Diverse and indigenous cuisine brought by the many ethnic people to St. Maarten from all over the world piques our interest. To this end, we are on a quest to find where it comes from, if it is used for celebrations, if it is exotic to some but everyday food to others. Anything to do with keeping the body and soul nourished with that which is produced from good old terra firma, is what makes the world go round.
What has horse riding got to do with cooking and eating? Nothing really unless one is going to eat horse meat which unfortunately some folk do. Personally, the Passionate Foodie along with many others cannot even think about knowingly eating horse, turtle, dolphin, dog, rat, iguana or rabbit meat, unless, I guess, there was a life or death situation.
To run through some reasons why – I saw a black and white movie umpteen years ago about some prisoners of war in a concentration camp in the far east (I can’t remember many details) and what stood out was the fact that they had to catch and eat rats which they boiled near the “latrines” – the whole survival thing to an impressionable young mind was overkill.
Turtles and dolphins are gentle creatures – no way could I contemplate killing and eating them, unless it was for survival.
Rabbit meat smells (even once cooked) like the rabbit pets friends had when we were young!
Iguana – nope, my skin crawls just thinking about this.
Dog – this is just wrong as man’s best friend is a dog.
Eating horses falls into the same category as dogs, they are man’s friend.
All of the above are eaten with gusto in some circles. I am glad we do not live in a society that relies on the above kind of meat-eating to survive. Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Europe, South America and Asia.
But I digress, a lot, so back to horse riding with a difference.
I was doing a little research on outdoor eating and looking for recipes to try out that can be cooked over an open fire (charcoal or gas) as I am very fond of this kind of food prep and eating, especially in our climate, when I came across something that I had never heard about.
Not surprising really as this is apparently a newish sport for both adults and children.
This sport is Hobby Horse Riding!
Many young children have had a hobby horse in their toy box. I grew up with a couple proudly standing in the corner in my childhood homes and in friends and family’s homes. Were they ever played with, were they ever ridden or were they just another useless toy? We may have ridden ours once or twice but we were very lucky to have had real horses to ride.
For those who don’t know: a hobby horse is a horse’s head made of felt or other fabric attached to a long broomstick handle. The rider sits astride the stick and goes through the paces of walk, trot, canter and gallop as if riding a real horse. The humble hobby horse is one of the oldest children’s toys around, and has been loved by many kids for centuries.
More recently, riding a hobby horse has been taken to new levels with not only children but adults as well and not just in play but in competition. Not just localised competitions, but even international competitions. Well, I guess, it is a much cheaper sport and easier to afford than trying to keep up with the “mink and manure” set, although nothing beats having one’s own horses or at least having the opportunity to ride a real horse.
The Hobby Horse movement has been around at least for 10 years!
In Britain there are more and more Hobby Horses out at the May Day parades and other events as these days they play a big part in the proceedings.
In Finland it appears that this sport has taken off with many competitions taking place. It has become a much more serious game for adults too rather than just child’s play. The competitions include judges assessing posture and footwork for dressage and jumping as if they were judging a real horse when it is in fact the human they are judging!
Some competitions take place in the form of showjumping, with human competitors jumping over increasingly difficult hurdles, all on the back of a hobby horse! This sport is becoming a bit more expensive too as designer hobby horses are becoming more sought after!
The movement has spread to Sweden and Norway so some competitions are now international.
In real equestrian showjumping riders guide their horses over obstacles, but in the hobby horse variety they rely on their own legs to get over the hurdles. This is no easy feat as show horses jump high and hobby horse jumps are becoming increasingly higher for human legs to get over.
Practise makes perfect and hobby horse riders are out there practising daily, just as if they were doing the real thing. They need to practise footwork and posture, not just high jumping! The correct footwork and posture can prove more troublesome than the actual riding and jumping, so it is a case of practise, practise and more practise.
I can’t help but wonder – is there a trainer helping the rider by using a lead rein around the human rider’s neck and a whip to gently nudge the human rider from behind (as one does when schooling a real horse)?
This is not a sport for shy, reserved folk as there still seems to be a lot of teasing and bullying towards adults that “ride” their hobby horses competitively. The young ones - from juniors up to late teens - get far more encouragement to participate.
It is after all a healthy, outdoor sport (especially in these times) and not really that expensive.
It seems to be a marvellous way to keep young ones fit and have them learn about real riding without actually getting on a horse’s back to ride. Competitive hobby horse riding is about respecting your “horse” (it is said) and bonding with fellow contestants!
Wonder what will be next – dog shows with battery operated dogs? Get an impression with this Finnish competition video: ‘Teen Jumps More Than 4 Feet Pretending to Be a Horse,’ uploaded to YouTube by Inside Edition.
Here are a few recipes of outdoor dishes that may (or not) be served at outdoor events (be they competitions or just backyard camping.)
RECIPES
Cast Iron Beans – serve alongside hotdogs and rolls or a nice large piece of grilled steak.
Ingredients
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, diced
15oz can small white beans, rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS molasses
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Method
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron frying pan
Add onion, cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes
Add beans, tomatoes, garlic and molasses
Season with salt and pepper
Cook over indirect heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes
Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
Serve
Foiled Chicken Nachos – prep these at home and take them with you. They can be heated over a fire anywhere you set up be it camping, on a boat or in your backyard. These would be a tasty treat to sell at a fair.
Ingredients
3 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded (use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
1 cup red enchilada sauce
½ small onion, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels
15oz can black beans, rinsed
3 cups pepper-jack cheese
Salt, black pepper
8oz tortilla chips
Cilantro/culantro/shado beni, chopped
Lime wedges, for serving
Optional additions: sour cream, black olives, jalapeño slices, chopped red onion, guacamole.
Method
Toss together shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, onion, corn, beans, and 8oz of cheese in a bowl
Season with salt and pepper
Tear six 12” squares of aluminium foil
Place equal heaps of corn chips, chicken mixture and remaining cheese on each piece of foil
Sprinkle some cilantro/culantro/shado beni on top
Fold foil over filling to create a packet and crimp edges to seal
Place packets over indirect heat and grill until cheese is melted and chicken is warmed through, 6 to 10 minutes
Serve with a wedge of lime
Finnish Potato Pie - Karjalanpiirakka/Karelian Pies.
Ingredients
Crust:
3 cups rye flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup milk
Salt to taste
Filling:
6 medium potatoes
2 TBS sour cream
3 TBS butter
Salt to taste
Additional:
3 TBS sour cream
4 TBS butter, melted
Method
Boil peeled potatoes until soft, drain
Mash with butter, sour cream, and salt until smooth
Leave it to cool
Mix flours, milk, sour cream and salt – you may need a little more liquid or flour – you need a firm elastic dough
Knead dough well
Roll the dough out into a log and cut into 20-24 pieces
Roll each piece into a round-shaped crust about the size of a small plate
Spread 2 TBS of potato filling in the centre leaving the sides empty
Shape pies by pinching the edges together - you should make 10-14 pinches on each pie
Place pies on parchment lined baking trays
Brush the top of the filling with sour cream
Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 18-20 minutes
While still hot generously brush with melted butter
Serve warm
