HE'S BENGALI, SHE'S CANTONESE, I'M DUTCH

First day back on the job. One of the regulars remarked that I looked gaunt. Well, yeah. I lost nearly another ten pounds over the past month. And I feel gaunt. But my visual appetite is just fine, so I've really been enjoying Mr. Bhattacharya's lovely food photos and recipes on the Anglo Indian forum. Gorgeous GORGEOUS pictures of mutton curries, among many other delicious looking things.

My actual physical appetite, however, has not yet recovered.

And I'd rather read about food than the news right now.

Another mass shooting in the United States.

Petrol bombs, teargas in Hong Kong.



One of Mr. Bhattacharya's delightful recipes:


SPICY MUTTON AND POTATO CURRY

Recipe : Mix mutton pcs (300gms) with 2 chopped medium sized onions, 1 chopped small tomato, 1 & 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste, little less than 1 tsp each of turmeric & Kashmiri red chili powder and salt to taste. Boil 4-5 small potatoes, peel off skin, fry golden brown on hot cooking oil & keep aside (when cool, prick the potatoes with fork lightly at all sides) On same heated 3 tbsps cooking oil put the mutton mixed with all ingredients and fry well to dryness, till oil separates then put it inside pressure cooker with 1 & 1/2 cups of water. From first whistle give 8 mins time, let it cool then transfer it back to wok, keep the boiled fried potatoes in the bottom of the wok so that the curry seeps in, stir after few mins, add few broken green chilies, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of garam masala powder, stir and done, it's ready to serve.

If you are in the U.S., 300 grammes is slightly more than half a pound.
I'd go for mutton on the bone for more flavour, with some fat. Kashmiri red chili powder is made, I believe, from sweet mild chilies, so high quality paprika would probably work. Or dump some guajillos secos in the spice grinder. Instead of Delhwi style garam masala, use one which has plenty of cinnamon and green cardamom, but in any case the aromatics; Delhwi garam masala is basically coriander, cumin, black pepper, and used towards the beginning.

Serve with plain rice and parathas.
And something vegetable.


The photo is absolutely mouthwatering. Food magazine quality. I would paste it here, but that would be too much copy-cattery.


In other matters, the Asperger-syndrome apartment mate just got off the phone with her Asperger boyfriend; I am now listening to a long rant about how he far too often brings up the fact that he's Jewish, and, as a Jew, is constantly worried about survival. It's a thing with his people, okay?

She's heard it very many times. She's Chinese American, and they have their own problems in that regard. Remember Vincent Chin?
How about Dennis Kearney?


I would now like to remind everyone that I am Dutch. Dutch American. We worry about getting flooded. Near-constantly! That is why this apartment is uphill. That way, even if the shoddy American-made dykes give way (we do have dykes in this city, don't we?), I'll still be several feet above the swirling floodwaters. Fifty years from now the sea level will be higher, because of global warming (caused by you people), it will be lapping at my downhill neighbors' doorstep, not mine. Maybe that's why they're selling the building after all these years; they finally did the math.
Floods are a serious problem!

Mary Mapes Dodge and her truly horrible book have a lot to answer for.

I seldom bring it up, because y'all should realize this by now.
All of you flood-causing non-Dutch foreigners.
You're heartless. Inconsiderate!
Global warmers.


Dinner tonight: a cup of strong milk tea. Cookies. Cheroot.
Might have something else later, near ten o'clock.
There's still sausage and nimboo achar.
And some French bread.




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