Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Cherry Tree and Fresh Bread

In the front garden, within good sight of the desk where I work, is an ornamental cherry tree. Due to the fact that it is of a non-edible variety and its leaves litter the lawn in vast brown swathes, its days are numbered. Soon it will make way for another vegetable patch.



But while gazing out of the window this afternoon I noticed the sun shining through the only leaf left on the naked, angular branches. It looked great so I thought I’d take a picture.

Also, the loaf is ready. Real life still life.

The Little Things

I’m not entirely sure how to start this post. I’ve written and deleted the first line that many times that I can’t remember the original point I was trying to make.

I think that I wanted to talk about the non-linear process of cooking and how our experience of reading about food presents a distortion from the reality of cooking and eating, which happen in many more dimensions than two.

Ah, yes that was it, that’s exactly what I wanted to talk about.

I wanted to write about how the process of writing about cooking can be to the detriment of the actual act of culinary creation and how trying to capture the sequence of events that takes place when making a meal or dish is nigh on impossible. And I was sure that I had thought of a way to illustrate this but now I can’t remember that either.

Which is most frustrating.

I think what I am trying to say is that the vast majority of food writing seems to focus on the end result, the final product sitting happily on a plate and nicely lit, bathed in sun and captured for a single moment before being devoured. Whereas anyone who reads food writing, and I assume therefore, has a passing interest in the subject, knows that this is not the main attraction of the culinary arts.

The main attraction is in the creation: the process from conception to mouth, which is different for everybody and makes food writing, to a certain extent, a largely moot topic. We can try all we can to describe smells, tastes and textures but ultimately eating is the most subjective of actions that has to be experienced to truly be understood.

I am conscious of this, and have been for some time, which is why I try to focus less on the finished items that emerge from the kitchen five or six times a week and more on the process, the philosophy, the ideas and the incidental details because (aside from a few exceptions) I imagine you’d find it boring to read about what I ate last night in the same way you’d find it boring to discover that I took a shower or put in my contact lenses.

In short, because eating is so subjective, I try to find some common ground, try to pick out the relevant aspects of what I do in order to make this as interesting as possible to as many people as possible.

I don’t want this to be a record of the meals I’ve cooked and eaten, more an exploration of as many aspects of the culinary world as possible, rooted in reality and entrenched in experience. Because those are what we hold in common.

To bring this whole thing round to something more tangible, there are two things cooking in my oven at the moment: a ragu sauce and a loaf of bread.

I am fairly certain that nearly all of you have a favourite, tried and tested, recipe for making a Bolognese sauce and (if you are at all like me) there is nothing, nothing I can do to convince you that yours is not the best in the world. There is no point in posting the recipe I use because you will read it, utter something like ‘Idiota! I cannot believe he uses pancetta!’ or ‘He should add milk!’, and then move swiftly on. And the last thing the world needs is another meat sauce recipe

Likewise, you will have a bread recipe and method that you are unwilling to deviate from so there is little point to me saying ‘Don’t forget to add a teaspoon of salt’ or ‘try using a little rendered duck fat in your dough, it adds an incredible flavour’. You will utter an audible ‘pah’ and click off.

Instead I shall focus on the little things, things that are interesting and mostly relevant, things that can offer a little extra. Things like Soffrito.



In Italy there are two holy trinities: the first has something to do with the church but the second, and more important one, refers to the combination of finely chopped carrot, onion and celery that, when lightly sautéed, forms the foundation of countless dishes.

To many Italians it would be unthinkable to attempt to make a ragu without this trio of ingredients (much like the French version, Mirepoix, only cut much, much smaller) that add flavour and body in wonderful abundance.

Having watched many episodes of The Sopranos, I can safely say that I wouldn’t dare to argue with an Italian about something as important as food, consequently whenever I make a meat sauce, soffrito is always the first thing in the pan (I could launch into a lengthy diatribe about the importance of browning the mince, the addition of red wine and the absolute, unshakeable necessity of cooking for at least two hours, but I shall spare you that).

If you decide to try this can I make once teeny suggestion? Chop it all as finely as you possibly can – I use a grater for the carrot and celery – because chunks of vegetables in a ragu are a big no no.



OK, onto bread. Bread is mostly flour. With the price of grain currently pushing the cost of a loaf over a pound I would instead suggest that you try making bread at least once. It’s fun. It’s easy and it’s cheap: you buy top quality organic flour hand ground by Cistercian Monks on solid gold grinding stones and it is still going to be cheaper than buying a loaf.



Even when you factor in the cost of the extra ingredients, you can have three or four freshly baked loaves for the cost of a single supermarket one. Plus all those wonderful smells wafting through your house and the overwhelming sense of smugness/satisfaction when you pull your freshly baked loaf from the oven, slice off a chunk, smother it with butter and tear into it eagerly. An experience that no shop can provide.
Don't you just love google, at least my students does. Everytime they sent in their research there will somehow have a link to google search engine. Another favorite reference is the wikipedia. It seems like google search engine and the wikipedia are a big library, and you can find what ever information about anything in the world here.

