1602. Jenerator - Jan. 25, 1999 - 9:54 AM PT
PE,
Re Message #1600 What do you recommend for artichokes?
1603. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 9:55 AM PT
It's auspicious that Jeneratrix mentions gherkins and mayonnaise in such close proximity. Mayonnaise + gherkins (or capers) + mustard = rémoulade. Some rémoulades contain anchovies.
1604. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 9:57 AM PT
Message #1602
Artichokes.
1605. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 9:59 AM PT
gherkins = cornichons
1606. Jenerator - Jan. 25, 1999 - 9:59 AM PT
I'm not going there.
1607. marjoribanks - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:01 AM PT
Jade,
The crucial thing when making 'daal' is the 'bagaar' which one adds to the boiled lentils.
A nice simple daal which I eat at least twice a week is made in this manner:
Wash one cup of split lentils, preferably the orange kind found in any Indian store.
Add two cups water
1tsp vegetable oil
1 large chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
Boil this mixture until the lentils are very soft.
In a separate small pan mix together:
two tsps clarified butter (ghee) or vegetable oil
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
10 curry leaves (karipatta)
4 small green chilis (less or more according to taste).
Heat this mixture (the bagaar) until it starts to sizzle.
Add it to the cooked lentil mixture and boil (till bubbling).
Remove and serve.
Voila - you have marjoribanks's favorite food.
There are literally hundreds of diifferent ways of making daal, some much more complicated. If you're interested I'll post some more.
1608. JaDeGoLd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:04 AM PT
Marj;
Thanks. If you have time, I'd appreciate more. I'm a fan of lentil soups and have made a lentil loaf (kind of a faux meat loaf).
1609. Jenerator - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:05 AM PT
I bet you have terrific breath Marj. Promise me you'll pack along some Altoids for our dinner date at India Palace.
1610. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:09 AM PT
Jenerator (Message #1609)
If there is exaggerated fastidiousness, you're proof that there exists such a thing as culinary philistinism.
1611. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:09 AM PT
On the other hand, she _was_ talking about lentils....
1612. bubbaette - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:16 AM PT
Jenerator
What do you recommend for artichokes?
elective surgery
1613. Raskolnikov - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:25 AM PT
I enjoy dipping artichokes in garlic butter after they being boiled with some lemon juice. I also sometimes make a dipping sauce consisting of yogurt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and curry powder.
1614. marjoribanks - Jan. 25, 1999 - 10:26 AM PT
Jade,
I have some time right now. In addition to my Mom's classic above and several riffs on it, I rely heavily on Ismail Merchant's cookbook which includes a lemony masoor daal which tends to appeal to all palates. (Masoor is split greenish-brown lentils easily available at an Indian store). My extremely adapted recipe from that cookbook follows.
5 oz vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cinnamon sticks
1 lb 'masoor daal' cleaned and washed (preferably soaked overnight).
1 tsp chopped ginger (or ginger paste, also available at Indian stores)
1 pint chicken stock
salt to taste
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper
juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green chili, chopped
4 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped Indian coriander
Heat 2/3 of the oil in deep aucepan over medium heat, add onions and cook until translucent.
Add cinnamon, lentils and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring often. (about six-seven minutes)
Add stock and 1/2 liter (1 pint) or so of water, salt and chili/cayenne. Bring to boil, then simmer for about ten minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue cooking for at least 1/2 hr, maybe 45 minutes until the lentils are thoroughly soft.
As in the first recipe, make the 'bagaar' in a separate pan (fry remaining oil, garlic, chili, bayi leaves until sizzling.)
Add the bagaar to the lentils, sprinkle with the coriander and serve hot with rice.
1615. Seguine - Jan. 25, 1999 - 11:06 AM PT
Banks, thanks!
1616. Seguine - Jan. 25, 1999 - 11:16 AM PT
PE: Years ago, Skeptic Magazine ran a hilarious exposé of "stereophilia" -- the mania for obscure "high-end" stereo equipment, with names like Carver, KEF, Vandersteen and Krell. Basically, the gist of the exposé was that most of the nuances in this upmost range of quality could only be discerned by a dog...
My father is an insufferable audiophile. He spends absurd amounts of money on equipment he can scarcely operate, then visits the homes of his offspring to expound on our inferior listening apparatuses. He has speakers which, mounted on their perches, are as tall as I am (5'5") and capable of vibrating the structural supports of his house unto rubble. The deafer they render him, the more certain he is that he can hear things imperceptible to a baser ear.
1617. marjoribanks - Jan. 25, 1999 - 11:26 AM PT
Seguine,
If you have some objection to crossing the river to NYC, you should know that NJ is riddled with Indians and Indian groceries, especially around Jersey City.
