culinary discovery

Stock made from chickens tastes pretty much the same as stock made from chickens and pork.  

True, if you use pig feet in the stock, you get more jelling power.  But in terms of taste, it's hard to tell the difference.

Douglas Adams makes it to the moon

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/oct/12/nasa-lcross-hitchhikers-guide-twitter

Dreamstate effects

Laksa apparently has a noticeable effect on dream quality.  Perhaps it's anything with coconut milk, I'm not sure.  But last night's dreams were particularly complex, plot-driven affairs of the big-budget Hollywood type, with a very consistent and obvious art direction angle...somewhere between period spy thriller and high-budget sci-fi of the type starring your Ethan Hawkes or Uma Thurmans.  Perhaps seeing Inglourious Basterds two days ago had something to do with this, but I'm more tempted to blame the curry paste.

New Photo web site

In case anyone is out there, I have started putting photos up on the Photoshelter site.  There are a few galleries up already, and I will try to be diligent about posting all the "backlog."

Until I figure out how to work this interwebs thing, the home page is at this ugly-ass address:

http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/U0000ts8.wWd3lCA

First try at Laksa, went as follows:

Laksa paste (which as far as I can tell, is just like making Thai curry paste):

garlic

shallots

fresh ginger

fresh kah

fresh turmeric

lemon grass

Thai shrimp paste

one ancho chili

two chipotle morita chilies

keffir lime rind

candlenuts

date sugar

All these things got chopped up and then mashed into paste the mortar.  Then sauteed for a few minutes and put aside (there is some left).

(yes, I know using Mexican chilies is odd..but I have lots of them, and they add a nice smokey flavor.  They got toasted before being soaked and chopped in.  Also, lime rind is more of a Thai curry thing, but I like the flavor).

Soup base was homemade chicken and pork stock, to which was added the spice paste and coconut milk, fish sauce, more date sugar, and some lemongrass and a pandanus leaf.

Noodles were big wide flat Vietnamese rice noodles.

Meat was poached chicken (poached the stock and the meat pulled when nearly done, then the bones added back to the stock); this was seared in the pan before assembling the soup.  I also added some tiny Holland shrimp to my bowl (they come in convenient packages at the supermarket and are very tasty)

Other ingredients - blanched Thai long beans and sauteed oyster mushrooms.

Extra toppings; crispy fried onions with turmeric, raw shallots; scallions;

Garnishes: mint, big Thai basil (krapraw), cilantro, bean sprouts, limes.

Result -  heerlijk!