Text 3073, 141 rader
Skriven 2008-02-26 17:05:00 av Michael Loo
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: crabby 915
==================
 ML> Nobody brought up antique Chinese though (aside from myself this
 ML> morning getting out of bed) - I thought the candidates were Dutch
 ML> and English.
 GJ> I suggest that you refer to the Jingpho language of Yunnan and
 GJ> Northern Burma for a likely origin to the meaning of "bum", as swollen
 GJ> or rounded.   (OK, I cheated and read it on Grolier.)

1. Jingo or whatever it is isn't antique Chinese.
2. Bumboats aren't swollen or rounded.

 ML> and small agile crabs? When looking at the crabs with big big claws
 ML> I thought of the Irish elk phenomenon.
 GJ> The difference there is that the Irish Elk is extinct.  Apart from its
 GJ> usefulness as a weapon of defence and food gathering, the hermit
 GJ> crab's big claw fits the front doorway of his house - or should.

Have you seen the odd hermit crab with the disproportionately
large big claw? I think of the hundreds we looked at, only a
couple were aberrant in this way. One, on a crab the size of
an escargot shell, was big enough for me to want to crack it
off and eat it.
 
 ML> M's note: bear in mind that the high rate of digestive cancers
 ML> among Japanese has been linked to consumption of bracken fern.
 GJ> I read somewhere that it was due to the high rate of consumption of
 GJ> vinegar and pickled foods, which are more universally consumed than
 GJ> bracken.

The issue with this is that nobody has found a connection between
these cancers and vinegar consumption in other areas that eat such
things - Germany, for example. There is evidence that eating pizza,
however, contributes to esophageal cancer: certainly severe reflux
is known cause cell damage in the lower esophagus.

Of course, the other issue is reading "somewhere" doesn't
give anything much credibility.

The terpene ptaquiloside, which exists in substantial quantity
in bracken fern, has been shown to be a potent carcinogen:

D M Potter and M S Baird
Carcinogenic effects of ptaquiloside in bracken fern and related compounds
IVth International Bracken Fern Conference (20-23 July 1999)

 Consumption of the bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum by cattle
 has been shown to induce bladder and intestinal carcinomas in
 cattle and to cause a number of diseases in other farm animals.
 An unstable glucoside named ptaquiloside, containing a reactive
 cyclopropane ring, has been isolated from the fern and its
 potent carcinogenicity proven. Nineteen of 31 ferns tested by
 chemotaxonomic methods in Japan have been found to contain
 potentially carcinogenic ptaquilosides as have Cheilanthes
 sieberi and Pteridium esculentum. Hydrolysis of ptaquilosides
 leads to pterosins; under milder conditions a dienone which is
 believed to be the primary carcinogen is obtained.

Bibimbop (vegetarian)
cat: ovo-vegetarian, main, Korean, do not eat
Servings: 4

1 2/3 c Asian short-grain white or sushi rice 
2 c water
12 oz bn flat-leaf spinach, stems discarded 
1/2 lb fresh soybean or mung-bean sprouts, trimmed
2 lg carrots 
1 sm zucchini, trimmed
1 c drained preserved fiddlehead fern stems (also
- called bracken fern, kosari, or warabi; optional)
1/4 c plus 2 ts vegetable oil
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and
- caps cut into very thin slices (2 c)
6 ts finely chopped garlic (from 4 cloves)
1 1/2 ts salt
1 1/2 ts Asian sesame oil
2 ts sesame seeds, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 ge eggs
4 Tb Korean hot-pepper paste
- (sometimes labeled "gochujang")
8 (3x3") sheets toasted nori (dried laver, preferably
- seasoned), cut into thin strips with scissors
h - Special equipment
an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with julienne blade
h - Accompaniments
packaged cabbage kimchi (Korean spicy pickled cabbage)
- or other vegetable kimchi

Wash rice in several changes of cold water until water is
almost clear, then drain in a sieve. Bring rice and 2 c water
to a boil in a heavy saucepan, uncovered, then reduce heat to
low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is
tender, about 20 min. Remove from heat and let stand, covered,
10 min, then stir rice from top to bottom. Keep warm, covered.

Wash spinach well and cook in a large pot of boiling salted
water, stirring, until just wilted, 15 to 30 sec. Transfer
with tongs to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop
cooking, reserving cooking water. Drain spinach and squeeze
small handfuls to remove as much moisture as possible.
Return spinach-cooking water to a boil, then add bean
sprouts and cook, stirring, until just tender, 2 to 3 min.
Drain in a colander.

Holding each carrot at a 45-degree angle to slicer, cut
carrots into 1/8" matchsticks. Cut skin and firm flesh of
zucchini lengthwise into long strips using slicer, avoiding
center core with seeds (discard core). Rinse and drain fern
stems, then cut off and discard any dark or hard pieces.
Cut ferns crosswise into 2" pieces.

Heat 2 ts vegetable oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over
moderately high heat, swirling to coat, until hot but not
smoking, then saute mushrooms, 1 ts garlic, and 1/4 ts salt,
stirring, until mushrooms are tender, about 3 min. Stir in
1/4 ts sesame oil and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe skillet
clean with a paper towel. Working with each vegetable
separately, saute carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, fern
stems, and spinach, each in 2 ts vegetable oil with 1 ts
garlic and 1/4 ts salt, in same manner, then stirring in
1/4 ts sesame oil for each. Transfer each vegetable to its
own bowl as cooked and season with salt. Stir 1 ts sesame
seeds into spinach.

Wipe skillet clean and heat remaining 2 ts vegetable oil
over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then crack
eggs into skillet and fry until whites are cooked and
yolks begin to set, 4 to 6 min.

Divide rice among 4 shallow bowls, mounding it into a dome.
Arrange vegetables on top of rice and place an egg on top
of each rice bowl. Spoon 1 Tb hot-pepper paste over each
serving, then sprinkle with nori and remaining sesame seeds.

Gourmet magazine

M's notes: this recipe can be improved markedly by the
addition of some stir-fried meat to the mixture; also, for
authenticity, the egg should be raw.
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

--- EzyQwk V2.15g1 00F90271
 * Origin: Sean's Hole In The Wall (1:18/200)