However, if you do want to visit Manhattan's Little India feel free to give me advance notice and I'll treat you to a Bass Ale at the rather excellent bar nestled in its midst (where I've met Snod, the Mondaugens, Lab, Connor, wabbit, Lab and tmachine already.)
1618. marjoribanks - Jan. 25, 1999 - 11:27 AM PT
Lab only once, but it feels like twice!
1619. Seguine - Jan. 25, 1999 - 12:37 PM PT
Banks,
I'm afraid I'm prohibited from drinking more than a tiny amount of Bass Ale at the moment, or anything alcoholic for that matter, so must decline your kind offer until some time after the middle of May. I think I might have been to a restaurant in Little India about 15 years ago. Best Indian food I can remember having.
I'm aware of the large Indian population in Jersey City; I'm told Summit, too, is heavily subcon, and I may have to resort to driving that far at least if I cannot locate the karipatta from your first recipe at the little store in the next town that I normally go to. But I bet I can. (By the way, was that yellow mustard seeds or black? Does it matter?)
As it happens, we have an excellent Indian restaurant a few blocks away from home. Dinner is exorbitant, but I mean to try the more reasonably priced lunch buffet before long.
Perhaps we need to assemble a party of avid eaters to meet in NY for food excursions. Restaurants and groceries. I'm only 1/2 an hour away from Penn Station by train. Several others live in or near Manhattan, while others still visit the city from distant lands on a semi-regular basis.
1620. marjoribanks - Jan. 25, 1999 - 1:11 PM PT
Seguine,
I meant black mustard seeds. Also, small karipatta leaves. If you get 4-5 large ones it's pretty much the same. You will get both of them at any half-way decent sub-con store.
I'm sure a "meet seguine" special can be arranged among Tri-state area fraygrants.
1621. Seguine - Jan. 25, 1999 - 1:30 PM PT
"I'm sure a "meet seguine" special can be arranged among Tri-state area fraygrants."
Will you commit funds toward the rental of a metal detector and one bomb-sniffing dog?
1622. This message either failed to post, has been archived, or (less likely) was deleted by the Fraymaster.
1623. Adrianne - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:14 PM PT
If an ex-New Yorker and current beltway insider (!) is allowed to crash the meet Seguine event, I'd love to come. Fwiw, I used to live just blocks from Little India and ate in my favorite restaurant at least once a week. Four of us ate like swine, (brought our own beer, no liquor license) and got out for under $30 each time.
Ah, back in the day.
Uh, lest you misinterpret, the day was about five years ago, not pre-war era.
1624. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:20 PM PT
Re. 1616 -
What's wrong with being an audiophile? They get to hear great sounding music, and besides, their influence helps keep the mass hi-fi market honest.
1625. Adrianne - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:25 PM PT
Well, thomasd, the problem with being an audiophile (seguine's sainted father excluded) is that they are usually dorks. After a reasonable point (a stereo system that gets decent sound, and takes up less than 1/4 of the wall space in an average sized room) a man's stereo size is in direct inverse proportion to the size of his other "equipment".
1626. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:28 PM PT
Re. 1625 -
Adrianne -
Well, I can see who cracks the whip wrt domestic purchases in *your* household.
1627. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:28 PM PT
FWIW, the notion that a larger loudspeaker will deliver better sound is a complete myth.
1628. Adrianne - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:29 PM PT
hahahahahaha
SO doesn't NEED a big stereo, thomasd!
1629. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:30 PM PT
Re. 1627 -
Kurt -
For several years, I used Chartwell LS3/5As; an excellent minimonitor which stands only 12" high.
1630. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:32 PM PT
I don't think rarefied audiophiles ever express a preference for larger stereo equipment. In fact, some of these arcane speakers I've seen (Vandersteen, KEF, etc.) are rather small.
1631. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:33 PM PT
td:
case in point. It's not the size of your system, it's how well it's integrated with your surroundings.
(that's gotta be the worst innuendo the Fray has yet seen).
1632. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:34 PM PT
But, since then, I've designed my own speakers. The current ones I'm working on produce 100db/1W/1m, extend from 20hz-20khz, and will handle 1000WRMs/channel @ 8 ohms continuous. Plus, they sound good, partly because they are 2 way speakers with a quasi-first order crossover. I call them: 'Hornwalls'.
1633. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:35 PM PT
What the most rarefied audiophile insist on is....well I forget the term, but the idea is that every part of a stereo system should be as discrete as possible. Thus, no true audiophile buys a "receiver", rather he will buy a preamplifier, an amplifier, no tuner at all, a tape deck, an LP player, all connected by Monster brass cables to speakers made nowhere in Asia. (CD players are considered vulgar by the true dyed-in-the-wool audiophile types.)
1634. pseudoerasmus - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:36 PM PT
A few years ago, every audiophile's dream for a tapedeck was the $2000 Nakamichi Dragon. Why it cost so much, I have no idea. I believe that was the only Japanese-made stereo-related equipment a true audiophile would consider.
