Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #55

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues with some thoughts on the connection between fish and pumpkin pies and the lessons one can learn from drawing such a parallel.  If you cannot possibly imagine how those two seemingly unrelated items can weave themselves into this blog, please read on so that I can share with you the tender moments of an interaction that took place last week in my kitchen.

While it is no secret that Americans love Pumpkin pie, it may surprise you to learn that most Kiwis cannot fathom such a thing. Why take a perfectly good pumpkin, which would make an excellent roasted addition to any meal, and turn it in to something sweet that would be served as a dessert? Why indeed? And then, why take perfectly good cream, which should be poured directly over a pudding, and whip and sweeten it before using it as a garnish? According to many New Zealanders, Americans are weird, if not just plain crazy!

I have spent the better part of a year trying to convert people to pumpkin pie. While it is not possible to buy canned processed pumpkin locally, there is a store in Auckland that caters to Americans and Libby’s pumpkin is always in stock. Beginning in November, I made many pumpkin pies to share with both our American missionaries as well as anyone else who would be willing to try a taste. There have been rave reviews from the Yanks and some questionable looks from some others. One Maori friend refused even a nibble as he just couldn’t wrap his mind or tastebuds around the idea of a savory food being turned into something sweet! Some intrepid souls have tasted and have even been converted and it is that conversion that becomes the focus of this blog.

Blake, along with his mother and sister were baptized about six months ago. They are excited about the changes taking place in their lives, and Blake, in particular has developed a zest for learning. Although that learning is largely Gospel-based, our young friend has seen whole new worlds open up to him in more areas that he could ever have imagined and he is avidly and excitedly exploring his new frontiers. Blake’s family was the recipient of one of my pies. One of our young missionaries had requested a pie for  Thanksgiving, so I made him one and was touched that he and his companion chose to share the treat with Blake and his family. We were told that little family, so unfamiliar with American food, embraced that pie whole-heartedly and we were thrilled. Having an extra can of pumpkin in our pantry, we gave it to the Elders to pass along to our friends.

Two weeks ago, Blake asked if I could possibly take the time to teach him the art and secrets of pie baking and I replied that it would be my extreme pleasure to spend some one-on-one time with him. Last Tuesday, Blake arrived, grasping the can of pumpkin in one hand and a notebook in the other. Every instructor dreams of having a student who is anxious to learn and take notes and I felt like I had hit the teaching jackpot. Blake was ready to learn and I was thrilled to be his teacher. As we sat at the kitchen table, Blake thanked me again for taking the time to demonstrate and I off-handedly replied that this way was so much better that just giving him a fish. Blake’s face screwed up into a very quizzical expression and I realized that we were about to have a teaching moment that neither of us had anticipated. I shared with Blake that there was an old saying that taught a very valuable lesson and the message was timeless. I explained that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach the man to fish, he learns to feed himself for a lifetime. Blake’s face lit up and I could see that he had a firm grasp on that old adage. “So”, he responded, “if you make a pie for me, you feed me once, but if I learn to make the pie myself, I can make them for a lifetime!”  Yes, Blake, you understand one of the greatest rules for living a healthy and happy life. It is good to learn for yourself!

I spent the next while talking about properties of good pastry and how to achieve a flaky crust and Blake watched intently as I demonstrated. He was furiously taking down almost every word that I uttered and I could help but think back to my classroom days, when I could only have hoped for the rapt attention I was now receiving. Finally, it was Blake’s turn to put his lesson into practice, so I left the room and told him to call if he needed my help. I knew that without me peering over his shoulder, this focused young man would find his way through his first pie shell and by doing it himself, he would remember. I was not surprised when called me back into the kitchen, where I found a perfectly-formed pie crust waiting on the counter to be filled with the pumpkin mixture he had whipped up by exactly following the directions on the Libby’s label.

As the pie baked, we talked more about how important it is to be self-reliant and just how much more pleasure he will derive from the pie, knowing that he made it himself. He smiled and asked me please not to be insulted if he said that now, every time he thinks of fish, he will think of me. There is a compliment in that statement for me and a lifetime learning experience for him. Now I don’t think that I will ever think of fish without thinking about the lovely afternoon that I spent in a kitchen half-way around the world with a young man who will put the lessons he is learning into practice. He is truly remarkable and I can’t wait to meet the man he will become. Sometime later that afternoon, Blake took home his perfect pumpkin pie nestled in my gift of a new pie tin. He mastered the art of whipping cream and I instructed him on how to contact the American store to purchase more pumpkin. Blake did not stop grinning that day and he couldn’t wait to present his pie to his mother, sister and baby brother. It was a perfect afternoon.

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. Life is full of lessons and we can never anticipate when an off-hand remark might lead to a valuable learning and sharing experience. Although I won’t think of many of you when a fish comes to mind, memories of other learning experiences are triggered as I recall, fondly our interactions. Thank you for the life lessons that you have taught, often without ever being aware that someone was watching and learning. I was watching and I have learned so much by the examples that you have set. Thank you!

Love, Ward and Susan     Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in Gisborne, New Zealand 

       

Blake listens intently as I explain the finer points of making flaky pastry. 

I love the look on his face.

The pie and it's happy maker

A perfect first-try pumpkin pie!