Forums » Off-Topic
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090321.wdoug21/BNStory/International/
As an American I found this Canadian article on a British predilection for an Indian dish prepared by Bangladeshis interesting. Sans the crisis, I find another island nation's love of this tangy sauce likewise intriguing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_curry
As an American I found this Canadian article on a British predilection for an Indian dish prepared by Bangladeshis interesting. Sans the crisis, I find another island nation's love of this tangy sauce likewise intriguing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_curry
Tikka is delicious, until it is ruined by the addition of cream for tikka masala.
I buy curry paste pre-made, since I don't have the time to prepare it on my own in quatities that my family would be able to consume in a reasonable time. I make a beautiful garlic naan though.
I buy curry paste pre-made, since I don't have the time to prepare it on my own in quatities that my family would be able to consume in a reasonable time. I make a beautiful garlic naan though.
Sheesh, I need to learn to cook. My only dish of significance is BACON STEW.
I live in awe of the bacon stew.
It's all on the internet. Look for a recipe you liked at a restaurant, or find out how to cook whatever's on sale. If one recipe is too much trouble, chances are high that some other lazy schmo has come up with an easier way.
Anyway, yes curry is amazing. It's not rocket science though. Those Brits should just pick a recipe, source good ingredients, get a good grinder, and go. My kids are partial to the Chinese/Japanese curry recipes as the Indian recipes tend to be too hot for them.
It's all on the internet. Look for a recipe you liked at a restaurant, or find out how to cook whatever's on sale. If one recipe is too much trouble, chances are high that some other lazy schmo has come up with an easier way.
Anyway, yes curry is amazing. It's not rocket science though. Those Brits should just pick a recipe, source good ingredients, get a good grinder, and go. My kids are partial to the Chinese/Japanese curry recipes as the Indian recipes tend to be too hot for them.
Do you have Yotsuba-esque scenes, too, Whistler?
?
My manga knowledge is limited.
I know who Yotsuba is, but I don't understand the question. Are you asking if I have Yotsuba posters up, or if I am known to be unfailingly naive and upbeat?
My manga knowledge is limited.
I know who Yotsuba is, but I don't understand the question. Are you asking if I have Yotsuba posters up, or if I am known to be unfailingly naive and upbeat?
Haha, I love curry, the hotter the better. I don't like coconut milk, though, so it's hard to find something good at a restaurant, 'cause it always seems to have coconut milk in it. Love cooking, too; there's something very satisfying about making a good meal for a group of people, and the eating part is of course great.
Oh, I meant whether you have discussions with your children (about curry, or food in general) as Yotsuba's father does with her.
Although it would be awesome if you'd put Yotsuba posters up. >_>
Although it would be awesome if you'd put Yotsuba posters up. >_>
Ah. No posters. I renovated this house myself, and while I've demolished, re-rocked, and painted nearly every wall, I've never actually put any pictures up. My wife doesn't decorate either.
Oh yes, we have food discussions. They help me cook, and my son likes the "Good Eats" series so there's lots of experiemental cooking going on. I wish my son had never heard the phrase "food miles" though. Sometimes I want a fresh tomato in the dead of winter - and if the Chileans want me to have some, where's the harm?
Oh yes, we have food discussions. They help me cook, and my son likes the "Good Eats" series so there's lots of experiemental cooking going on. I wish my son had never heard the phrase "food miles" though. Sometimes I want a fresh tomato in the dead of winter - and if the Chileans want me to have some, where's the harm?
Hahaha :)
I wonder if Mr. Kiyohiko has children.
I wonder if Mr. Kiyohiko has children.
I'm more of your typical "southern US" and "Cajun" food lover.
barbeque'd steak (sweet-n-tangy sauces, preferably homemade; the hot stuff ain't bbq)
seafood gumbo (shrimp, crab, oysters, crawfish)
jambalaya
red beans n rice
but, I have to say, my all-time favorite dish is homemade, BAKED macaroni -n- cheese.
break19
barbeque'd steak (sweet-n-tangy sauces, preferably homemade; the hot stuff ain't bbq)
seafood gumbo (shrimp, crab, oysters, crawfish)
jambalaya
red beans n rice
but, I have to say, my all-time favorite dish is homemade, BAKED macaroni -n- cheese.
break19
Do you bread the top?
I make my macaroni and cheese with 2/3 cheddar and 1/3 pepper-jack, and it works very well.
I don't put curry in it, though.... maybe I should try that.
I don't put curry in it, though.... maybe I should try that.