1635. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:39 PM PT
Pseud:
Believe me, I know some true audiophiles, and to them the cassette format is an obscenity.
1636. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:40 PM PT
Re. 1633 -
PE
Quite true about CD players. The 16 bit 44.1 ksps linear pcm standard is marginal for really high quality sound reproduction. A promising new audio format exists with the DVD audio-only standard, which is 24 bit, 96 ksps. But, it is very open to question whether this greatly improved digital audio format will be generally adopted in the forseeable future.
1637. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:42 PM PT
td:
Another advantage to the DVD format is the capability for 5-channel or more reproduction. Harkens back to the days of Quadrophonics and Ambisonic decoders.
1638. thomasd - Jan. 25, 1999 - 4:59 PM PT
Re. 1637 -
This raises a good point. A recent article I read in 'The Absolute Sound' claims, with a significant amount of justification, that the era of dedicated stereophonic systems is being superseded by that of the A/V system, and that, in recent years, until the Asian economic malaise took hold, that the bulk of the sales of many, if not most of the US and European high-end audio manufacturers were to the Asian market.
The concern here, from a conventional audiophile perspective, is that when the Asian market recovers, the interest will be more in mass market multichannel audio-visual systems, which is certainly not a bad thing of itself. But having 5 speakers, a subwoofer and a large screen TV in a room that serves as a home theatre raises arrangement and "Spousal Acceptance Factor" considerations well beyond that of a mere stereo system.
1639. Seguine - Jan. 25, 1999 - 8:27 PM PT
"Well, thomasd, the problem with being an audiophile (seguine's sainted father excluded)..."
Although my mother does refer to my father as "Himself" (as in, "Himself can't come to the phone because he hasn't woken up yet," or "I've tried to teach Himself how to type, but the truth is, I'd just as soon he not learn because I'm afraid he's going to push the wrong button and destroy my computer"), I think it's still the case that Jews post-crucifixion are excluded from sainthood.
That's all I'm allowed to say about my father's semi-supernatural status.
1640. Adrianne - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:34 AM PT
Seguine
Ya, but is he a dork?
1641. Seguine - Jan. 26, 1999 - 4:40 AM PT
"...but is he a dork?"
My father is far too eccentric to be a mere dork...
Well, hmmm. Maybe I should dwell on this question for a period of time.
1642. MrSocko - Jan. 26, 1999 - 4:57 AM PT
Message #1620
Well, I shall be back in New York -- twice -- in April. So count me in.
1643. marjoribanks - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:24 AM PT
Well, maybe we'll have to spring for that bomb-sniffing dog and the metal-detectors after all.
1644. MrSocko - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:28 AM PT
marjoribanks:
How cruel. I am but a frail old cleric with failing eyesight.
1645. marjoribanks - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:31 AM PT
Psocks,
Old clerics can be dangerous, look at what happened in Iran.
In any case, don't you think I deserve a response for my several excellent and well-thought out suggestions to you about potential story-lines in the Int'l thread?
1646. MrSocko - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:37 AM PT
Yes, thanks for the suggestions, I will get back to you on them. I've been away these past few days.
1647. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 9:10 AM PT
I know audiophiles sneer at CDs. I think it is the dog - whistle argument again, and a fondness for the larger art on LP sleeves.
1648. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 9:16 AM PT
"But having 5 speakers, a subwoofer and a large screen TV in a room that serves as a home theatre raises arrangement and "Spousal Acceptance Factor" considerations well beyond that of a mere stereo system."
My secret: let her take over the den as a sewing room. The only reason I agreed to buy the house we did is that I saw the basement, with its art deco wallpaper, huge spaces, great insularion, and geographic seclusion from the bedrooms and kitchen, and it screamed "Home Theater!"
I haven't had a chance to create my basement Bijou yet, beyond a 25" TV and Hi Fi VCR hooked up to my satellite dish and stereo system (no DVD, no Laser, no surround sound), but I am counting down the days...
1649. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 9:45 AM PT
Rask:
I recently acquired a DVD player to complete my home theater set up and I love it. You really need a big screen TV and a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital sound system with a powered subwoofer to get the full benefit. It's half way to HDTV. Don't bother with Dolby Pro Logic or any propietary "surround" format. Basements are ideal for a home theater (that's where mine is).
And whatever you do, stay away from that friggin' DIVX crap.
1650. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 9:57 AM PT
And while I'm at it--for anyone who's thinking of getting a DVD player, I can thoroughly recommend the Panasonic A110, which has received glowing reviews from people in the know, and can be had for only $399. And if you buy it at Best Buy before the end of January, they'll throw in 5 free movies and 13 free rentals.
