IMAGINING SATAY PONOROGO

A friend who lives in a region where late night snackies are far more interesting than here in SF mentioned that because he was reading about the Ukraine situation he was left with no option for dinner except Burger King. Personally, I think he likes junk food. I've seen photos of that on his Facebook page often enough, as well as fried things and meaty things, that I recognize this as part of his regular and preferred diet.

At times I've asked him about the absence of sambal.

To me that is a singular lack.

Sambal is life.


Where I am, late night eating used to include Vietnamese noodle soup, Chinese food, Tacos, Portuguese food (if you're from San Francisco you now know the part of the city where I live), bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and one or two other things. Now, two years into the Trump pandemic, the only thing available after three in the morning is a donut.
And that donut isn't as good as it used to be.

The option of chicken satay with cashew nut butter sauce (instead of peanut sauce) is not an option here even during daylight.

In his area, it can be taken for granted. Charcoal grilled skewers of chicken, spicy sauce, chopped cucumber, sambal. Even late at night. No, he doesn't live in Amsterdam.

[Satay Ponorogo: marinate chicken breast chunks with mashed shallots, ground coriander, ground cumin, garlic, galangal, turmeric, candlenuts, palm sugar, and soy sauce. Thread onto skewers, gril over charcoal, brush with sweet soy sauce and coconut water regularly till done. Serve with a peanut sauce. Note that Central Javan food preferences are sweeter than you might think; there's palm sugar in the marinade, in the grill-wash, and in the sauce.]

On the other hand, when I left the house earlier the city looked dreamy. The fog was thick on Nob Hill, dawn was gentle rather than brazen. Where he lives, for fog he would have to go further eastward, to the Dieng Plateau. It actually gets cold there.

In some ways I envy him. We need a place for satay late at night. And slow-drip Vietnamese coffee. It would add magic if that were at the end of a walk.

A breakfast of champions.



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