Text 24700, 138 rader
Skriven 2015-03-09 06:15:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: spicy or not 328
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 NB>> My son likes it enough to usually have that for his choice when
 NB>> we've eaten out together... 
 ML> For me it's nowhere near spicy enough, because the abundance
 ML> of vegetables soaks up all the heat. 
 NB> I'd guess that how spicy it actually starts out being has an effect on
 NB> how spicy it ends up after the veggies and all..  :)  I've had some
 NB> rather mild (comparison-wise) Evil Jungle Prince, and some much
 NB> spicier ones, depending...  Also, of course, depends on what one's
 NB> tolerance level is...  ;)

The latest Mini-AIR cites an article that claims that vegetable
dishes are not very spicy in general because of the antimicrobial
hypothesis. There is a critical failure in the logic of this
article, but that we can discuss later if we wish.

"Why Vegetable Recipes are Not Very Spicy," Paul W. Sherman,
and Geoffrey A. Hash, Evolution and Human Behavior, vol. 22,
no. 3, 2001, pp. 147-163. <http://goo.gl/4kqH33>
   A critical prediction of the antimicrobial hypothesis is
   that spices should be used less in preparing vegetables
   than meat dishes. This is because cells of dead plants
   are better protected physically and chemically against
   bacteria and fungi than cells of dead animals (whose
   immune system ceased functioning at death), so fewer
   spices would be necessary to make vegetables safe for
   consumption.

 ML> Of course, I had one vegetable dish all week (aside from a
 ML> couple bites of slaw and such) - a corn casserole that was so
 ML> delicious I had almost a pound of it in two goes. One of my
 ML> colleagues reports that the recipe is approximately half
 ML> butter and half chipotle mayonnaise, the starch apparently
 ML> being merely incidental. 
 NB> So, hardly counting as a veggie at all, then... (G)   It does sound
 NB> quite delicious, though...  :)

It was pretty good. The colleagues did not report the fact that
there was cheese in the stuff (luckily I had some pills with me).

 ML> That was at Stiles Switch, where they didn't
 ML> take as much care with our 50-person party as they ought,
 ML> and the brisket was not up to par.
 NB> So the only bright spot was the corn casserole...

Pretty much. Others reported that the other sides were good.

 NB> The full report on the bbq trip is eagerly awaited...  :)

Since the concert (generally rated a success, and I regard my
own contribution as a modest success - i.e., could have been
worse, like I could have dropped the bow or skipped a bar or
something) is done with, and all I have to do in the next week
or two is read a bunch of grant proposals and then listen to
a bunch of scholarship aspirants, maybe it will be coming soon.

 ML>> recipe would be 200-300 - I originally read that recipe as having
 ML>> a pound of main ingredient, but it's 1/2 lb meat OR 1/2 lb of
 ML>> vegetables, so the servings are very tiny, and if the peppers are
 ML>> bird peppers or at least of a substantial heat, the dish might be
 ML>> spicy enough as is. I'd do the 10 peppers anyway.
 NB>> After all, one is probably eating it on or at least with rice.. ;)
 ML> For sake of estimation I count on 50% rice and 50% yums, but
 ML> on my own plate it's generally something like 20% rice only,
 ML> and if I have other starchy food, such as beer, often none.

I'm thinking that the corn casserole discussed above had a
Scoville rating of maybe 5 or 10, and those same colleagues
reported that it carried "a bit of a kick."

 NB> So yours would be thereby of a higher heat, having been less diluted
 NB> by the "extras"...  :)

Yep.

 ML> An amusing dish, better with some velveted chicken:
 ML> Title: Crackling Rice Vegetable Soup
 NB> It does seem like an interesting dish...  as you say, amusing even...
 NB> I can see how the chicken would improve it...  :)  I'm not totally
 NB> sure just what velveted chicken is exactly, though...

Kung pao after Ken Hom
cat: chicken, main
Servings: 4

2 boned chicken breasts (4 halves), cut into dice
2 T cornstarch
1 egg white
oil
1/2 c raw peanuts
vegetables - not in original recipe; 1/4 c each
- diced carrot, celery, green pepper, bamboo shoots
7 T oil (you can use some of the already-used oil)
8 dried hot chiles
8 scallions, white and green, minced
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
4 thin slices ginger, mashed flat, not in original recipe
2 T Chinese chili paste
4 T dark soy
2 t sugar
3 T dry sherry or Shaoshing rice wine (which is cheaper)
2 T Chekiang black vinegar or 4 t regular vinegar
2 t sesame oil
1 t cornstarch mixed in
1 T cold water or chicken broth

Mix chicken with cornstarch and egg white. Let sit 15 min. Heat oil
to 150 degrees. When it reaches this temperature, put one piece of
chicken in. Keep raising the temperature until the chicken floats.
As soon as the chicken floats, turn the heat OFF and dump in the
chicken, stirring so that all surfaces of the chicken are exposed
to the oil. As soon as that happens and the surfaces are whitened,
remove them with a slotted spoon. This step (called "velveting") is
optional but makes a fancier dish. You can cut the egg white and
the velveting altogether if you like. If you use chicken thighs
for the dish, as most restaurants do, don't bother to velvet - it
won't work.

Okay. Heat 2 T oil and brown the peanuts lightly. Remove them with
a slotted spoon. Add 1 T oil and cook vegetables in the order listed.
Cook carrots for a few seconds (maybe 15), then add the celery, cook
for a few seconds, add peppers, cook a little longer, and then add
the bamboo shoots. As soon as the bamboo shoots have been tossed once,
remove all vegetables with a slotted spoon. If you haven't velveted the
chicken, add another T of oil to what's in the pan and stir-fry the
chicken until slightly browned on all sides (do this in 2 batches).
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and discard the oil.

Heat the rest of the oil on medium heat; add the chiles, scallions,
and garlic in this order. Add all other ingredients listed except for
cornstarch-water. Bring to a boil and stir in cornstarch-water. Cook
over high heat until thickened. Add all cooked ingredients and stir-
cook for 15-30 sec until warmed through and chicken is fully cooked.
Serve with rice.

Source: after Ken Hom
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