1651. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 10:05 AM PT
elliot: The only things holding me back are money (I got a new computer and VCR last year, so it is my wife's turn to buy some toys this year - I think she wants new Kitchen counters) and HDTV. I don't want to buy a 36" TV and a DVD player and haveto replace them in two years when HDTV becomes affordable and new DVD players come out which support it.
I may cave and buy a DVD player soon. Enough titles are becoming available for rent, and it is about the only way you can rent widescreen formats.
I honestly don't understand the opposition to DIVX. The complaints strike me as strange. Personally, spending $5 for a disk is very much preferable to spending $20. There are only a handful of movies that I want to watch enough times to pay $20, but there are thousands of films that I would be willing to pay $5 for a free view now, and the option to watch later without a trip to the store. If I owned DIVX, I couldn't see myself ever renting a film which was available in the format ever again, and I would always have the option of paying full price those few films that I know I would watch enough times.
The only things leading me away from DIVX are the fact that it costs more to buy the player, and it looks like the format is doomed to fail.
1652. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 10:06 AM PT
I will take your recommendations on the Dolby Digital, and the subwoofer, very seriously.
1653. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 10:37 AM PT
Well, I don't think HDTV will take off for many years, notwithstanding the FCC's schedule. The cheapest sets I've seen are still around $8,000. Prices won't come down significantly until the market takes off and the market won't take off until prices come down. That's been true for all new consumer electronic formats, but it's a lot easier for people to take the plunge when they're only investing a few hundred dollars (as in a CD player or a DVD player) rather than several thousand. Also, it appears that it will be several years before there is a significant amount of HDTV broadcasting. The cable and satellite companies haven't even announced a schedule yet. There are also as yet no HDTV VCRs or DVD players, and when they do arrive they are also likely to be substantially more expensive than conventional models. So I don't think HDTV is a good reason to hold back from buying a new conventional TV now (or maybe I'm just trying to rationalize laying down big bucks last year for a new 53" Sony).
One of the other good things about Dolby Digital is that it is part of the U.S. HDTV standard, so at least you won't have to replace that part of your home theater system when you do upgrade to HDTV. And it really is a vast improvement over earlier surround formats.
1654. thomasd - Jan. 26, 1999 - 11:16 AM PT
Down with DIVX. Elliott is right, in this case.
DIVX is much more limited in the video and audio formats it supports compared to straight DVD, the players are considerably more expensive than regular DVD players, and requiring per-view authorization to view movies opens the door to the idea of non-ownership of software in general.
1655. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 11:57 AM PT
elliot: about HDTV, I have begun to agree with you, which is why I am considering a DVD player. But I know I am not going to buy a mondo TV set until the one I own breaks, or HDTV comes out. I think it will catch on faster than people think. While the networks and cable companies are dragging their feet, some enterprising satellite company is going to start offering HDTV. They already cater to a more discriminating market and they don't have the monopoly protections that cable companies do. All I need is for a satellite company to offer pay per view movies on HDTV, and I will shell out big bucks for a set. Of course, set prices do have to come down from their high 4 figure price.
thomas: I wasn't aware of any format limitations to DIVX. Expense is a valid issue. I have no problem with per-view authorization. I will admit not giving the issue a whole lot of thought, so I could be persuaded to change my mind, but on the face of it, how is it any different from renting a movie or using the pay-per-view cable?
1656. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 12:35 PM PT
Reasons not to buy DIVX:
- No widescreen or multiple camera angle formats
- No alternative language audio tracks or subtitles
- No supplementary material ( interviews and audio commentaries by directors, stars, etc., trailers, making-of documentaries, visual effects material, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc.)
- Limited number of movies available
- Limited number of DIVX retail outlets
- Monopoly or near-monopoly on DIVX movie sales, meaning little competition, in contrast with highly competitive DVD market and tumbling DVD prices.
- No resale or trade market
- Unknown impact on players and software if DIVX folds.
Remember, with DIVX, you get one 48-hour viewing period for (I believe) $4.50. You can't play the disk in another player without extra charges. You can't even play it for 5 minutes after the initial viewing period has expired without extra charges. As a reference, my local Hollywood Video rents DVD movies for $3.15 for 5 days. DVD retail prices are now as low as $10 and many new titles are available online in the $13-20 range. There's even a nifty website that will search online retailers looking for the lowest price for a designated title. I don't think the economics of DIVX make nearly as much sense as they might first appear.
1657. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 12:38 PM PT
Is anyone familiar with the Go Video line of dual-deck VCRs? I'm looking to buy one, but they are rather expensive. In fact, for dubbing purposes, it would be cheaper to simply buy two separate decks. Am I missing something, or does Go Video's line offer any benefits above and beyond the latter route?