I recently wrote up my method for making thai curry for my brother, and having just come across this thread, I thought I'd share:
ingredients (* means it's vital) - measurements are estimated from memory:
3 tbl *oil/fat - rich tasting is best- duck/bacon
4 tbl *ginger paste (cut the skin off some fresh ginger and chop + blend it if you cant find jars of it)
4 tbl *garlic paste/minced
2 tbl lemongrass powder/paste
2-3 L *onions chopped fine
2-4 shallots
10-20 cilantro stalks, blended (you can blend with the ginger)
3-10 chilies (whatever kind you like- serano are a good common one) chopped fine
2-5 tbl *fish sauce
1-3 tsp shrimp paste (very nearly vital, but a little harder to find)
2-3 cups *meat stock (duck is best and anything but homemade needs to be reduced and tasted before adding- some have off flavors)
2-3 cans *coconut milk (*not* light- thai kitchen organic or chaokoh brand is best)
2-4 leaves kefir lime (substitute lime juice to taste near the end of cooking if you dont have leaves)
the first grouping can all go in at the beginning (though I get the oil hot and add them without the onion for a few minutes before adding it because it gives off a lot of water and prevents some browning). The chilies can actually be added at any point in cooking, depending on the sort of flavor you like from them (freshness and bitterness fade). After that stuff is well browned, add the stock and let it simmer about 20 min before adding any coconut milk (add more stock if it gets dry). If there are any long-cook items they should be added with 1/1.5 can(s) of coconut milk and cooked as long as they need before adding the rest (some fresh coconut taste is lost with long cooking). I usually add shrimp paste and fish sauce a little at a time at this point, tasting after stirring and letting simmer for a minute, until you're in danger of just eating it all with a spoon. After any long cooking, add the rest of the coconut milk and any medium-cooking-length veggies and simmer for 10-30 min, tasting and adding fish sauce (salty), sour/acid (lime is best), sugar (i usually dont need to because I use pineapple), and cayenne (i usually just add it to my plate because it mellows).
That's the basics. You'll pretty much always want to add some meats and veggies to this or it will be curry bisque. It is extremely important that the additions get the right amount of cooking time, so here's a few obvious ones and how they should be cooked/added:
beef/pork shoulder/fatty-roast-w/-connective-tissue - sear it in its own pan (or before you start the other stuff, but remove it), then add it with 1/1.5 can c-milk (depending on size of roast) as above and cook for at least 2 hours, flipping once (up to 5 hours is fine- ideal depends on the roast- it should be *just* possible to pull off fibers one-handed with a fork). I usually put the whole pan with its top in the oven set to 250 for the long cook (more energy-efficient and no stirring required).
any steak or chop of meat - should be cooked to medium-rare/seared-but-rare on its own and added after you turn the burner off and let it cool for several minutes (throw it in when the sauce is at 140 if you have a thermometer). It will be good right away, but then get tougher for a day or so before becoming the most succulent morsels you've ever tasted.
poultry, especially light meat, should be treated more-or-less like a chop.
bamboo shoots - drain well (squeeze-even) to remove can taste. add early- can cook for 30 min to 5 hours, only getting better.
bell peppers - saute/roast on their own and add in the last 10 minutes or even on the plate.
pineapple - saute on their own for a nice additional caramel flavor and to reduce the liquid you're adding (you can get away without it if you add less liquid and/or pat them dry) - add near end of cooking (can stand up to about 30 min)
cherry tomatoes - add after turning the burner off. they will be a *little* out of place with fresh curry, but after sitting in the sauce for days, they are little flavor bombs.
masaman kit: potatoes (i prefer the waxy sort for curry- either is fine, but dont overcook idahos), peanuts, onion chunks and turmeric (other indian curry spices also welcome- esp garam masala on the plate). all can be added in the last hour of cooking (potatoes need at least 30 min for <1 inch pieces - onions would ideally be added a bit later than the rest) - along with a meat, the masaman kit is best without other additions.
