[Sca-cooks] Celia's Hundred (was RE: The Omnivore's Hundred)

Lady Celia CeliadesArchier at cox.net
Sun Sep 7 16:01:34 PDT 2008


Lady Celia wrote:

>41. Curried goat - how does this differ from curried anything else?  So I
>wouldn't seek it out, but wouldn't automatically turn it down.  I'm a bit
>finicky about curries, so my question tends to be "is this hot or mild".
>I'll try and often enjoy mild curries, but have had very bad (almost
>"allergic") reactions to hot curries. 
>  
>

And Antonia replied:
<<"Curry" covers a huge range of possibilities.  It could be anything from
very hot to very mild.>>

That's what I meant :)  And is why I always ask first, or ask for a taster
spoon before getting a full order.  My first experience with curry was with
a relatively mild curry that sort of built up on you... the first bite was
interesting, the second *good*, the third, "OMG" ... and then I had to rush
to the bathroom because my system rejected something in the curry.  For
years I thought I was "allergic" to curry because the next time I had curry
it was too hot, and I couldn't even eat it.  I later had a friend who made
curried chicken that I *loved*, and she, (who is also a naturopath), when I
relayed my experiences, she explained to me that "curry" was a catch all
term for a mixture of spices which can vary from cook to cook, and
postulated that I might be having a negative reaction to one of the specific
spices in the mix... probably tumeric, and since I had never had tumeric in
anything else and she didn't include tumeric in her curries, I accept that's
a good possibility. 

I have since been more adventurous about curries and found several that I
enjoy.  But since I don't like hot curries and for some reason my system
doesn't seem to tolerate some curries, I tend to be a bit more cautious and
the first question I ask is always "how hot/mild is it" and "can I have a
taster spoon of the sauce, please"?  I've never been to an Indian place that
wouldn't allow me to taste the sauce first unless they were making it fresh
and very slow, so that they couldn't indulge me. 

>54. Paneer - ok.  not a big fan of "blue" cheeses, except in dressings, but
>sure.
>  
>

"Paneer isn't blue.  It's not even strong."

Hmm... the picture showed it with the mold that I associate with being a
'blue' cheese.  But when it comes to things like cheeses, I'll generally try
them at least once... usually more than once, since they're also
incorporated into sauces and served a variety of ways, and that generally
affects my enjoyment.  For example, odd though it may be, I love melted or
toasted ripe mozzarella, but don't really appreciate "fresh" mozzarella...
it tastes just too bland to me. 

Celia




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