1658. Raskolnikov - Jan. 26, 1999 - 12:56 PM PT
elliot: the lack of widescreen alone is enough to make me give up on the idea. What I initially liked about DIVX is that it could play standard DVD format as well as DIVX format, so you got the best of both worlds. But if I am not going to buy a DIVX film anyway, simply because they cut off 1/3 of the picture and alternatives are available, there isn't much point.
1659. JaDeGoLd - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:00 PM PT
Go Video is the way to go, KM.
You can buy two cheap decks; you won't lose much in quality. But if you enjoy all those I/O hookups, don't have space limitations, and fiddling with several control panels ---then 2 decks may be best.
GoVideo is fairly expensive---after all, they took on the video industry in court---but they're good and simple to use, particularly if you do a lot of copying. Look in your local warehouse shopping club, they're usually on sale there.
1660. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:05 PM PT
"after all, they took on the video industry in court"
Yeah, I'd heard that they contain a chip that overrides the copy protection on newer tapes, but had a hard time believing they could get away with that. I take it that's the case, then?
1661. JaDeGoLd - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:08 PM PT
I dunno, KM, you'd have to ask GoVideo.
1662. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:10 PM PT
Well, thanks for the input. I'll definitely look into it more.
1663. bubbaette - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:45 PM PT
The tube on my 10-year-old tv is in the process of burning out. It still works most of the time. Wanna start a pool on how long DH and I can go without tv before we break down and buy a new one?
1664. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 1:51 PM PT
bubbaette:
It's my guess that once your tv breaks down, you could live indefinitely without replacing it. We managed to live happily for a good 7 years without one until I got sick of not being able to watch films on demand (still refuse to get cable).
1665. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:16 PM PT
From the Feb. 4, 1998, episode of "TV Dinners," a cooking show that airs on Channel 4 in England. This segment was filmed at the home of Fred and Mary Clears in Hull, Yorkshire. The show is hosted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: There are few occasions more worthy of celebrations than the start of a new life. And when the baby is a first, eagerly awaited grandchild, some families may want to do a bit more than just pop the cork on a few bottles. Nineteen-year-old Rosie and her partner, Lee, have brought their newborn son to visit his grandparents. To celebrate his birth, they've invited family and friends to a welcome-to-the-world party.
MARY: Indie Mo is my first grandchild, so the food has to be perfect. It has to be food that we most probably won't eat again until a very big celebration.
VOICE-OVER: Mary's best friend, Sue, is a fellow social worker and a keen cook. Mary has asked her to take charge of all the cooking for Indie Mo's party. Sue's devotion to her friends will be expressed in the 20-odd dishes she is planning for the party, but she is also rising to the challenge of a completely new ingredient.
ROSIE: The placenta is going to be cooked and made into a placenta pâté--I'm not quite sure what the recipe is for that.
SUE: The real scary bit is the placenta, because I've never even actually seen one live, I've never had my hands on one. I don't know what they look like, what they feel like, what the smell is--I've got no conception of it at all, so that is going to be the real nail-biter.
VOICE-OVER: Immediately after Indie Mo's birth two months ago, Mary brought the placenta back home to store in the freezer.
(cont'd.)
1666. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:17 PM PT
(cont'd from previous message)
MARY: [Laying the umbilical cord in a large serving dish] There's Indie Mo's cord ... fresh. A very beautiful thing. [Opens a plastic bowl with the placenta and placental blood] Have a look in here. This is Rosie's placenta. Waste not, want not. Have a smell. Isn't it lovely? Lovely and fresh?
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSALL: It smells completely clean.
MARY: What do you think, Rosie?
ROSIE: Gory.
MARY: Yes, gory. It would have been good if we'd eaten it straightaway. That was our plan. Had things gone the way we wanted, Rosie was going to eat it straight after--we were going to have a little fry-up. Dad was looking forward to it.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: That's what the tradition is based on, isn't it? The health of the mother, putting some goodness back into her after birth?
MARY: Yes. Many, many women in many cultures do it.
ROSIE: It's a scary thought--I'm going to eat something that's from me. I don't know. It just seems surreal.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: How do you feel about it being shared, about other people eating it?
ROSIE: [Poking absently at the placenta in the plastic bowl] Well, it's a lovely idea if they want to.
VOICE-OVER: The challenge in working with a new ingredient is guessing how it will behave when cooked. After the excess blood has been rinsed from the placenta, Sue suggest slicing it up to check out the texture.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: [Watching as Sue cuts the placenta into strips] Look at that in the middle. It's quite meaty, isn't it?
SUE: Almost purple. Really rich-looking.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: The outside is spongy, but the inside--
SUE: The inside is quite solid.
(cont'd.)
1667. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:19 PM PT
(cont'd from previous message)
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: Quite dense.
VOICE-OVER: The onions and garlic come out of the pan, and the placenta is fried quickly in butter and oil.
SUE: It seems to be staying fairly tender. It's not contracting a lot.
