Deprived?

They are fleeting, but there are occasional moments I feel a pang of regret that my kids are “missing out” growing up overseas.  Being a million miles away from the good ol’ USofA means there are some trademark bona fide American flavors they have never experienced.  Without exception, the one thing we always request when someone is coming from the States and asks what they can bring for us is “FOOD!”  We stockpile Cheezits, salsa, Velveeta, taco seasoning and chocolate chips.  The ginormous SAMS sized parmesan cheese container has been rationed to get us through until we are back in the States this summer.  And the M&M’s that we tried to ration……are long gone!

My poor deprived kids!!  Im not sure that the younger kids even know how a drive-through window works.  They’ve never had “happy meals” as a snack after school.  My kids are unfamiliar with the powerful magnetic force of a blinking “hot” sign outside Krispy Kreme.  They’ve never been waited on by a carhop on roller-skates at a Sonic.  Their cholesterol may be dangerously low for their age because they’ve never tasted a greasy chili dog at the Varsity or had Checkers cajun curly fries.  They know “blizzard” only as a snowstorm rather than a Dairy Queen ice-cream concoction, and think that “munchkin” is Gigi’s nickname, not a decadent Dunkin Donut bite.

But for all these disturbing holes in their upbringing, there are some redeeming flavors of their unique childhood that I hope they’ll look back on with fondness.

“Rotti”….its kinda our favorite thing these days.  After our first revolting experience with street food, it took us 2 1/2 years to warm up to the idea again.  In fact, Tristan and C are still arguing over whether rotti can be defined as “street food”…..C insists that anything pedaled down the street on a bike with a propane tank attached to it is still considered “street food”!

Instead of McNuggets or a Slurpee, this is what my kids get for an after school snack some days

(don’t you feel sorry they’re so deprived?!)

Britain placing her order

the “Rotti man” takes dough balls….

…and flattens them into a thin pancake….

….and whips it around and throws it like a pizza crust…

…then tosses it into hot oil on a griddle….

….and adds sliced banana while its frying up….

…then folds it into a “crepe” of sorts…

(never mind the flies buzzing around, and exhaust from motor vehicles and dust and debris from the construction site behind us)

….sweet anticipation….

…once they’re golden brown, they’re drizzled with sweetened condensed milk….

….and generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar….

…and lastly chopped into bite sized pieces….

…”order up!”….

Curbside dining…..literally!

6 hungry little mouths fed for about $3

Yeah……I don’t think they feel like they’re missing out too much when they’re stuffing their little chipmunk cheeks with this deliciousness!!  Colonel Sanders ain’t got nothin’ on the Rotti Guy!