Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to DCBCauchi,
Ask Dr Bruce McFadgen how pre-European Maori coped with a devastating series of tsunami in the 15th century.
I've heard a little about that. It's an extraordinary historical story.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
…because we all know pre-European Maori culture consisted of food-sharing, a particular verbal tic, and killing each other. Right.
That's a bit unfair. No one's going to sum it all up in a couple of sentences, but I understood what David was saying.
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If you can be bothered waiting for their stupid Flash site to load, this place has a P'hall of Fame (i.e.: pics of people who've eaten the terrifyingly hot British-Indian Phall curry):
http://www.bricklanecurryhouse.com/
Some seem to have coped with the experience better than others.
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Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to Rich Lock,
I’ve always liked Zap for quick and easy foodcourt-level Thai.
There's a new branch in the Chev. As you say, not bad -- and unbelievably quick.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to DCBCauchi,
I reckon we should think of ourselves as an essentially Maori society.
One thing I became very aware of when I lived in London was that British people had a very different attitude to home, visitors and the sharing of food and drink than the one I'd grown up with.
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Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to BenWilson,
On table spices give you the ability to fine tune the tastes, particularly the heat. It doesn’t mean they are absolved from preparing the food properly, and seasoning them as they go etc. They’re optional additions. If you don’t like adding them, then don’t.
Nah. If you want a Vindaloo, it has to be hot. That's how it's made.
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Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to Simon Grigg,
Just changed owners I’m told – heard very good things which has caused me to look hungrily that way as I’ve driven past more than one – but it may well have to wait until I’m back in town.
I hope it's improved under new ownership. We never ate in there, but their takeaways were undistinguished and very poor value.
Cloves in Herne Bay and the very rootsy place in Vogel Lane, opposite TVNZ, are my picks for Indian takeaways -- particularly the latter. Not many white folks find it.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Simon Grigg,
Indeed. One wonders what exactly Cuba would’ve been like if big brother had long ago engaged. The Cubans were open to doing so.
Then, many of the engaged ‘free’ nations in the region have hardly been bastions of civil rights or the good life for their peoples in the years since Castro tossed out the US corporations.
Haiti certainly hasn't been a barrel of laughs.
But let's not let the Castros off the hook that easily. As Human Rights Watch points out, anyone who advocates for human rights reform is still likely to be summarily convicted under bogus charges and indefinitely imprisoned. It's horrible, still.
HRW continues to argue for the lifting of the embargo. And it's worth noting that Obama eased it just a little this year.
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Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to Bart Janssen,
Those seasonings change the flavour of the food as it cooks. If you add the seasoning afterwards you may as well just eat a seasoning sandwich. Really good indian flavours come from cooking the spices to extract and alter the aromatics with heat.
Always -- well, almost always -- roast your whole spices before grinding them. That's all.
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Hard News: Where are the foreigners?!, in reply to Bart Janssen,
And then if you are lucky the dish will be cooked over several days to truly incorporate the flavours.
For one of the RWC games, I had some folks around and served curried lamb shanks, slow-cooked for six hours. Was sensational.