On 3/26/2013 2:50 AM, notbob wrote:
> On 2013-03-26, dsi1 > wrote:
>
>> great Japanese food invention - right up there with instant ramen.
>
> LOL!!.....
>
> Yeah, whatta boon to mankind. I love the statement on S&Bs website:
> "It is no exaggeration to say the quality of Japanese curry powder
> today is among the highest in the world". No doubt right up there
> with the quality of the flavor packets in instant ramen. Gimme a
> break.
>
> nb
>

OK... one break... coming up!

Actually, I don't know nothing about no Japan curry powder nor am I
talking 'bout it.

On 3/26/2013 12:38 PM, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:04:05 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>>
>> I poked around for a poppadum recipe and found this website. Pretty
>> interesting.
>>
>> http://www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/htm...poppadoms.html
>
> I've only read about poppadums here. What's the difference between
> that and Naan? I've only had naan, but at least I know what that is.
>
This, taken from Wiki seems a pretty accurate description of a poppadum.

«
Papadum is a loanword from Tamil pappaá¹*am. Both Tamil pappaá¹*am and
Hindi-Urdu papar are derived from the Sanskrit word parpaá¹*a, which is
the name of a medicinal plant, and is also defined as 'a kind of thin
cake made of rice or pease-meal and baked in grease' or 'a thin crisp cake'.

It's called Appadam in Telugu. In the Tulu language, spoken in coastal
Karnataka, it is called appala and happala in Kannada language. It is
often made with black gram, jackfruit, and tapioca.

There are numerous alternative names for papadum:
p�paṛ pappad papparde pappadom
pappadum popadam pompadum poppadam
poppadom appadum appalum appala
appoll papari pamporo puppodum
pampad happala "popper"

»

Unlike Naan, papads are not leavened but are fried (or cooked in a
microwave) these days.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

On 3/26/2013 2:07 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>
> «
> Papadum is a loanword from Tamil pappaá¹*am. Both Tamil pappaá¹*am and

>

Might I added that padadums, when popped, are very good crackers for
eating with drinks.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

On Mar 26, 9:38*am, sf > wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:04:05 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>
> > wrote:
>
> > I poked around for a poppadum recipe and found this website. * Pretty
> > interesting.
>
> >http://www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/htm...poppadoms.html
>
> I've only read about poppadums here. *What's the difference between
> that and Naan? *I've only had naan, but at least I know what that is.
>

pappadoms are made from lentil flour; naan from wheat flour.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:02:53 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>On Mar 25, 10:03*am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>> Does no one here cook any of the various curries or eat curry? *What
>> about our Brit friends?
>> I get the impression that here curry is thought of as one flavor and
>> one dish. *And that the jar in the grocery store labeled 'curry
>> powder' is the only flavor of curry.
>> Anyone?
>
>We can make and have made curries from Kolkata to Kota Kinabalu. At
>the moment, we have both whole and powdered cloves, cinnamon, cumin,
>coriander, and cardamom. Also fenugreek, asoefatida, turmeric, and
>powdered chilis. We use fresh ginger and chilis, and we have turmeric
>and galangal growing on the patio, along with a curry leaf tree and a
>Kaffir lime.

I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
more.
Janet US

On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 02:48:24 UTC+10, sf wrote:
>
> There's my entire point in a nutshell. Not particularly interested in
> Indian curries

Isn't _that_ enough point? If not interested in them, why cook them, or go out and buy them in restaurants?

> and I don't want to stock up on spices I will rarely
> use (like maybe once and never again) because I have enough of the
> other stuff that I do use all the time.

If one is interested enough to cook Indian curry once, there are plenty of jars and cans of curry sauce. No need to buy spices, just fry meat + onions + other vegetables, add contents of jar/can. Agree that no point in stocking up on things that won't be used (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves) get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty small for me).