VOICE-OVER: Sue's next inspiration is a baptism by fire: using a dash of cognac.
[Sue pours the cognac over the frying placenta, which then bursts into flames]
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: Whoa! That is elemental, isn't it?
SUE: It's earth and air and wind and fire.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: Do you think we should get Mary and Rosie in here for a little taste?
SUE: I think their opinion is absolutely vital at this stage.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: I'll go and get them.
SUE: [Cutting the cooked placenta into bite-sized pieces] Oh, it's so tender. The knife's just gliding through it.
MARY: [Entering kitchen] Look at that! Beautiful. Let's taste it. [Takes a bite] Go for it, Rosie.
ROSIE: [Chews] It's not bad.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: Mary, what do you think?
MARY: Lovely.... You can taste the garlic. [Chewing] Texture's nice. Not to strong. Not gamy.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: Quite mild, is it?
MARY: Mild, lovely smell.
ROSIE: Not as chewy as liver. It's nice.
MARY: Thumbs up!
ROSIE: Yes!
VOICE-OVER: Next Sue blends half the placenta with a little butter, the onions and garlic, and chopped parsley and sage.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: [Watching Sue use a spatula to remove the placenta from the blender] That could sit up on some toast really nicely.
SUE: Yes. Yes, it could.
(cont'd)
1668. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:20 PM PT
(cont'd. from previous message)
VOICE-OVER: After Sue adds a few twists of black pepper, a pinch of salt, and the juice of half a lime, the smooth base is combined with the rest of the placenta, which has been coarsely chopped for added texture. The pâté will be served on some of grandfather Fred's homemade focaccia bread. Olive oil is drizzled on the bread and left to soak in while Sue and Mary lay out the rest of the buffet, including a creamy apricot-and-mango mousse.
MARY: [Carrying the mousse, which has been shaped with a Bundt mold, to the buffet table] It's got a bit of the old cervix look about it, doesn't it?
SUE: Absolutely, dear. I thought it was very appropriate.
VOICE-OVER: Also on the menu are roasted meat loaf and a salad, but the first dish to be served to the assembled guests is the placenta pâté.
GUESTS: Cheers to Indie Mo!
MARY: Here's some of our genetic gene pool! Dive in!
[Laughter from the guests]
MARY: There you go. Anybody else? Come on, Lee. Girlies? Julie?
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: [To guest] Did you try the placenta pâté?
FIRST GUEST: No, I didn't.
FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL: No? Why not?
FIRST GUEST: It's just the thought of it, to be honest. Just couldn't handle the thought of it.
SECOND GUEST: Initially, when Mary said that we were going to be eating placenta, I thought, Yech. But then when I thought about it I said, Okay, as long as it's cooked in onions and gravy like a casserole. Then she said it was going to be a pâté and I thought, Brilliant. Brilliant. Really.
THIRD GUEST: How many pieces did you have, Audrey?
AUDREY: I had two and a half.
THIRD GUEST: I had five.
(cont'd.)
1669. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:20 PM PT
(cont'd. from previous message)
FOURTH GUEST: Everybody's bragging about how many pieces they had. It's great!
THIRD GUEST: Did you ask how many Lee had?
FOURTH GUEST: How many?
THIRD GUEST: He had about 14!
VOICE-OVER: Lee's even trying to convert a vegetarian.
LEE: [To the vegetarian] It's not meat.
VEGETARIAN: It's human.
LEE: It's not come out of an animal at all.
VEGETARIAN: [Hesitates, takes a bite, chews] It's quite nice.
LEE: Nice, isn't it?
(As reprinted in the February 1999 issue of Harpers Magazine under the headline, "Save Some Womb for Dessert.")
1670. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:25 PM PT
good god, leave it to the Brits.
1671. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 2:35 PM PT
[Homer Simpson voice] "mmmm, afterbirth...."
1672. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:05 PM PT
People who don't have a TV make me nervous. There's something not quite right about them.
1673. KurtMondaugen - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:21 PM PT
well, hey, I have one now. I even watch it occasionally for minutes at a time.
1674. elliot803 - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:26 PM PT
Just tweaking. But seriously, I can't imagine not having a TV. I'd feel so disconnected, so out of the loop. Even if all I watched was the news and the occasional PBS special, I'd still want a TV. They're so cheap these days, anyway, there doesn't seem to be any real reason not to have one.
1675. Philistine - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:37 PM PT
How about escaping from those damn commercials?
1676. chloel - Jan. 26, 1999 - 3:53 PM PT
Not to mention getting out of the noose - er, loop - on purpose.
1677. thomasd - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:24 PM PT
My cat is such a good kitty that it's almost scary.
1678. Morganmol - Jan. 26, 1999 - 5:32 PM PT
My wife and I goofed on our families by threatening to hold a placenta eating after the birth of our daughter. Everyone was afraid to say how gross it sounded.
