Text 23332, 154 rader
Skriven 2007-11-23 20:30:04 av Carol Shenkenberger (1:261/1466.0)
Kommentar till en text av Glen Jamieson
Ärende: Kroger Store, Good 71122
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-=> Quoting Glen Jamieson to Carol Shenkenberger <=-
GJ> Yesterday I tried something new. As my son had inadvertently bought
GJ> some separatist long-grain rice during my last extended absence from
(hehe my term is catching on)
GJ> home, and then found he didn't like it, I have tried to devise methods
GJ> of making it palatable. I was reasonably successful with a risotto,
GJ> but that was a lot of work, stirring it frequently, so last night I
GJ> tried adding coconut cream powder to the rice water. I used a bit
GJ> more water than usual in the rice cooker, and a heaped tablespoon of
GJ> powder to 2 cups of rice, stirring occasionally as the water approached
GJ> boiling. The experiment was partly successful, as the grains did
GJ> become friendlier, and certainly the coconut flavour was an
GJ> improvement, although still not as good as Calrose medium grain.
I wonder if this could be a route to a 'congee' like thing? If so, add twice
the water then adjust the coconut powder to taste. You do not after all 'have'
to make such with chicken stock or dashi. You could perhaps match your more
normal to you indonesian style seasonings with it and the coconut and get a
winner new thing?
GJ> Sounds like the bottle I have. I do quite a lot of stir-fried
GJ> vegetables and "stuff", so sometimes toss in a bit of the chili oil.
CS> I do too, but not your same stir frys. Your cookery is more
CS> indonesian influanced than mine and my stir-fry pot is again my cast
CS> iron frying pan.
GJ> Although a wok or kawali with a curved bottom makes it easier, you can
GJ> do quite a reasonable job with a conventional frying pan.
I am stubborn and dont want to give up space to a wok.
CS> Too late! hehehe. Thats ok, as usual I'm the kind of wierd that
CS> appeals to the kids.
GJ> Great for helping Charlotte to assimilate into the local community. :)
CS> She's been assimilated (Borg voice in background).
GJ> Hehe!
See tagline <g>
GJ> Are the other kids also "military brats", who had been living with
GJ> parents on overseas postings? That could make life interesting.
CS> Some are, about 20% I'd say are at least military families. Since most
CS> postings
CS> are stateside, not all have had a chance to live overseas. The ones
CS> who havent,
CS> are jelous of the ones who have except the one kid who'd only been to
CS> Iceland and hated it. No one is jelous of him I gather <g>.
GJ> Poor kid! I haven't been to Iceland, but from what I have seen of it
GJ> on docos, it is not on my list of "Must Go" places to visit.
Oddly most who have been there, loved the place (but not the cold).
CS> Charlotte tells me of the kid's version, the 'cool places' are
CS> Germany, Japan, and Greece. Uncool but you might have to suffer it
CS> are: Iceland, Scotland, and CS> South Africa.
GJ> I can imagine climate in the first two would be off-putting, and
GJ> possibly the crime level in parts of South Africa. Is that so?
I dont really know but if i can get away with a guess? They only recently
did away with apartheid and I bet alot of hidden such is still there. I do
not know the skin color of the kids related to that comment, but it might not
matter much. I doubt the average American kid would take well to the attitudes
there even if they were percieved as the 'advantaged' color.
Humm, how to explain that. Most 'African Americans' (many prefer the term
black and thats polite in USA) are actually 'mixed' so are seldom even close
to true African skin color. They culturally are proud of their heritage and
this is a good thing. When they go to Africa however, they are considered
'white' by the native africans, yet not white by the Africaans (dutch etc
white)
so fit no where.
I have never been to Africa, but what I am told by my friends who have been,
there is far less mixing of color and what there is of it, hasnt 200 years of
mixing as evident in the general USA folks. It works both ways too. Folks who
look overall and culturally are 'white' are often by African standards 'mixed'
(which in fact they are, 4-5 generations up the tree).
What I have been told (and can validate the spots I have been) is that most US
folks are outwardly more prejudiced than they are inside, and uncomfortable
when it comes up but appalled when they meet a culture overtly prejudiced.
If my 'white' looking kid cant have a sleepover with a local 'black' girl of
her
own age and whatever sundry others of whatever rainbow they happen to be, she'd
hate the place. If Charlotte were taking after a distant ancestor (1/16th) for
me, 1/32nd for her) and the other kid were 'white afrcaans' it would be the
same feeling if not acceptable to have the sleepover. In short, the report is
South Africa sucks to be stationed in according to the kids.
It doesnt seem to matter which way you are, both are wrong feeling. USA used
to be like that but we have a bit of time on them and it shows.
(Ok,took a break and asked Charlotte. She said 'homestly Mom, never asked.
It's not obvious which she wants to be but her brother is pretty dark and her
other sister pretty light. She's middlin' and it never came up). I asked if
they seemed african or hispanic and she cant tell. That is very common here.
Sorry but that's best I can do to translate.
GJ> Squid is pretty much a standard item in the Philippines and other SE
GJ> Asian countries as well as in the Mediterranean, so it is always
GJ> possible to get it here, fresh, frozen or dried.
CS> I havent seen it fresh here too often, and not at all since return
CS> (seasonal) but frozen is ok if done right.
GJ> I suspect that some squid and certainly the baby octopuses offered for
GJ> sale here by fishmongers are imported frozen, then thawed.
It works if not frozen too long.
GJ> With a crowd like that, I can see that no one would ever go hungry.
CS> Nope! They never do. If I make something particularily popular, I'll
CS> put in 3 servings. In fact, Charlotte wants me to get her a bigger
CS> thermos so she can
CS> fit more of the dashi-udon-tofu 'whatever else' soup in there. Come
CS> to think of it, when I make that it almost looks like someone tried to
CS> lick the bottom.
GJ> HaHa! If you ever run a soup kitchen, it would be popular!
Grin, but that would be WORK! (Yet, I did pass some goodies to the church
that got our old Monster Freezer. Though based on my 'rice porridge' they are
chicken stock and average USA flotsam of the area).
GJ> Yes, you soon learn what satisfactory substitutes can be made.
CS> Sure, have quite a few for many things. I do not like lemon grass, so
CS> use calamansi powder in it's place. Have to score me som more of
GJ> Lemon grass is a bit fiddly to peel and chop, but it does add
GJ> complexity to the aroma of a stir-fry. I sometimes use the powdered
GJ> lemon grass, although it comes out as a rather different taste.
I just never liked lemon grass much. The rare bite like that which I want,
works better with calamansi. I know the flavor isnt the same, but I like it
better.
xxcarol
... I am Mommy of Borg-no dessert til broccoli is assimilated
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