Before I had a working Thai lime tree, I found Thai curry pastes to be worthwhile buying and using, since Thai curries tend to use more fresh ingredients that I was less likely to have.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> wrote:

snip

(but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of
non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves)
get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty
small for me).
>
Ditto here.
Janet US

On Mar 26, 11:46*am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:02:53 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
>
> > wrote:
> >On Mar 25, 10:03 am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
> >> Does no one here cook any of the various curries or eat curry? What
> >> about our Brit friends?
> >> I get the impression that here curry is thought of as one flavor and
> >> one dish. And that the jar in the grocery store labeled 'curry
> >> powder' is the only flavor of curry.
> >> Anyone?
>
> >We can make and have made curries from Kolkata to Kota Kinabalu. At
> >the moment, we have both whole and powdered cloves, cinnamon, cumin,
> >coriander, and cardamom. Also fenugreek, asoefatida, turmeric, and
> >powdered chilis. We use fresh ginger and chilis, and we have turmeric
> >and galangal growing on the patio, along with a curry leaf tree and a
> >Kaffir lime.
>
> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
> difficult. *Do you start from rhizomes? *Where do you get them? *Tell
> more.

Right from the Asian grocery. I keep thinking we should try ginger,
too, but every store sells it.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:37:44 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>On Mar 26, 11:46*am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:02:53 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
>>
>> > wrote:
>> >On Mar 25, 10:03 am, Janet Bostwick > wrote:
>> >> Does no one here cook any of the various curries or eat curry? What
>> >> about our Brit friends?
>> >> I get the impression that here curry is thought of as one flavor and
>> >> one dish. And that the jar in the grocery store labeled 'curry
>> >> powder' is the only flavor of curry.
>> >> Anyone?
>>
>> >We can make and have made curries from Kolkata to Kota Kinabalu. At
>> >the moment, we have both whole and powdered cloves, cinnamon, cumin,
>> >coriander, and cardamom. Also fenugreek, asoefatida, turmeric, and
>> >powdered chilis. We use fresh ginger and chilis, and we have turmeric
>> >and galangal growing on the patio, along with a curry leaf tree and a
>> >Kaffir lime.
>>
>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>> difficult. *Do you start from rhizomes? *Where do you get them? *Tell
>> more.
>
>Right from the Asian grocery. I keep thinking we should try ginger,
>too, but every store sells it.

I'll have to see if we have such a store. thanks
Janet US

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:07:58 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

> Unlike Naan, papads are not leavened but are fried (or cooked in a
> microwave) these days.

Thanks. I probably wouldn't like it then.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:23:39 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

> On 3/26/2013 2:07 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> >
> > «
> > Papadum is a loanword from Tamil pappa?am. Both Tamil pappa?am and
>
> >
>
> Might I added that padadums, when popped, are very good crackers for
> eating with drinks.

Eh.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:24:25 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

> On Mar 26, 9:38*am, sf > wrote:
> > On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:04:05 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> >
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > I poked around for a poppadum recipe and found this website. * Pretty
> > > interesting.
> >
> > >http://www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/htm...poppadoms.html
> >
> > I've only read about poppadums here. *What's the difference between
> > that and Naan? *I've only had naan, but at least I know what that is.
> >
>
> pappadoms are made from lentil flour; naan from wheat flour.

thanks.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> wrote:

> On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 02:48:24 UTC+10, sf wrote:
> >
> > There's my entire point in a nutshell. Not particularly interested in
> > Indian curries
>
> Isn't _that_ enough point? If not interested in them, why cook them, or go out and buy them in restaurants?
>
If you want to know how much I cook or eat Indian curry.... I rarely
eat it in a restaurant, maybe once in the last 15-20 years and I cook
it even less.

> > and I don't want to stock up on spices I will rarely
> > use (like maybe once and never again) because I have enough of the
> > other stuff that I do use all the time.
>
> If one is interested enough to cook Indian curry once, there are plenty of jars and cans of curry sauce. No need to buy spices, just fry meat + onions + other vegetables, add contents of jar/can.

Exactly!

> Agree that no point in stocking up on things that won't be used (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves) get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty small for me).