Nowadays, there is no need for University anymore, because most universities student's assignment information and facts are taken from these two sources. So create your own research questions and research objectives, and googled your information and compiled all the information from the wikipedia. Construct, conceptualise and create your own understanding, or better still create your own theory or even better create your own law , and tadaaaaaa you have your own thesis.

Of course, non of my students dare to send in their work having these two sources, because i reminded them over and over again, that i am going to fail their assignment. Not being that strict though, but if possible i want them to explore more important, legitimate, acknowledged and structured works and researches from books, and journal, sometime i accept the work if the information are suitable and logic and comes from a legitimate websites.

Because knowledge exist in many ways.


however.....


... not this two types of knowledge though:


Perc............ Search Term
12.50%...... almari cute blogspot
12.50%...... room almari
12.50% ...... pindang tongkol is also called
12.50% ...... almari kayu
12.50% ...... masturbate with brinjols
12.50% ....... gerobok besi
12.50% ...... girls masturbate stories of brinjols


*pengsan


p/s : to those who googled the above and was linked here, i am sorry to dissappoint you, but i don't have any stories involving girls masturbating with brinjols.

Sanma Fried

18 november 2008, selasa,

Bikin menu ikan emang susah2 gampang...susahnya, ikannya mesti dibersihin sendiri, dipotong sendiri...walah...itu deh yg susah bagi pemula kayak gw ini....huhu
Uda dipotong, tulangnya dibuang deh...dicuci bersih, dikeringkan...
tambah bumbu garam lada, tinggal diluburin tepung n telur n tepung panir...
terakhir tinggal digoreng deh...
Hasilnya enakkk....sayangnya, masih ada tulang2 kecil yg agak susah dibersihin...
btw, husband bilang enakkk...

Move away tempe, Budu is here!!!

Ever wonder why kelantanese are so healthy people, strong and looking young and vibrant without using SK11 or injecting botox like some wife of an important minister?

And ever wonder how come most of them consume a lot of sugar, and still maintain healthy?

Read the article below, and it might change your view on budu and the consumption of budu.

This article was distributed in my organization group email, and i am publishing it without prior consent, for non financial purposes. Just to share some information.

Budu merupakan makanan traditional Kelantan dan Terengganu yang diperbuat daripada ikan bilis atau udang bari yang dijeruk sehingga hancur. Budu atau sos bilis yang berasal dari negeri sebelah pantai timur Malaysia ini mendapat perhatian dan menjadi kajian para ahli pemakanan berkhasiat Jepun, Amerika Syarikat, Australia, New Zealand dan Jerman.

Penemuan baru-baru ini membuktikan kandungan budu memiliki gluthaione sebagai bahan antioksidan, mengeluarkan sisa toxic dan meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh (immune) yang dapat memerangi pelbagai penyakit merbahaya dan menghalang kanser. Kenyataan ini bagaikan satu kejutan bagi golongan yang selama ini memperlekehkan kewujudan budu yang dianggap makan "kuno".

Budu didapati berpotensi untuk melawan radikal bebas dan dipercayai mampu menghalang proses penuaan dan mencegah terjadinya penyakit degeneratif sep erti aterosklerosis, koroner jantung, penyakit kencing manis, kanser dan selainnya pada peringkat lebih awal. Kajian mendalam juga mendapati budu turut mengandungi zat antibakteria penyebab [[diarrhoea cirit (diarrhoea)] , penurunan kolestrol darah, pencegah penyakit jantung dan hipertensi. Budu memiliki zat gizi yang lebih mudah dicerna, diserap dan dimanfaatkan oleh tubuh berbanding jenis protein yang lain.

Khasiat budu yang diproses dari ikan bilis yang diperam terbukti mampu mengatasi masalah kanak-kanak yang menderita penyakit diarrhoea kronik akibat kurang zat pada tubuh. Dengan pengambilan budu sebagai makanan sampingan, ia mampu menggalakkan pertumbuhan berat badan bagi golongan yang menderita penyakit diarrhoea kronik ini serta menyembuhkannya dalam waktu singkat. Ia juga dapat mempertingkatkan IQ kepada sesiapa yang memakannya. kerana ia merangsangkan sel-sel otak dan akan memperkukuhkan ikatan di antara neuron-neuron serta menguatkan neuron-neuron yang lemah..

Pemakanan budu turut bertindak membantutkan pertumbuhan bakteria raffinosa dan stokiosa, penyebab utama gejala flatulensi dan masalah kembung perut bagi kanak-kanak dan orang dewasa. 2 kelompok vitamin yang terdapat pada budu iaitu, vitamin larut air (vitamin B kompleks) dan vitamin larut lemak (vitamin A, D, E dan K).