ingredients (* means it's vital) - measurements are estimated from memory:
3 tbl *oil/fat - rich tasting is best- duck/bacon
4 tbl *ginger paste (cut the skin off some fresh ginger and chop + blend it if you cant find jars of it)
4 tbl *garlic paste/minced
2 tbl lemongrass powder/paste
2-3 L *onions chopped fine
2-4 shallots
10-20 cilantro stalks, blended (you can blend with the ginger)
3-10 chilies (whatever kind you like- serano are a good common one) chopped fine
2-5 tbl *fish sauce
1-3 tsp shrimp paste (very nearly vital, but a little harder to find)
2-3 cups *meat stock (duck is best and anything but homemade needs to be reduced and tasted before adding- some have off flavors)
2-3 cans *coconut milk (*not* light- thai kitchen organic or chaokoh brand is best)
2-4 leaves kefir lime (substitute lime juice to taste near the end of cooking if you dont have leaves)
the first grouping can all go in at the beginning (though I get the oil hot and add them without the onion for a few minutes before adding it because it gives off a lot of water and prevents some browning). The chilies can actually be added at any point in cooking, depending on the sort of flavor you like from them (freshness and bitterness fade). After that stuff is well browned, add the stock and let it simmer about 20 min before adding any coconut milk (add more stock if it gets dry). If there are any long-cook items they should be added with 1/1.5 can(s) of coconut milk and cooked as long as they need before adding the rest (some fresh coconut taste is lost with long cooking). I usually add shrimp paste and fish sauce a little at a time at this point, tasting after stirring and letting simmer for a minute, until you're in danger of just eating it all with a spoon. After any long cooking, add the rest of the coconut milk and any medium-cooking-length veggies and simmer for 10-30 min, tasting and adding fish sauce (salty), sour/acid (lime is best), sugar (i usually dont need to because I use pineapple), and cayenne (i usually just add it to my plate because it mellows).
That's the basics. You'll pretty much always want to add some meats and veggies to this or it will be curry bisque. It is extremely important that the additions get the right amount of cooking time, so here's a few obvious ones and how they should be cooked/added:
beef/pork shoulder/fatty-roast-w/-connective-tissue - sear it in its own pan (or before you start the other stuff, but remove it), then add it with 1/1.5 can c-milk (depending on size of roast) as above and cook for at least 2 hours, flipping once (up to 5 hours is fine- ideal depends on the roast- it should be *just* possible to pull off fibers one-handed with a fork). I usually put the whole pan with its top in the oven set to 250 for the long cook (more energy-efficient and no stirring required).
any steak or chop of meat - should be cooked to medium-rare/seared-but-rare on its own and added after you turn the burner off and let it cool for several minutes (throw it in when the sauce is at 140 if you have a thermometer). It will be good right away, but then get tougher for a day or so before becoming the most succulent morsels you've ever tasted.
poultry, especially light meat, should be treated more-or-less like a chop.
bamboo shoots - drain well (squeeze-even) to remove can taste. add early- can cook for 30 min to 5 hours, only getting better.
bell peppers - saute/roast on their own and add in the last 10 minutes or even on the plate.
pineapple - saute on their own for a nice additional caramel flavor and to reduce the liquid you're adding (you can get away without it if you add less liquid and/or pat them dry) - add near end of cooking (can stand up to about 30 min)
cherry tomatoes - add after turning the burner off. they will be a *little* out of place with fresh curry, but after sitting in the sauce for days, they are little flavor bombs.
masaman kit: potatoes (i prefer the waxy sort for curry- either is fine, but dont overcook idahos), peanuts, onion chunks and turmeric (other indian curry spices also welcome- esp garam masala on the plate). all can be added in the last hour of cooking (potatoes need at least 30 min for <1 inch pieces - onions would ideally be added a bit later than the rest) - along with a meat, the masaman kit is best without other additions.
Wow, that's involved! Too bad the coconut milk is "vital", or I'd try it. Seriously, I can hardly stand that flavor in Thai food. :(
You could substitute cream, use less and add it late, but ...
No, we use thinly-sliced, mild cheddar to cover the top, on the mac n cheese..
An honest question here: Is there a vital function the coconut milk serves in these dishes, or is it just a flavor that can be left out completely? Would the rest of it all fail without it? Because it's kind of tedious finding a curry recipe without it, and I'm too impatient to search for a long time.
Try it without it. Try it with it. Evaluate the difference. Experiment. Behold, Science!
Only half joking, you know. Personally, I dislike Thai curry, probably because of the Kurkuma/Coriander combination.
On a slightly related note, how do you people make your sugo (a.k.a. tomato sauce for pasta, only more italian...)? I'll share my method if there's interest.
Only half joking, you know. Personally, I dislike Thai curry, probably because of the Kurkuma/Coriander combination.
On a slightly related note, how do you people make your sugo (a.k.a. tomato sauce for pasta, only more italian...)? I'll share my method if there's interest.
I am interested, toshiro. I've been meaning for a while to experiment with a homemade marinara sauce or something similar. As it is, I always use the Ricotta Parmesan variety of Prego; that's really good stuff considering it's from a jar.