I have all of what was mentioned above, but always seem to find
recipes that call for what I don't have.
>
> Before I had a working Thai lime tree, I found Thai curry pastes to be worthwhile buying and using, since Thai curries tend to use more fresh ingredients that I was less likely to have.

I only use Thai curry pastes so far and although I can buy Kafir lime
leaves, lemon grass and galangal easily, I don't want to.
Fortunately, most posters here don't cook Thai curry much and aren't
as opinionated about only using the raw components as they are with
Indian curries. I sometimes feel like the lone voice in the darkness
against all of that do it yourself from scratch curry BS, which
probably comes from people who have only ordered curry from a
restaurant... if that.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:27:01 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> > wrote:
>
> snip
>
> (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of
> non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves)
> get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty
> small for me).
> >
How much fenugreek do you use in other cuisines?

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
> more.

Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:23:39 -0400, James Silverton
> > wrote:
>
>> On 3/26/2013 2:07 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> >
>> > «
>> > Papadum is a loanword from Tamil pappa?am. Both Tamil pappa?am and
>>
>> >
>>
>> Might I added that padadums, when popped, are very good crackers for
>> eating with drinks.
>
> Eh.

Oh I love them! But the ones we can buy here do make us burp And we don't
know why.

On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 17:17:12 UTC+10, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo wrote:
>
> > If one is interested enough to cook Indian curry once, there are plenty of jars and cans of curry sauce. No need to buy spices, just fry meat + onions + other vegetables, add contents of jar/can.
>
> Exactly!
>
> > Agree that no point in stocking up on things that won't be used (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves) get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty small for me).
>
> I have all of what was mentioned above, but always seem to find
> recipes that call for what I don't have.

Modify, or find a different recipe (that is, if, hypothetically, you wanted to cook Indian curry). The above + black pepper, turmeric and sweet paprika are a sufficient set of dry spices. The biggest omissions would be fenugreek and mustard seeds, which you can do curries without.

OK, there's a catch: one needs to be familiar with cooking the cuisine to reliably know what to ignore/change/substitute in recipes. For those who want to dabble, pre-mix cans are good. Given your obvious love of Indian curry, "cook something else" looks like a good choice.

> > Before I had a working Thai lime tree, I found Thai curry pastes to be worthwhile buying and using, since Thai curries tend to use more fresh ingredients that I was less likely to have.
>
> I only use Thai curry pastes so far and although I can buy Kafir lime
> leaves, lemon grass and galangal easily, I don't want to.

Thai curry paste is easier than scratch, and consistent (for the same brand). Making Thai curries from scratch is a hobby, not a necessity.

These days, fresh kaffir lime leaves are easy to get around here; 25-15 years ago, almost impossible. Dried ones were hard to find (and they're only good for cooking rice, IMO). OTOH, mainstream supermarkets would stock some Thai curry pastes.

Very good to keep a jar of tom yum paste around for almost-instant soup. When after quick food, you don't want to stuff around.

> Fortunately, most posters here don't cook Thai curry much and aren't
> as opinionated about only using the raw components as they are with
> Indian curries. I sometimes feel like the lone voice in the darkness
> against all of that do it yourself from scratch curry BS, which
> probably comes from people who have only ordered curry from a
> restaurant... if that.

Personally, I favour curries from scratch, but I see no grounds for being a curry-authenticity nazi - nothing inauthentic about pre-made sauce-in-a-can.

On Mar 27, 3:21*am, sf > wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
>
> > wrote:
> > I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
> > turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
> > difficult. *Do you start from rhizomes? *Where do you get them? *Tell
> > more.
>
> Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
> Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
>
> --
> Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Potatoes are not rhizomes, they're tubors.

http://www.richardfisher.com

On 3/27/2013 9:11 AM, Helpful person wrote:
> On Mar 27, 3:21 am, sf > wrote:
>> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
>>
>> > wrote:
>>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>>> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
>>> more.
>>
>> Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
>> Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
>>
>> --
>> Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
>
> Potatoes are not rhizomes, they're tubors.

