[Sca-cooks] Ethnic was American Diet was Anchovette

[Bill Fisher]

On 7/11/05, Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius
<adamantius.magister at verizon.net> wrote:

> It appears frequently in various SE Asian cuisines. It's a common
> ingredient in sauces for spring rolls in Thai, Vietnamese, and
> Burmese (whatever the adjective form of Myanmar is) cookery, and in
> Indian and Thai sour curries. Kinda hard to describe. Sweet-and-sour,
> a little like sweet tea.

I like the tamarind flavor and it is one of those items whose flavor is 
best described using its own name.

I can get the whole pods here in town, or sweetened or unsweetened
processed paste.  I haven't played with it as its own ingredient though.
 
> I think there are variations in quality brought about by a number of
> factors, ranging from age in the storage container, whether they're
> canned or from a glass jar, the storage temperature, the kind of oil
> they were packed in, and how much, if at all, the fishies were cooked
> before you get them. I imagine Dominoes fails on a number of counts,
> probably using huge cans of anchovies that stay open a good while,
> then cooked for longer, at a slightly lower temperature, than on an
> artisanal pizza. These are just guesses, though, but I much prefer my
> anchovies "raw". When cooked, they can acquire an unpleasant, gritty,
> fish-bone taste and texture, and lose a lot of their flavor, aroma,
> and moistness. Salt bombs is about right, but they are, after all,
> fish, and fish is what they should taste like. If they don't,
> something is wrong. But using fresh ones from a chilled jar, packed
> in real olive oil, on a salad of sun-warmed, vine-ripened tomatoes,
> and paper-thin slices of sweet onion? Sublime.

I grew up with the tinned anchovies that were packed in oil.  It was what
was for lunch when I was at my late grandfather's house.  Bread, some
kind of tinned fish (or cuttlefish), and unsweet tea (he was diabetic
due to an accidental
overdose when he was receiving chemotherapy, I think).  But he had picked
up the taste for it when he was in England during WWII.   He also said
he liked salted fish from his depression era upbringing as well in the
Coal Regions
of PA (Summit Hill/Tamaqua).

I remember the first time I ordered anchovies on pizza and I had assured my 
friends that they would be great, and they were the little salt bombs.  I called
up the pizza place and asked for my money back.  Didn't get it.  

I do like pizza with fresh or pickled anchovies on.  I just found a place
(World Market) here where I can get the brined ones with hot peppers.

> That's the one.

Balut gives me the heebies.....

Now if someone can tell me where I can find Gentleman's Relish here in 
Atlanta (I used to get it in NYC when I was up north), I'd greatly appreciate
it.


Cadoc
(the sleepy irishman)


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