Around the World in the Hetzel Kitchen

Photo courtesy of user runintherain on Flickr Sigh.  I took pictures.  And I didn't even drop the camera.  But then the memory card decided that it didn't want to work.  So I lost them all.  Such is life... History : The first unified Egyptian kingdom arose circa 3200 BC.  The last native dynasty fell in 341 BC to the Persians. More Recent History : Egypt recently had their first presidential election since the fall of the former president Hosni Mubarak. Location : Northern Africa, bordering Asia Area : About 1 million sq km; 30th largest in the world; Slightly more than 3 times the size of New Mexico Geography : Egypt controls the Sinai Peninsula (only land bridge between Africa and the rest of the Eastern Hemisphere) and the Suez Canal (Sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea). Ethnic Groups : 99.6% Egyptian Population : Almost 84 million; 15th largest in the world Capital : Cairo Public Debt : 85.7% of GDP; 17th highes...

Photo courtesy of Flickr user PatrickMMoore Background : Part of the northern Inca Empire until 1533. Location : Western South America Area : Over 280,000 sq km; 74th largest in the world          Slightly smaller than Nevada Elevation : The earth actually bulges around the equator.  This means that Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo (6267 m) is actually the highest point on the earth when measured from the earth's center. Population : Over 15 million; 67th highest in the world Capital : Quito Source: CIA Factbook Now that we've gotten the hang of this parent thing (maybe. a little.) it was time to tackle the next country.  Ecuador, here we come!  After some research and some delicious-looking options, I decided that  seco de carne con tamarindo  was the way to go.  Something familiar (beef and spices!) with something new (tamarind and achiote!).  Plus, the instructions were fairly simple and easy to follow. I wanted to ...