>
No spelling checker?

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

On Mar 27, 9:56*am, James Silverton
>
> No spelling checker?
>
> --
> Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)
>
> Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

True.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:18:58 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:27:01 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
>> > wrote:
>>
>> snip
>>
>> (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of
>> non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves)
>> get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty
>> small for me).
>> >
>How much fenugreek do you use in other cuisines?
read again. The list above does not include fenugreek. The statement
is that the above are already in the cupboard, thus making the
remaining list of Indian spices needed not so great. I suppose if you
don't have any of the above in your spice cupboard, you would need to
buy many additional spices.
Janet US

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:01:53 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:18:58 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:27:01 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> snip
> >>
> >> (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of
> >> non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves)
> >> get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty
> >> small for me).
> >> >
> >How much fenugreek do you use in other cuisines?
> read again. The list above does not include fenugreek. The statement
> is that the above are already in the cupboard, thus making the
> remaining list of Indian spices needed not so great. I suppose if you
> don't have any of the above in your spice cupboard, you would need to
> buy many additional spices.
> Janet US

I have what you mentioned, but the curries I look at call for a lot
more that I don't have, including fenugreek. Well, actually I do have
fenugreek - but I'm just not into toasting and subsequently grinding
those things.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:17:12 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> wrote:
>
>> On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 02:48:24 UTC+10, sf wrote:
>> >
>> > There's my entire point in a nutshell. Not particularly interested in
>> > Indian curries
>>
>> Isn't _that_ enough point? If not interested in them, why cook them, or go out and buy them in restaurants?
>>
>If you want to know how much I cook or eat Indian curry.... I rarely
>eat it in a restaurant, maybe once in the last 15-20 years and I cook
>it even less.
>
>> > and I don't want to stock up on spices I will rarely
>> > use (like maybe once and never again) because I have enough of the
>> > other stuff that I do use all the time.
>>
>> If one is interested enough to cook Indian curry once, there are plenty of jars and cans of curry sauce. No need to buy spices, just fry meat + onions + other vegetables, add contents of jar/can.
>
>Exactly!
>
>> Agree that no point in stocking up on things that won't be used (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves) get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty small for me).
>
>I have all of what was mentioned above, but always seem to find
>recipes that call for what I don't have.
>>
>> Before I had a working Thai lime tree, I found Thai curry pastes to be worthwhile buying and using, since Thai curries tend to use more fresh ingredients that I was less likely to have.
>
>I only use Thai curry pastes so far and although I can buy Kafir lime
>leaves, lemon grass and galangal easily, I don't want to.
>Fortunately, most posters here don't cook Thai curry much and aren't
>as opinionated about only using the raw components as they are with
>Indian curries. I sometimes feel like the lone voice in the darkness
>against all of that do it yourself from scratch curry BS, which
>probably comes from people who have only ordered curry from a
>restaurant... if that.

I didn't catch the negative, opinionated tone that you are referring
to. As you know, whatever the food discussed here, there are
advocates of start from scratch and everything in between. (I refer to
chili as an example) I am always curious and will pick and choose
what to attempt from basic items. It's simply a way of getting a
better understanding. You'll notice that I said that I have used the
simmer sauces. I think they are a boon to the cook for a way to vary
chicken and produce a quick meal.
Janet US

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:26:35 -0700 (PDT), Timo
> wrote:

> On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 17:17:12 UTC+10, sf wrote:
> > On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:09:28 -0700 (PDT), Timo wrote:
> >
> > > If one is interested enough to cook Indian curry once, there are plenty of jars and cans of curry sauce. No need to buy spices, just fry meat + onions + other vegetables, add contents of jar/can.
> >
> > Exactly!
> >
> > > Agree that no point in stocking up on things that won't be used (but I end up using a lot of coriander, cumin and chilli in range of non-Indian/non-curry dishes, and cardamom and cinnamon (and cloves) get used in Euro-baking, so the extra needed for Indian is pretty small for me).
> >
> > I have all of what was mentioned above, but always seem to find
> > recipes that call for what I don't have.
>
> Modify, or find a different recipe (that is, if, hypothetically, you wanted to cook Indian curry). The above + black pepper, turmeric and sweet paprika are a sufficient set of dry spices. The biggest omissions would be fenugreek and mustard seeds, which you can do curries without.

