QUIET LADY FLATS

Because my downstairs neighbor in the front apartment broke her hip several months ago, and is still walking problematically -- she's also older -- whenever I head across the hill to Chinatown to shop for groceries I usually bring her some vegetables. She's Hokkien Chinese from Jakarta, so I have a fairly good idea about what she used to eat. There are no vegetable shops nearby that carry that. Because Anglos don't eat squat; carrots, potatoes, lettuce. What the heck does one do with lettuce?

I mean, if you have a ranch dressing addiction, fine. Hidden Valley loves you.
You're severely twisted, and there are therapists lying in wait.
They know with what to bait the box.

Personally, I cannot understand why Anglos won't touch bitter melon, mustard cabbage, wai saan, wu tau, or many other things. Such as yard-long beans. Which are great stirfried with garlic, chilipaste, and shrimp sauce. Or in mild curries. Or with fish chunks. Or cooked with little bits of fatty pork and some fermented black bean paste. Very versatile!

I gave her some yesterday when I returned.

You could even cook them American style, like stringbeans.
You know, simmered till they're grey and limp.

KATJANG PANDJANG, BERWARNA HITAM
[Black-coloured long beans]

If you are very white, you can also cook them with tofu chunks in a bland liquid, vegan stock or whatever, and they can take a great deal of abuse, so you probably can't cock it up.


All of the residents in my building except myself are Chinese ladies. I am the only man here at present. There aren't many tenants. It is, consequently, a peaceful place. The downstairs front apartment woman and I are the only ones who speak Indonesian.

Yard long beans are quite excellent cooked with Dutch or Indonesian style sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis) and sliced chilies, or simmered in coconut milk with a dash of Maggi and a handful of fried peanuts thrown on top when done.

Also: braised with several chunks of nice streaky fatty dried fish, garlic cloves, green onion lengths, sliced green chilies, plus turmeric and a dash of rice wine.



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