There She Goes Just Awalkin Down the Street

I had to walk to the store to buy butter. I was dismayed. Kinda because I'm lazy but also because going for a walk here is not that pleasant. Now, Salalah has some beautiful pedestrian paths. Salalah is under construction (constantly, constantly under construction) and many of these new roads are built with our walking health in mind. For those of us who live away from those pathways, and who aren't DRIVING in order to utilize a walking path, walking is a little weird.

The view from my doorstep.

The Middle East is a special kind of hot. Yeah, yeah..some of you have lived in Asia where you felt like your skin was going to rot from the heat and humidity. So have I. But it's different here. Salalah really isn't desert hot the way a lot of Arabia is, but when you walk out the door ya still feel a blast. It's just so dang beige. The heat and sun bounce off all that cement and it sucks the life right out of you. Especially if you weigh a hundred kilos, I admit. But I needed butter, so out the door I went.  

Thankfully, there are trees across the street. I absolutely won't live in sections of Salalah that are devoid of trees.

It wasn't a long walk, and I successfully skirted all the Indian, Pakistani, and Bengali men on bicycles. There aren't a lot of them out and about here, but I don't want to get clipped and go arse over teakettle to the delight of passerby.  Not too far from my home sat an older Indian gentleman, in his white plastic lawn chair, which we see by the berzillion here. He must have finished his workday, and sat in the middle of an empty dirt lot, chillaxing in a lungi, contemplatively picking his nose. In a dignified way I might add. He paid me no mind atall.

A small pack of Omani youth ran by. I don't have to clutch my handbag here...they are not hooligans. Though I've heard of Omani boys harassing expats with taunts and  pebble throwing, I've not experienced it. Maybe they look at my face and know I would cap them in the knees? KIDDING! There was a fat boy bringing up the rear. Loooottttta fat kids in Salalah. Perhaps this is why:

Jane's Addiction? No. Fatma's addiction more like. Oodles of sugared cream cheese. This is a small store, yet there was about half an aisle full of sugary, cheesy stuff.

My neighborhood grocer, or "commercial market." They are everywhere, and are a bit like the old fashioned general stores one used to find in America...a bit of everything. And a lot of sweet cream cheese. 

There was a small argument at the checkout, with several laborers arguing in the local patois over whether a pint of juice was the one this gent wanted. "Sim sim." (same same). La..mafi sim sim. (No, not the same.) This was repeated about five times, the customer finally shrugged and bought his juice, general armpit odors wafted, and I paid for the butter and got myself home. Who knew butter buying could be so fun huh?

Today's delight? 

Salted Caramel Pineapple Upside Down Cake

• 1 cup(s) dark-brown sugar
• 2 stick(s) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoon(s) dark rum
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup(s) whole milk
• 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into rings; 1 ring cut into chunks
1. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat brown sugar and 1 stick butter, whisking occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook until caramel thickens and turns a deep brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in rum and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan and swirl around to coat. Set aside and let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, remaining salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, beat together granulated sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in half the dry-ingredient mixture and 1/4 cup milk. Repeat with remaining dry-ingredient mixture and milk.
3. Arrange pineapple rings atop caramel in cake pan. Fill in spaces between rings with pineapple chunks. Carefully pour batter over pineapple and smooth, using a rubber spatula.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake; invert onto a large serving plate.

And here be mine. 

Presentation is not my strength. I also have a crap tablet...cheapest one I could find. 

Apparently one should NOT substitute an 8 inch pan for a 9 inch pan. The caramel burbled up onto the floor of the oven, making a delightful odor, which brought our Egyptian neighbor over. He was a tad concerned that my baking would burn down the building. Mehdi assured him everything was ok and graced him with a piece of cake when it cooled off. I think if I'd make this in the proper size pan, it might have had that nice looking caramel crust in the original photo. But you know what? This cake is very dang delicious. The cinnamon is a great touch. I didn't have dark rum, but I did have coconut schnapps (don't ask). Nothing wrong with a little coconut flavor in a pineapple cake right?

Let's see what I can muff up tomorrow. I am supposed to make a carrot cake. How I will mark all my exams, go to yoga class, and get ready for a bbq Thursday night, I don't know. I feel a nervous breakdown coming on!

Love,

Felicia El Aid