If I did that, then buying a premade powder would be fine.
>
> OK, there's a catch: one needs to be familiar with cooking the cuisine to reliably know what to ignore/change/substitute in recipes. For those who want to dabble, pre-mix cans are good. Given your obvious love of Indian curry, "cook something else" looks like a good choice.
>
Yes.
> > > Before I had a working Thai lime tree, I found Thai curry pastes to be worthwhile buying and using, since Thai curries tend to use more fresh ingredients that I was less likely to have.
> >
> > I only use Thai curry pastes so far and although I can buy Kafir lime
> > leaves, lemon grass and galangal easily, I don't want to.
>
> Thai curry paste is easier than scratch, and consistent (for the same brand). Making Thai curries from scratch is a hobby, not a necessity.

That's my attitude about all curry, including Indian: It's only a
hobby and not something I want to eat a lot of or often.
>
> These days, fresh kaffir lime leaves are easy to get around here; 25-15 years ago, almost impossible. Dried ones were hard to find (and they're only good for cooking rice, IMO). OTOH, mainstream supermarkets would stock some Thai curry pastes.
>
> Very good to keep a jar of tom yum paste around for almost-instant soup. When after quick food, you don't want to stuff around.
>
> > Fortunately, most posters here don't cook Thai curry much and aren't
> > as opinionated about only using the raw components as they are with
> > Indian curries. I sometimes feel like the lone voice in the darkness
> > against all of that do it yourself from scratch curry BS, which
> > probably comes from people who have only ordered curry from a
> > restaurant... if that.
>
> Personally, I favour curries from scratch, but I see no grounds for being a curry-authenticity nazi - nothing inauthentic about pre-made sauce-in-a-can.
>
> Rarely bother to grind spices from scratch, but use pre-ground spices. Two teaspoons of this and that, 1 of this, 1/2 of that, 1/4 of this is easy. If you like potentially-fiddly stuff like tamarind, you can keep a jar of concentrate in the fridge. That, and being prepared to use things like Worcestershire sauce or prawn pickle (or other Indian pickles) in the base, makes Indian curries simple.
>
> So Indian from scratch is easy. Hardly something to beat one's chest about. That is, easy once you are familiar enough to not bother with following recipes. If you don't intend to cook Indian enough to reach that stage, then one either follows recipes, and goes and buys a range of spices which may or may not be used up before getting too old, or goes for pre-mix. The curry powders in the supermarkets around here are Anglo rather than Indian, but there are good enough pre-made canned/jarred Indian-style sauces.
>
> I don't think the pre-made sauces are any better than typical restaurant curries, or any worse. Just the thing for occasional curry cooks unless they enjoy shopping for spices.

Your attitude is quite different from what commonly prevails here.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:11:15 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person
> wrote:

> On Mar 27, 3:21*am, sf > wrote:
> > On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> >
> > > wrote:
> > > I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
> > > turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
> > > difficult. *Do you start from rhizomes? *Where do you get them? *Tell
> > > more.
> >
> > Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
> > Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
> >
> > --
> > Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
>
> Potatoes are not rhizomes, they're tubors.
>
You're right, but they act the same way.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:21:23 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:
>
>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
>> more.
>
>Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
>Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.

