I'VE ACHIEVED MY CHINESE CURRYMAKING AMBITIONS FOR NOW. Next week I start on purchasing haldi (turmeric) and other huge kilogram £1 packs of spices (well why pay 80p for a tenth as much?) and concocting my own curry powder: starting ingredients shall be fenugreek, ground coriander, ground star anise, allspice etc etc.I should be extremely happy. Eating Chinese takeaway every day three meals a day. But apart from that I still feel extremely flat and spread out thin between it all.
I'm well into spices. Last time I made beef stew I counted up the spices, herbs and those in the condiments I'd used and reckoned up 21++ including cayenne, pimento, tamarinds...
My stew recipe goes a heaped desert spoon of mild curry powder (or a mixture of all curry powders and jerk seasoning amounting to a heaped desert spoon) and a like amount of paprika. Make sure there's not too much chili in the mix as heat is not what you're after. Add about five or so desert spoons Lea & Perrins (HP sauce would also do). Tomato ketchup adds any missing sweetness. Usually I grab sprigs of wild herbs if I can (rosemary and sage). If these are missing add about a desert spoon of traditional parsely-sage-rosemary-marjoram-style mixed herbs. Add black pepper at the end as this only cooks out (so I've found). Tomato ketchup does very well to pep up any missing sweetness...
Today I finally got fed up of chicken curry and bought spinaci e ricotta tortelloni. These to eat with garden peas (the only veg I've got left) and heaps of grated cheese...
The landlord came round earlier and annoyed me. Leaving the front door open (why do all landlords and workmen insist in doing this? As if to leave their stamp upon the property "we're doing some work here, honest guv!" and banging and crashing at every turn. I hid in the shower and fled the premises as soon as I was able.
I found a wonderful non-cigarette-burnt black knitted top fur-lined. Unfortunately it's size S so I wonder if it will fit. If not I might wear it indoors. It has to go through the de-flea-ing process (ie the washing machine). I'm terrified of 6-legged intruders after my mites-&-scabies cockroaches-&-bedbugs encounters of times past...
Sorry for not having been in touch with any of you all. As I said I have continuing internet problems. All I want is an account at a caff that has reasonably fast speeds (yeah right) and does cheap deals (hmmm...)
My hamsters are keeping very well. I hope you all are. Take care!
In the news:
The Sun: World Exclusive ~ Madonna and Guy Divorce!
Hmmmm, I am trying to picture what a black fur lined knitted top would look like. Interesting. Your curry sounds good. Hope you will be in better spirits soon.
ReplyDeleteYou're really into this curry aren't you? When you mix the PERFECT curry powder you could patent it! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so hungry... and reading your blog is not helping!
ReplyDelete= P
I can't believe that Madonna and Guy actually divorced. I mean, I can, but it just seems like it shouldn't happen.
= )
Happy experimenting, Gleds. Maybe you'll come up with that inexplicable "something" that just makes a meal and end up being a millionaire.
ReplyDeleteYou're the spice-king mate. You should've been in the spice girls hehe.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I'm lucky #13 (follower on your sidebar).
ReplyDeleteOf course Madonna and Guy are going to divorce... I'm surprised they lasted this long together.
Chinese and Italian food? That's my kind of diet! :$
ReplyDeleteHmmm, they are getting a divorce for sure?! I wonder if its true, I thought they just renewed their vows.
ReplyDeletedo you still do drugs?
ReplyDeleteNice. Now I'm gonna need Chinese for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteglad to hear your doing ok :-)
ReplyDeleteall your spices sound good too nice and warming now the cold winter is coming :-(
So is the fur lined knitted top going
ReplyDeleteto keep your hammies warm over winter*?*
Good luck with the curry making.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter finally make chicken curry and I had a really big hand in it (I practicall did the whole thing, lol) but she finished it.
It was very good, and I ate too much.
Take care,
Janice~
Sorry you're still having problems on the internet gleds.
ReplyDeleteMadonna and Guy - I guess we saw that coming.
Everytime I come to your blog, I get hungry!!
Hey Gled, hope things are well.
ReplyDeleteSorry I have to be brief as I'm going to TRY GOING VISITING for once. I've not been to ANYONE'S BLOG for nearly a fortnight.
ReplyDeleteStill on the drugs. Yeah.
Madonna and Guy: yeah but she said in the beginning it was an excuse to learn and grow. E.g. to be FIRST to make peace after an argument to be "person being least immature" etc etc from what people said about it I really thought they had a chance. Problem is in today's world marriage is just seen as a temporary thing. And if you take that attitude you create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Yeah the spice is nice. I had to go right out of my way yesterday to get more Chinese curry mix as the last 10 servings ran out within a week easily ~ haha!