Text 16115, 154 rader
Skriven 2014-08-22 07:50:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av RUTH HAFFLY
Ärende: reductio ad salsam 830
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 ML> De gustibus non disputandum.
 ML> I used to point out that de gustibus totum disputandum,
 ML> that's what makes life interesting, but people didn't
 RH> OK, I've forgotten enough of my Latin, will you please translate this?

De gustibus non disputandum. Literally, about taste there
shouldn't be any discussion. I guess this is true for the
sake of amity. The gist is that there's no sense fussing
about matters of taste (about which there's no accounting),
because short of Aunt Ah's procedure there's no way to
change other people's tastes. I disagree with that last
to a certain extent.

De gustibus totum disputandum. Literally, about taste
there is everything to discuss. This is my view on the
subject - some of the most entertaining exchanges here
have been on such disputations topics as the presence or
absence of beans or tomatoes or onions in chili, how to
cook rice, the relative merits of light vs. dark chicken,
and so on.

 ML> probably take a step back from alcohol as a subject for
 ML> discussion here.

It's not of course a totally taboo subject, but sliding
into territory other than the practical, well, one can get
into the disputatious without trying too hard, and we'll
just not go there.

 RH> I'll do so. Are you back in the States now or still wandering around
 RH> Europe?

I should have stalled a couple days so as to be able to
say "neither." I'm recharging my batteries and getting
more medicine before I go off to Panama and Argentina
on a leg that should if I am lucky cost a little less
(like 1/3 as much) than the European one. I should
learn to go places that are cheaper than staying home,
rather than double.

 RH> We don't patronise the chain any more, enough other good (and bad)
 RH> places around to chose from for a bite to eat.
 ML> There's no particular reason to go there.
 RH> Not especially.

I actually had a good reason for going - a friend's
husband was manager at one, so when feeling poor we
would go there and have the food comped (nonetheless,
I tended to get just fried green beans and/or a burger).
The privilege is supposed to be for employees and their
families only, but the guy was the manager, so nobody
could say anything, and I was almost family anyhow.

 RH> Steve bought a juicer a few weeks ago and is having fun experimenting
 RH> with that. He made a batch of vegetable juice that tasted pretty
 RH> good, then the next one was quite grassy tasting, IMO. He added a
 RH> couple more tomatoes and said that the flavor was improved but I'll
 RH> let him finish that jar. (G)

Different vegetables, or different ratios, or different
levels of ripeness?

Nigerian Tomato Stew
cat: ingredient
yield: 1 batch

1500 g fresh plum tomatoes
600 g tinned tomato paste
- or sub 1200 g watery tinned tomato puree
vegetable oil, a generous quantity
1 or 2 md onions

If you don't use enough oil, your stew will have a sour
taste and it will burn even if you stand there stirring
frantically :( Cooking should be fun, not tedious. And
why worry when you'll pour out the excess oil when you
are done? In my opinion, anybody worried about his/her
health should stay away from this stew because it is fried.

This oil you pour out is red hence it is perfect for
cooking Egusi Soup, Okra Soup and Ogbono Soup for those
who cannot buy or do not want to use palm oil. Once it has
cooled down, put it in the fridge or freezer because it
will go bad if left on the kitchen counter.

The tinned tomato paste sold in Nigeria is usually very
thick and concentrated. If you try to fry this tomato
paste as is, it will burn straight away. What I normally
do is to add some water to it to bring it to the softer
consistency. There are other types of tomato purees sold
in Europe and the rest of the world and these are usually
watery. If that is the only type you can buy, then you
need to cook it with the fresh tomato puree (as explained
below) to get it to dry up a bit and get rid of the sour
taste before frying.

One more thing; the tinned tomato paste/puree is optional.
Its job is to improve the redness of the tomato stew,
making it look richer and more appetizing. If you don't
want to use it, replace with fresh plum tomatoes. In
Nigeria, it is common to use tatashe (Nigerian big red
peppers) to improve the redness of the tomato stew.
Please note that tatashe is not the same as bell peppers.

Wash and blend the fresh plum tomatoes. Remember to remove
the seeds unless you are sure your blender can grind them
very well.

If using the thick tinned tomato paste that is common in
Nigeria, mix it with cold water to get a softer consistency.

If you are using the watery tinned tomato puree that is
common in Europe and other parts of the world, open the tins
or packets and set these aside, you'll need them soon.

Cut the onions into small pieces.

Pour the fresh tomato blend into a pot and cook at high heat
till almost all the water has dried. If you have the watery
tinned/boxed tomato puree, add these to the pot and reduce
the heat to low. Cook till the water in the tomato puree
have dried as much as possible.

Add the vegetable oil, the chopped onions and the thick
tomato puree (if it's the puree you are using). Stir well.

Fry at very low heat and stir at short intervals till the
oil has completely separated from the tomato puree. A well
fried tomato puree will also have streaks of oil, unlike
when you first added the oil and it was a smooth mix of
the tomato puree and oil. Taste the fried tomato puree to
make sure that the raw tomato taste is gone. With time and
experience, you can even tell that the tomato puree is well
fried from the aroma alone.

If you are happy with the taste and you are sure that all
the water has dried as much as possible, pour out the excess
vegetable oil, then use it in your cooking.

If you are not using it immediately, leave to cool down,
dish in containers and store in the freezer.

To use, bring out from the freezer and allow to defrost at
room temperature and use in your Nigerian Jollof Rice,
Nigerian Coconut Rice, Nigerian Rice & Beans, Spaghetti
Surprise. Add pepper, seasoning, chicken, beef, fish,
turkey etc to get the Nigerian Beef & Chicken Stew used
for eating Nigerian White Rice and other Nigerian staple food.

www.allnigerianrecipes.com

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