Budu merupakan sumber vitamin B yang paling banyak menyumbang kepada pecahan lain sep erti vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) , asid pantotenat, asid niasin, vitamin B6 dan vitamin B12 (sianokobalamin) . Secara saintifik, budu merupakan penyumbang utama vitamin B12 yang dihasilkan oleh bakteria klebsiella pneumoniae dan Citrobacter frundiin - yang mana vitamin B12 ini tidak dimiliki dari mana-mana sumber makanan laut, ikan-ikan dan daging-daging lain. vitamin B12 ini perlu untuk pembentukan sel darah merah, di mana kekurangan vitaman ini mengakibatkan terjadinya penyakit anemia perisiosa (pucat), sakit perut dan berat badan menurun.

Kadar vitamin B12 dalam budu adalah di antara 1.5 sehingga 6.3 mikrogram per 100 gram bagi setiap satu hidangan atau 2 sudu besar. Jumlah ini jauh lebih cukup untuk keperluan badan manusia dalam sehari. Dengan adanya vitamin B12 para pengamal diet (jaga badan) tidak perlu lagi merasa khuatir akan kekurangan vitamin B12 di dalam badan. Selain pembekal kepada protein yang tinggi, ia turut mengandungi mineral makro dan mikro dalam jumlah yang cukup. Jumlah mineral zat besi, kalsium dan magnesium adalah sebanyak 9, 39, 2, 87 dan 8.05 mg bagi setiap 100 gram budu.

Budu juga mengandungi zat antioksidan dalam bentuk isoflavon. Seperti halnya vitamin C, vitamin E dan karotenoid, isoflavon juga merupakan antioksidan yang sangat diperlukan oleh tubuh untuk menghentikan reaksi pembentukan radikal bebas. Radikal bebas merupakan atom atau molekul yang mempunyai satu atau lebih elektron yang tidak berpasangan, sehingga menjadi sangat aktif hingga menyebabkan ketumbuhan tumor, kanser, penuaan dan kematian sel.

Radikal bebas didapati berpunca dari makan seharian yang dimakan dan juga dari reaksi yang terjadi di dalam tubuh. Adanya antioksidan di dalam budu akan mencegah pembentukan radikal bebas tersebut. Kebiasaannya di dalam apa jua jenis ikan terdapat 3 jenis isoflavon unsur antioksidan iaitu daidzein, glisitein dan genistien. Pada budu, di samping 2 jenis unsur ini, terdapat juga antioksidan faktor 11 (6, 7, 4 trihidroksi isoflavon) yang mempunyai sifat antioksidan paling kuat dibandingkan isoflavon dalam ikan-ikan lain.

Penelitian yang dilakukan di Universiti North Carolina, Amerika Syarikat menemukan bahawa unsur genestein dan phytoestrogen yang terdapat pada budu terbukti dapat mencegah penyakit kanser, proses penuaan dan barah payu dara. Penyakit jantung koroner (PJK) merupakan salah satu bentuk kelainan pembuluh darah koroner akibat penumpuan lemak di dalam dinding pembuluh darah iaitu satu keadaan yang disebut aterosklerosis. Ini mungkin disebabkan oleh faktor usia, pemakanan, jantina dan keturunan. Manakala faktor dimodifikasi adalah peningkatan kadar lipida darah (hiperkolestrolemia ), hipertensi, obesiti, stress dan kurang aktiviti lasak.

Pemakanan budu yang mempunyai sifat hipokolesterolemik (menurunkan lemak darah) sep erti kandungan protein, serta makanan, niasin, vitamin E, karotenoid dan kalsium. Satu ujikaji rambang yang dijalankan, mendapati pengambilan budu sebanyak 150 gm sehari selama 2 minggu dapat menurunkan kadar kolestrol ke tahap luar dari jangkaan. Selain dari sumber protein yang berkualiti tinggi, budu turut dikenali sebagai sumber serat (dietary fiber) yang baik.

Kandungan serat di dalam budu mampu mencapai di antara 8 hingga 10% bagi setiap 100 gm. Ia menyumbangkan kepada 30% dari umlah serat yang dianjurkan oleh National Cancer Research.. Berbanding serat di dalam ikan-ikan atau sumber protein lain, serat pada budu lebih mudah untuk dicernakan. Dari apa yang dinyatakan ini jelas sekali bahawa khasiat serta kebaikan sep iring budu yang dimakan bersama hidangan nasi pagi, tengahari dan malam melampau jangkauan yang anda fikirkan.

Budu seumpama cecair pelbagai vitamin yang memenuhi segala keperluan untuk tubuh badan.