THE DUTCHMAN'S BREAKFAST

Here it is, two weeks after my visit to the emergency room, subsequent surgical actions, and five days stay in the hospital, and it is perhaps time to take stock:
Still have pain. Often. Off antibiotics.
Recovering nicely, but still weak.
As well as considerably frustrated. Inaction, lack of energy, and driving myself up the wall by reading about food. Especially the latter. Food is life, food is living. Shan't be heading into Chinatown for a while yet for lunch. Though milk-tea and a small pastry will be on the schedule, because it forces me to exercise; yesterday I walked quite a bit -- kemarin berjalan sepuluh blok, membeli satu kek (檸檬味的瑞士卷蛋糕 lemon flavour Swiss roll) di kedai roti yang favorit. Sangat melahlah, lambat lambat itu!
I need a break, but only mentally have a huge appetite.
Still. Thinking of food.

[Cramps after eating, and hardly any appetite. But from the day I returned home hot sauce and sambal have been on the table. Because food has to taste good. It's damned well pointless otherwise. Life is too short.]


Stuff I will prepare in the second half of August:


CHICKEN KORMA
Chicken chunks ,spices, simmered with coconut milk, and potatoes.
With split green chilis floating on top.

PRAWNS MALAY STYLE
Crustacean creatures served in a spicy coconut gravy.

MUTTON CURRY WITH POTATO CHUNKS
Meat, tomato coconut gravy, hot spices.

EGGPLANT PICKLE
An Indian-style pickle, hot, sour, and semi-sweet.

FRIED CHICKEN TOSSED OVER HEAT WITH HOT PEPPERS AND BASIL LEAVES.
Pretty much self-explanatory.

PORK CURRY WITH EGGS AND POTATOES
A meat curry with whole eggs and chunked potatoes, no coconut.

PICKLED ONIONS AND PEPPERS
A vinegar-based pickle.

SHRIMP AND CHILIPASTE STIRFRY
with garlic, ginger, and a little tamarind.

BHUNA ALOO
Potato chunks, ghee, dried red chilies, garlic. Plus cumin, coriander, turmeric. Like Jheet Singh used to make.


You will please note that there is no large fried presence. So it's healthy!

The ideas came from an Anglo Indian food forum, the actual execution will be rather Dutch Indonesian and dependent on ingredients available locally or already present in my larder. Several of these dishes will include shrimp-paste.

There will also be bitter melon, long beans, small bokchoi, and diverse sambals, plus keffir, and crunchy spicy garnishes. Maybe even something as complex as soto ayam, but probably avoiding that other Dutch favourite: rendang. Just too much chili and santan.


Current list of supplemental substances: Metoprolol Succ Er 25 Mg., Aspirin Ec 81 Mg., Amlodypine Besylate 5 Mg., Clopidogrel 75 Mg., Atorvastatin 80 Mg., Losartan hctz 100-25 Mg., Tamsulosin Hcl 0.4 Mg., Magnesium 250 Mg. .


Coffee, tea, and Chinese date water, are constants.
Though less than before; I'm taking it easy.


I have cigars and pipe tobacco.


Pizza and hot sauce.




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