1679. trouserpIlot - Jan. 26, 1999 - 6:16 PM PT
My cat was very good, too. But I think we used too much garlic.
1680. alistairconnor - Jan. 26, 1999 - 8:20 PM PT
Trouser. You're such a bastard. In the days when I used to eat meat, offal was what I liked best. And as the above makes clear, I have no moral problems with eating human placena.
[Pictures self hanging round back door of maternity hospital with plastic bag and hungry obsessed look.]
1681. alistairconnor - Jan. 26, 1999 - 8:27 PM PT
Thanks for the recipes Marj. I will ask the grocer for some karipatta. I will probly have to put half the lentils aside before I bagaar it up, the ladies are not spice-tolerant.
More please...
1682. darkviolet - Jan. 26, 1999 - 10:32 PM PT
Big international party in Seattle this fall:
/*
Seattle will host the next meeting of the World Trade Organization, welcoming a group of world leaders who will bring an international spotlight to the city this fall.
The White House yesterday chose Seattle over Honolulu and San Diego in a hotly contested competition to host the Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 gathering of more than 5,000 delegates from around the world. The conference is considered a big enough plum that Vice President Al Gore telephoned Democratic Sen. Patty Murray from Air Force II to give her the news.
Technically, the meeting is for the trade ministers of the 133 member countries, as well as the 31 countries seeking membership, including Russia and China. But the last such meeting, in Geneva last year, attracted 20 heads of state, including President Clinton, South African President Nelson Mandela, Cuban President Fidel Castro and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
...
The meeting will be the third ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization, which was formed in 1995 as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The previous meetings were held in Geneva in 1998 and in Sinapore in 1996.
The organization is the only international body dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It governs international commerce and trade policy, attempting to help trade flow as freely as possible, to achieve further liberalization gradually through negotiation, and to set up an impartial means of settling disputes.
Clinton, in his State of the Union Address, called for a new round of global negotiations to start at the ministerial meeting, which Seattle boosters hope will now go down in trade history as the "Seattle Round." The negotiations are to focus on open markets for agriculture and services, as well as institutional changes to make the World Trade Organization more open to the public, and trade issues for biotech
1683. darkviolet - Jan. 26, 1999 - 10:33 PM PT
hnology and electronic commerce.
*/
?
1684. jkuzmak - Jan. 28, 1999 - 3:54 AM PT
The Early Snowdrops, some daffodils, and the crocuses are emerging.
1685. RyckNelson - Jan. 28, 1999 - 5:04 AM PT
It's possible some of the 'new' flora the world would enjoy is being destroyed, forever.
Bakun is not one of my 'direct' concerns but it does affect the same group of oppressed peoples I've been trying to report.
The oppression in the link I've given is again the loss of customary lands held by peoples for thousands of years. To be taken and destroyed. The loss of biodiversity is the WORLDS concern, but the patronizing government impossing it's loyalty tests upon these Orang Ulu peoples is utterly dishonorable!
There are links which allow people to write to the government, ministry and the construction company.
PLEASE. Please write to them.
1686. Ronski - Jan. 28, 1999 - 9:03 AM PT
Now that I'm living in the country, any views on getting rid of mice in the walls? I have three cats, but two of them are retired, and the younger one wouldn't know a mouse if he saw one, though I see bits of instinct in the games he plays (he fetches, by the way; actually brings things back to you so you can throw it again, like a dog).
1687. Ronski - Jan. 28, 1999 - 9:03 AM PT
That is, if you like throwing dogs.
1688. Jonesatlaw - Jan. 28, 1999 - 9:38 AM PT
Ronski- just how "in the country" are you? If you are out in farmland, I have several suggestions that will help, but won't cure your problem.
1. Mow everything near the house very low when cold weather approaches. This gives predators a good shot at field mice as they make their way to your abode.
2. Borrow a good mouser if need be, and hope that youngster will get the idea.
3. Be fanatical about cutting off sources of food and water to the little buggers. Mice will eat soap for the fat, for example, so this is tough in day to day living, but it helps.
4. Liberally apply lavender to every area that you see evidence of mice travel. Supposedly the little buggers don't like the smell and will be repelled. I doubt that somewhat, but took comfort in knowing that I was annoying them as much as they were me.
5. Liberally place traps in areas where the cats or kids won't get to,
especially around sources of food or water.
6. Caulk the hell out of your foundation etc. for small entry holes.
Good Luck
1689. Ronski - Jan. 28, 1999 - 10:06 AM PT
Jones,
Thanks. All those sound good. There are poison traps around the garage/laundry room level, and in the upper crawl space, and I found a very recently-deceased rodent near one. The previous owner/builder did do some caulking, but I can see other possible points of entry that need to be fixed. The house is in a mountainous area, no farmland near by, and there are owls, hawks and possibly bobcats, according to local environmentalists and my own scouting through the snow last week where I saw some suspicious tracks near the ubiquitous deer footprints. There is no high grass for cover for the mice, but the run from the rocks to the garage is a fairly short one.
