Half-Cake

Every month Amani has a top to bottom scrub down, in which every staff member and child participates in cleaning every inch of the building. Even the executive director scrubs the floors. I helped the girls in their dorm and then found myself wandering around looking for another job. I was ready to give up and get back to my postcards when I wandered out to the kitchen and and saw the chefs busy at work.

They were getting ready for the next day's field trip. The kids would go to a nature center and learn about all the native animals.The chefs were working to prepare snacks for the next day. They were making popcorn and something nicknamed half-cake. The recipe is evidently half mdazi (a slightly sweet, deep-fried bread)and half-cake. I did made her promise to give me the sized-down recipe later! I liked it, but not enough to eat 200 of them.

While most cooking is done in a half-covered kitchen which is connected to an open-air dining hall, these treats are cooked outside so as not to burn down the nice, brand new building. All cooking at Amani uses a type of charcoal that comes in log form.