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tealinI heard a story once that, back in the 20s, someone described jazz to Stravinsky, and that his syncopated atonal style was his attempt to replicate the musical style from description alone. I don't know if it's true, but I like the idea, and every so often it occurs to me as a good comparison tool.
Today, for lunch, I had a 'curry' which was must have been crafted by someone who was at home in a kitchen but had only ever had curry described to him. It was yellow, and warm, and served over rice, but there the similarities ended. I've had curries from India, Thailand, Japan, and many places in between, but this didn't resemble any species I knew – I couldn't even identify the spices used in the sauce. To add insult to injury the 'Asian vegetables' on the bill bore an uncanny resemblance to standard North American 'mixed vegetables' but with bean sprouts added. Ever had celery in curry before? Me neither! It was not a successful experiment.
A friend of mine from 'the old days' (i.e. more than three years ago) came to visit recently. He said, 'when did you become a cook?' When I moved down here, that's when! There are good places to eat, here, but they are a long way from me and each other and definitely not suited to a quick nip at lunchtime. If you want something edible you've got to make it yourself ... the only trouble is finding the time to make up big batches of stuff to last the week. I know what I'll be doing tonight ...
*this must have a different name but that's what the Thai restaurant where I got to know it called it.
Today, for lunch, I had a 'curry' which was must have been crafted by someone who was at home in a kitchen but had only ever had curry described to him. It was yellow, and warm, and served over rice, but there the similarities ended. I've had curries from India, Thailand, Japan, and many places in between, but this didn't resemble any species I knew – I couldn't even identify the spices used in the sauce. To add insult to injury the 'Asian vegetables' on the bill bore an uncanny resemblance to standard North American 'mixed vegetables' but with bean sprouts added. Ever had celery in curry before? Me neither! It was not a successful experiment.
A friend of mine from 'the old days' (i.e. more than three years ago) came to visit recently. He said, 'when did you become a cook?' When I moved down here, that's when! There are good places to eat, here, but they are a long way from me and each other and definitely not suited to a quick nip at lunchtime. If you want something edible you've got to make it yourself ... the only trouble is finding the time to make up big batches of stuff to last the week. I know what I'll be doing tonight ...
QUICK AND EASY 'SWIMMING RAMA'*Fry the tofu or brown the chicken, set aside.
1/4 c thai red curry paste (less if you don't like it hot)
1/4 c natural peanut butter (or just 'a big scoop with a soup spoon'; that's what I usually do)
1 can coconut milk
chicken or tofu
vegetable oil
fresh spinach
rice (cooked)
crushed peanuts (optional)
Stir-fry the curry paste in a bit of oil for a minute or so, then add the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and add peanut butter. Once that's mixed in, add in the chicken/tofu. Simmer for a while to let the flavours meld (say, for however long it takes to cook the batch of rice). Serve out the rice into bowls then cover with spinach leaves, then serve sauce on top of that. Sprinkle crushed peanuts on that if you're feeling fancy. Wait a moment to let the spinach wilt then stir it all up and enjoy!
*this must have a different name but that's what the Thai restaurant where I got to know it called it.
