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If my upbringing can be blamed... the British National dish is the Indian Curry. It is to England what pizza is to the USA. An Indian curry-house (restaurant) in the UK is the closest thing to a universal house of worship you will find. I can not praise the food highly enough, it is for me a pinnacle of human culinary endeavour. Whilst I eat and enjoy all foods across the globe (especially SE Asian & Italian), the (British) Indian Curry sits high on the podium.
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You sure she's not just being polite to the big galoot? 
(aside: In many parts of India a 3 course meal comes at once. Its the roti, the sabji (if you are veggie) and daal. First time the then fiancee presented me with this I caused a slightly awkward moment when I asked where the other 2 courses were! I still get into trouble with the inlaws as I apparantly don't eat things in the right order.)
(aside: In many parts of India a 3 course meal comes at once. Its the roti, the sabji (if you are veggie) and daal. First time the then fiancee presented me with this I caused a slightly awkward moment when I asked where the other 2 courses were! I still get into trouble with the inlaws as I apparantly don't eat things in the right order.)
Long before I met my wife, I enjoyed Pho. My first experience was a little off putting for those around me though. I was alone, it was lunch and before my soup arrived they brought this little ‘salad’ with sprouts, basil, lime and sliced jalapeños. I proceeded to squeeze the lime over it, grabbed my chopsticks and began eating. A woman, older than me, came over and asked if it was my first time. I said yes, how did you know? She smiled and said watch what the others do with theirs. While no one actually laughed, I could feel the eyes upon me hoping for me to entertain them further.
Cal that reminds me of walking (alone) into an Andhra restaurant in Bengaluru (Arjuna Chimney, Jayanagar). The manager looked very unhappy at the prospect of me taking up a whole table, but no worries he seated another couple with me. I was happy to have someone to observe, especially when I realized there were no plates or cutlery, just a folded fresh banana leaf and a finger bowl.
Bill is that "pukka" enough?
Bill is that "pukka" enough?
I think everyone remembers their first "real" Indian food experience, even if it was not so authentic. In my family as well, back in the 1960's, curry was a yellow powder, a teaspoon of which would be added to leftover chicken and rice about once a year. Then one winter my parents took off for a few weeks and left my teenage self and brother at home, but convinced this American hippie med student with hair down to his a$$ (previously studying in rural Mexico) to watch over us. One night the three of us piled into his TR4A convertible (passenger side interior door latch by ViceGrips) and drove a little further downtown to Halifax's only Indian restaurant (Chicken Tandoor was the name but absent from the menu) which I had not previously known existed. I was sold at first bite! The flavours were complex and magical and it all seemed impossibly exotic. I think that one meal was the beginning of a decades long culinary adventure. (And the choices in Halifax improved a lot during those decades)
I actually had dinner with her a long time ago while she was promoting a film. She set the menu but it was done by a large staff for a lot of guests.
I like porridge now and then, any time of day is ok. Using only 1 part whole rolled oats and 2 parts full cream milk, I stir it meticulously while cooking and the result is heaven in a bowl.
I decided to try microwaving it so I got some quick oats, which I think are just smaller and chopped. It tastes like glue and it feels like tapioca. It doesn't have the same sweetness and I think I've brought out the iron taste in it. Is there something I could be doing better?
I decided to try microwaving it so I got some quick oats, which I think are just smaller and chopped. It tastes like glue and it feels like tapioca. It doesn't have the same sweetness and I think I've brought out the iron taste in it. Is there something I could be doing better?
l.
Bill is that "pukka" enough?
Table is a bit colonial
. All depends how 'immersive' you want to be. I hope you remembered to only use your right hand to eat. Using your left is a no-no.BTW Pretty sure Triumph issued mole grips with every new TR as they were going to be needed at some point.
Allen: Microwave Oats are the lowest grade dust that falls out the mill, but like tea bags Quaker has worked out how to sell the waste at a premium. My advice with oats is to find a type that suit you and stick with them! You might find a lot less cooking makes your microwave oats less gluey.
Oh for some real Indian country cooking Country Foods - YouTube Until she died she was lauded as the oldest youtube star, but all her cooking was done in a field on wood or charcoal. Always makes me think in the west we have got it horribly wrong!
I'll pass on the goats heads though...
I'll pass on the goats heads though...
Bill,
your quite right, yes Bangladeshis. My wife cannot handle spicy food at all so I usually make 2 sauces. Also a great shame is that she doesn't like black pepper either and so many dishes are enhanced with black pepper. Roughly ground I find the taste is far better than grinding into a powder. The only time I use white pepper which is the centre of a peppercorn is to make an authentic gazpacho.
In reality virtually all 'Spanish' recipes are in fact the cuisine of north Africa. When we lived in Guadix a new newspaper appeared in Granada and there were lots of freebies and one of them was a book of traditional Granada recipes which again you never see in restaurants.
your quite right, yes Bangladeshis. My wife cannot handle spicy food at all so I usually make 2 sauces. Also a great shame is that she doesn't like black pepper either and so many dishes are enhanced with black pepper. Roughly ground I find the taste is far better than grinding into a powder. The only time I use white pepper which is the centre of a peppercorn is to make an authentic gazpacho.
In reality virtually all 'Spanish' recipes are in fact the cuisine of north Africa. When we lived in Guadix a new newspaper appeared in Granada and there were lots of freebies and one of them was a book of traditional Granada recipes which again you never see in restaurants.
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...I realized there were no plates or cutlery, just a folded fresh banana leaf and a finger bowl.
Bill is that "pukka" enough?
I spent a couple of months plus in the mountains of Nepal. Hands were your utensils. It becomes second nature after awhile and I’ve been comfortable using my (right) hand to eat ever since, including some amazing food in the Berber maintains of Morocco.
Another favourite of mine is Roti, eaten at one of the late night open air hang outs in Malaysia. When I first started going to these places they were THE place for youngsters to meet up, later they introduced big screen TV when everyone was hooked on British Premier League. Recently they are less popular but the hot Indian Roti with side curry which of course you can eat with your hands if you prefer, is delicious. I like the Roti pisang - made with bananas inside. And usually a cup of pulled tea is served with. Love it. The general flavour of Indian food I experienced there is quite different from the UK, lots of ghee. But if you like spicy food, the Malay curries are just simply outstanding. Get yourself over there for a religious festival and the street vendors take it up a whole nother level, it’s simply food heaven with fish you never heard of or dreamt could be so good and so fresh along with fruit you never saw before. Over in East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo the fruit grows a little different, simply unbelievable.
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Now there's a noun with many regional definitions, basically a flat bread wrapped around a hot filling. In the Caribbean roti usually contains a kind of dry chicken curry. I remember a roti joint in Montserrat called the Crab Hole built into a beach, like almost subterranean, and the rotis were wonderful.
Yeah I'm from Atlantic Canada and we think we know fish, then go to a tropical country with fresh reef fish (snappers, groupers, etc) and wonder why we ever liked haddock.
Don't even get me started about fresh mangos!