Text 9365, 150 rader
Skriven 2008-06-22 11:01:45 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: 490  80622
==================
 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to Glen Jamieson <=-

 GJ> I am surprised that it could be sold in USA without the country
 GJ> of origin being given.

 ML> Welcome to the land of stupid rules and stupid exceptions. Bottles
 ML> of below a certain size, or designed as gifts or samples, or not
 ML> meant for interstate commerce, or any of a number of other reasons,
 ML> might be exempt from some of the labeling regulations.

Recently there has been an increase here in supermarkets publicising
the countries of origin of their food items, in particular the
unlabelled items like South African smoked cod fillets and frozen
prawns from Vietnam, which have notices to that effect placed alongside
them in the display cabinet.  Some suppliers of canned and bottled
items wriggle around the regulations by stating, "Made from Australian
and imported ingredients", without, of course, stating proportions, or
the origin of the imported ingredients.

 GJ> It is taking its time to open.  I await your report with interest.

 ML> I'll probably find one in Salzburg or Singapore before I find
 ML> the one in Washington

Or even in Canukstan if you should wend your way northward.
 
 GJ> Nando's also make their stuff in powder form, which they dust over the
 GJ> potato chips (fr.fries to your lot).  I found that quite pleasant, but
 GJ> not overpoweringly picante.

 ML> Is there anything to the powered stuff besides ground chile pepper?

Yes, but not much. Salt and perhaps a little cumin and garlic.
Certainly nothing to compare with Dave Dirty's mixture, which is the
best I have come across.

 ML> Of course when the Washington
 GJ> establishment finally gets up and running, the spicing may be "dumbed
 GJ> down" for the sort of market they are hoping to break into.
 ML> 
 ML> Dumbed down from "not overpoweringly picante" might be frightening.

Nando uses the multiple chili signs to indicate the hotness of their
dishes on the menu, and also on the sauce bottle labels.  They may be
re-calibrated for USAn tastes.

 ML> Maybe there's a hierarchy of heat:

 ML> Thai hot
 ML> Hunan hot
 ML> Indian hot
 ML> Belize hot
 ML> Szechwan hot
 ML> Peruvian hot
 ML> South African hot
 ML> Mexican hot
 ML> European hot
 ML> Bush league hot

You omitted the most important food origin - Padang.  The level of heat
enjoyed by Indonesians increases from very mild in Bali, in the East,
to Indian level in Java, somewhat hotter in Southern Sumatra, then to
the extreme fire-eaters of the Northwest, Padang area, where people eat
raw chilies like you would eat grapes.  I estimate it would be equal
to, or even hotter than Thai.  When I was working in Jambi, in the
South, I often dined in local restaurants which featured dishes from
the proprietors' regions of origin, and with one of my colleagues who
came from Bandung in central Java, we once lunched at a Nasi Padang
restaurant.  After a short while I was pleased to see that his nose was
dripping as much as mine.  I was reminded of something my grandson Ryan
once said, "This food is burning my mouth, and it hurts, but it is so
good I can't stop eating it."

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: RENDANG / [VERY HOT] BEEF RENDANG
 Categories: Indonesian, Sumatra, Asian, Chilli, Curry
      Yield: 1 Batch
 
      1 kg Beef- topside
      4 tb Coconut- fresh, grated -or-
      4 tb Coconut- desiccated    -or-
           -steamed,
           -roasted in a dry pan until
           -golden brown then ground
           -finely
      2 c  Coconut milk- thick
      1 c  Coconut milk- thin
           -mixed together
      2    Lemongrass stalks
           -bruised
           Galangal- fresh, 2cm [opt.]
           -bruised
      2    Kaffir lime leaves [opt.]
           Salt
           -== PASTE SPICES ==-
      1 ts Spice- coriander seed
           -roasted in a dry pan and
           -freshly ground
      9 ts Spice- chilli flakes
           Ginger- green, 2.5cm
           Turmeric- fresh, 2.5cm -or-
    1/4 ts Spice- turmeric, ground-or-
      4    Garlic cloves
           -sliced
     10    Onions- shallots
           -sliced
 
  Grind all the paste ingredients together, adding a little warm water
  if the mixture is dry. Cut the meat into 5cm squares, mix with the
  spice paste and leave aside.
  
  Combine both the spiced beef and the coconut with the coconut milk in
  a wok. Add lemongrass, galangal if using it, lime leaves and salt and
  bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Cook without a lid until the
  gravy is almost dry. Turn the heat down low and cook until the oil
  comes out of what is left of the gravy.
  
  Then, taking care to stir constantly, let the meat and its spices fry
  in the oil until the dish is really dry and the meat has turned dark
  brown but not burnt. This last 'tempering' process is the crucial one
  for rendang - the whole quality of the dish depends on the care with
  which it is done.
  
  **** Rendang is native to Padang, and cooked to West Sumatram taste
  is very hot. The ammounts given here are average Indonesian measures
  for this dish, but you can adjust them to suit your own taste by
  using fewer chillies. Rendang is a dry curry that owes its origin to
  a wealthy agriculture, where people can afford to own oxen. In the
  days before refrigeration this style of cooking enabled preservation
  of the large amount of meat that would result from killing one of
  these animals.
  
  This is a north Sumatram version of Rendang. It takes some attention
  to cook and should be made in reasonable quantities to justify this.
  It is best cooked in a wok. Cooked dry in this way Rendang will keep
  for at least two weeks in the refrigerator. It makes a tasty meal
  with rice and a sayur or stir-fry vegetable dish. It is delicious,
  too, as cold finger food.
  
  from: SOUTH EAST ASIAN FOOD by: ROSEMARY BRISSENDEN typed by: KEVIN
  JCJD SYMONS
 
MMMMM
 

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)