I am resigned, however, to sharing our abode with a few critters. And I find mice preferable to NYC's cockroaches and occasional rats (though I must say there were virtually no cockroaches in my old house in brownstone Brooklyn). I just don't want the mice getting too cocky about it. I want to keep their numbers to a minimum.
1690. arkymalarky - Jan. 28, 1999 - 11:39 AM PT
I would be leery about poison. They always die where you don't want them to and how would you get a dead one out of the wall? We had mice in our old house and preventing their entry is the only solution that will last long enough to be worth it, imo, and that can be almost impossible; at least it was in our old farmhouse. We used poison until one somehow got in the bathtub looking for water(the poison makes them thirsty) and I had to deal with him since my husband was at work. I had always thought field mice were so cute until I lived in the country in the middle of a soybean field. Thank goodness we haven't seen a sign of one in our new house, but we built it with mice in mind.
Oh, and look under your house if you have a crawl space. Ours had some styrofoam insulation that they climbed to get in.
1691. Jonesatlaw - Jan. 28, 1999 - 12:29 PM PT
Arky is right about poison, and you'll only know about it when the evidence wafts its obnoxious way towards you. Soon you'll be ready to swing a sledge at those precious walls just to get rid of the smell.
I discovered a surprising benefit to having occaisional mice and cats who play with them. Golda, our mouser of blessed memory was fond of playing some of her prey to death. Fine for her, but bad for my sleep. I kept a pair of leather work gloves at the bedside for these occaisons and would retrieve the mangled mouse and throw it out the front door. I didn't try to kill them, just heaved them far enough to make it a long hike if they wanted to come back.
A Great Horned Owl then took roost in our large pine and enjoyed the snack service. It was an amazing animal to watch.
1692. msivorytower - Jan. 28, 1999 - 12:51 PM PT
Now that is a great story.
1693. Ronski - Jan. 28, 1999 - 1:17 PM PT
The Owl and the Pussycat.
1694. RyckNelson - Jan. 28, 1999 - 9:37 PM PT
It sounds like the natural predator, the snake is missing from the micro environment of your surroundings. Reintroduce a non poisonous snake from a nearby area and make sure it has a comfy area close to your house. Check the species reproduction first to see if it's going to become too prolific. I would presume a few good snakes would clean up a rodent population.
Maybe, just maybe, if you could stand to have one in the house....
1695. Ronski - Jan. 29, 1999 - 7:27 AM PT
Ryck,
Funny you should mention, as they say in Brooklyn. My 79-year-old sainted mother killed a five-foot rat snake in her house in the suburbs (well to south of me and far less rural) after the cops came, could not find the critter which she swore to them she had seen earlier, and left thinking the woman was bats.
I think a rat snake is the answer. But no rat snakes will even speak to my family now.
Still, I'll look into it. I think it is an excellent idea.
1696. bubbaette - Jan. 29, 1999 - 10:16 AM PT
We used to have a blacksnake living in our basement. It kept the mice down and was non-poisionous. Then one day mom opened a closet to get a folding chair and there was a four foot blacksnake wrapped around it. Dad got rid of the blacksnake.
1697. darkviolet - Jan. 29, 1999 - 12:49 PM PT
Our back yard has a natural spring we have enhanced into a wetland pond. It's one of few available water sources for wildlife living along the suburban greenbelt trails in the neighborhood. The pond is filled with a variety of small frogs in the spring, and little yellow stripped garden snakes come to hunt them.
1698. darkviolet - Jan. 29, 1999 - 12:52 PM PT
Then the neighborhood kids show up to hunt both the frogs and the snakes. Although the pond is little more than two feet deep, we needed extra fencing and insurance.
1699. darkviolet - Jan. 29, 1999 - 1:20 PM PT
What I actually eat during the week turns out to be a rotation of salad bar/deli or Chinese take-out, depending on whether I would like hot or cold food. There is also Thai, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, pizza, and so on available, but I usually just grab a wrap sandwich and a diet coke from the deli case, or call in an order for a large gourmet special wonton soup, then surf the internet while I eat at my desk. That's the only meal I sit down to eat most days. In the morning, I have a cup or two of black coffee, sometimes a double-tall non-fat latte; in the evening I have crackers with sliced fruit and cheeses with wine or booze. Not particularly healthy. I should take more vitamins and get a lot more exercise.
Oh well, back to work.
1700. MizPhys - Jan. 29, 1999 - 6:44 PM PT
dkviolet
You stick around a while and learn all you can about home and garden. You need it.