vegetables with side dishes of plantains and pigeon peas and rice.

Find the recipes for these Bahamian dishes, and more, on Bahamas Recipes.

Culture Shock

Oh, yes.  I ate well, and after a day of sun and fun in the water rides, I was yawning at the table.

That was when my new friends accused me of suffering from “niggeritis.”

Okay, well, I was surprised, and possibly a little shocked.  The “N” word is usually not considered acceptable, and I’d never heard of this particular term.

Apparently, some Blacks use this to “refer to the feeling one gets after eating large amounts of food, often associated with the need to take a nap after eating.”

And, supposedly in the Caribbean, “niggeritis” is used as:

… a direct allusion to the laziness of Africans.

The dazed state of inactivity or sleep brought on by extensive over-eating, after the Trinidadian snake that devours small animals whole and lies in the same place for several days after, digesting; the politically correct or polite version is “Macajuel syndrome” of the more well-known but less socially acceptable “niggeritis”

From The Urban Dictionary.

Well, it’s not a term that I will ever use, and we ended up having an involved discussion about why this is not an acceptable word in our vocabulary.  I wanted to make sure that my children understood that it was a demeaning and inappropriate word that should not be part of their vocabulary.

Still, I guess that I should be flattered that my new friends felt sufficiently comfortable with me to even use that term.

I guess that I was blending in pretty well.  At least that’s what I choose to believe!

More Flavors:

There are some culinary delights that I’ll never sample.  For example, grilled scorpion is one menu item that I Won’t Try For Love Or Money.

Selecting tropical fruits in New York City in Flavors of America: A Tropical Fruit Stand In NYC.

Discover corn dogs and Italian ice at Coney Island in Flavors of America in New York City.

Ice Cream Incentive – The ingredients in Blue Moon ice cream are a well-kept secret, but see if you can pick them out at Moxie’s in Troy, NY.

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Yesterday, I mentioned that – for all that I enjoy exploring culinary flavors – there are some foods that I won’t taste.

I’m definitely not a fan of Survivor or Fear Factor type shows.

Long ago, I too was a foolhardy teenager who could be bribed to take on idiotic challenges.  Friends still shake their heads recounting the time that I dove into shark-infested waters for a measly $20 dare.  Another challenge – sporting a purple streak of hair for a week – netted me a cool $100.

Sure, I was an idiot, but at least I wasn’t losing dumb bets.

And, with the greater wisdom of age, I have no problem turning down “special dishes” when they belong in the wild, not my plate.

My dear husband; however, is not so easily immune to a food challenge.

Back in 2004, on a family vacation in Vietnam, we found a restaurant that served an unusual assortment of exotic foods.  It was a once in lifetime opportunity to sample adventurous fare such as scorpions, field rats, or worms. 

Now, I had no trouble just saying no.  Dave, on the other hand, was torn. He didn’t want to pass up such a rare opportunity, and the kids were begging him to get the scorpions.

He has afraid, but how could he resist the challenge?  Macho man just had to order the scorpion dish.

Once he placed the order, that was it.  We weren’t going to let him back down.  And, we weren’t above a few chicken cackles.

Then, again, there was the coup de grâce.  Our four-year-old friend, Joseph, had no fear handling the scorpions.  He even seemed to enjoy them!

Now, I’m not going to tell you that this turned out to be a surprisingly delicious dish.  I wouldn’t even know, as I held firm.  However, Dave did taste the scorpion and claimed it was alright, just a bit crunchy.

At least one member of our family is a truly adventurous epicurean.

Tell me.  Are you an adventurous eater?  What’s the most unusual dish you’ve ever tasted?  Can you share suggestions for encouraging kids to be adventurous eaters?

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Do you like to try new foods?  Will you expand your culinary horizons?  Are you an adventurous eater?

I’m not, not really.  I have my limits. When we were in Vietnam, I passed on the scorpions.  And, I often pass on my dear husband’s fine cooking.

Otherwise, I’ll eat pretty much anything, anywhere, anytime.

Although it usually leads to disappointment, I like to try new items in the experimental produce aisle.  That’s how I discovered the bland Grapples that my daughter loves. 

Grapples look like apples but they’re supposed to taste like Concord grapes.  Maybe in Washington state, where they’re grown, they do actually taste like Concord grapes.  But, by the time they reach my Upstate NY supermarket, they have all the flavor of a bag of chalk.  Less, even.

Still, I’m an optimist.  I keep hoping that this time the $3 mango will be juicy and sweet.  It happened once.  Lightning could strike again.

Now the stars must have been perfectly aligned yesterday on our drive to deposit Diana at JFK airport. 

Diana just happens to be an expert at finding sweet tropical fruits.  On a life-long quest to taste every fruit, she has climbed trees, bushwhacked past thorns, and decimated many pick your own farms.

So, when we made a wrong turn in NYC that landed us on 1st and 116th Street, instead of the Triborough Bridge, we immediately thought about sampling “local” foods.

We were in luck, immediately spotting a tropical fruit stand run by a young man from Santo Domingo.

With this selection, we probably didn’t need Diana to pick the sweetest fruits.

We didn’t ask him how he imported his wares, but I can easily imagine that he has friends and family flying them in daily.  They taste as fresh as if we just picked them on a Caribbean island.

However, even with this magnificent assortment, it didn’t hurt to have Diana select the best of the best.

Mangoes -

We found several varieties of succulent mangos that literally dripped with so much flavor that they are best consumed at the beach, or over a sink.

Diana chose several small, yellow mangoes that are just like the ones that grow on the trees that sprout like weeds in Puerto Rico.  She claims that this is one of the sweetest varieties to be found anywhere.  For immediate satisfaction, she also included a few larger mangoes that were obviously ripe, and ready to devour.

Sugarcane -

Alex, whose sweet tooth knows no bounds, clamored for the sugarcane, asking to have it peeled and cut into manageable pieces right away. 

(Note – Although a working knowledge of Spanish is helpful in these situations, hand gestures would’ve served just as well as this is a common request.)

Later, I asked Diana how she chose the sugarcane.  She explained that the sweetest canes are the ones that have the longest growth period, which you can find by looking for the stalks with the longest segment between joints.  (See Sugarcane Botany.)  And the sweetest part of the sugarcane stalk is the thicker bottom section.

Genips -

The only way to select sweet genips is to taste them, and most fruit stands will let you sample at least one.  However, to provide an adequate quantity of genips, most sellers will include bunches from several trees, with a wide range of sweetness.

These were not the sweetest genips, more like a Sweet Tart than anything else.  However, we’ll take them any way we can.  Even back home in the Virgin Islands, these fruits are usually not available until their annual season in August.

Unfortunately, we weren’t dressed to enjoy the genips right away.  The peach-colored inner fruit leaves an ugly brown stain, and we already have piles of marred shirts.  Kayla improvised a bib, but the rest of us had to wait.

Papaya -

The last item on our impromptu shopping spree was a large papaya. 

It isn’t a popular fruit in my home now, and I never liked them while growing up in St. Thomas.  I used to ignore the volunteer papaya plants in our yard.

But, I’ve discovered that a wedge of papaya is a perfect complement to a breakfast meal.  Today, I savored a delightful Sunday morning brunch of sunny-side-up egg accompanied by toast and papaya chunks.  Delicious!

More Flavors of America:

Discover corn dogs and Italian ice at Coney Island in Flavors of America in New York City.

Ice Cream Incentive – The ingredients in Blue Moon ice cream are a well-kept secret, but see if you can pick them out at Moxie’s in Troy, NY.

Don’t miss the Flavors of America series.  Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.