I'm sorry I wasn't specific. I was referring to space needed in a pot
to grow some decent sized rhizomes. I probably know more about
growing stuff than you do. I don't know why you are so touchy, I
didn't challenge you to explain your growing abilities. In fact, I
don't recall anyone in this thread demanding anything of you. I do
recall you calling people snobs if they wanted to work from scratch.
Opt out of this thread if you are unhappy with it. I am enjoying the
input and learning from it.
Janet US

On 27/03/2013 12:23 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:21:23 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>>> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
>>> more.
>>
>> Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
>> Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
>
> I'm sorry I wasn't specific. I was referring to space needed in a pot
> to grow some decent sized rhizomes. I probably know more about
> growing stuff than you do. I don't know why you are so touchy, I
> didn't challenge you to explain your growing abilities. In fact, I
> don't recall anyone in this thread demanding anything of you. I do
> recall you calling people snobs if they wanted to work from scratch.
> Opt out of this thread if you are unhappy with it. I am enjoying the
> input and learning from it.
>


Some rhizomes. Irises do well here and the water iris in my gold fish
pond did so well I gave some to my neighbour for his large pond. It is
now popping up in streams through my yard. I planted some ginger but did
not have much luck. I tried again last summer and left it on its one.
Calla lilies grow nicely in our summers, but they have to be dug up and
stored in a warmer place for the winter.

On Mar 27, 12:16*pm, sf > wrote:
>
> > Potatoes are not rhizomes, they're tubors.
>
> You're right, but they act the same way.
>
> --
> Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

No they don't.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:03:31 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 27/03/2013 12:23 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:21:23 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>>>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>>>> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
>>>> more.
>>>
>>> Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
>>> Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
>>
>> I'm sorry I wasn't specific. I was referring to space needed in a pot
>> to grow some decent sized rhizomes. I probably know more about
>> growing stuff than you do. I don't know why you are so touchy, I
>> didn't challenge you to explain your growing abilities. In fact, I
>> don't recall anyone in this thread demanding anything of you. I do
>> recall you calling people snobs if they wanted to work from scratch.
>> Opt out of this thread if you are unhappy with it. I am enjoying the
>> input and learning from it.
>>
>
>
>Some rhizomes. Irises do well here and the water iris in my gold fish
>pond did so well I gave some to my neighbour for his large pond. It is
>now popping up in streams through my yard. I planted some ginger but did
>not have much luck. I tried again last summer and left it on its one.
>Calla lilies grow nicely in our summers, but they have to be dug up and
>stored in a warmer place for the winter.
>
My water iris are doing great in the creek. Regular iris need
thinning again. I've tried ginger and it never came up. Maybe I
didn't give it enough time. Should I be trying to start in the
summer, outdoors in a pot instead of starting in winter?
Janet US

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:21:23 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:46:43 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:
>>
>>> I would have thought that it would be difficult to grow galangal and
>>> turmeric in a pot, but then I also would have thought ginger
>>> difficult. Do you start from rhizomes? Where do you get them? Tell
>>> more.
>>
>>Rhizomes are easy to grow and hard to kill... if you've ever planted
>>Calla lilies or potatoes, you'd know.
>
> I'm sorry I wasn't specific. I was referring to space needed in a pot
> to grow some decent sized rhizomes. I probably know more about
> growing stuff than you do. I don't know why you are so touchy, I
> didn't challenge you to explain your growing abilities. In fact, I
> don't recall anyone in this thread demanding anything of you. I do
> recall you calling people snobs if they wanted to work from scratch.
> Opt out of this thread if you are unhappy with it. I am enjoying the
> input and learning from it.
> Janet US

Well that was me referring to "grind your own spices snobs" who
certainly do exist. I was thinking of the full range of people's
curry orientations, with fully ignorant at one extreme and the
people who grind their own spices *and* are snobs about it at the
other. Actually I didn't think it through very carefully -- should
have put grow-their-own-spices-snobs at the tippy top. I don't mean
to suggest that making things from scratch implies snobbery. To me
it is all about what's worth the effort to an individual and that
depends mostly on taste, and snobbery is an independent variable.
People are either snobs or not and the subject matter is irrelevant -
the things snobs aren't snobs about (because they can't be for whatever
reason) are "not important" to them. etc etc

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:31:05 -0700 (PDT), Helpful person
> wrote:

> On Mar 27, 12:16*pm, sf > wrote:
> >
> > > Potatoes are not rhizomes, they're tubors.
> >
> > You're right, but they act the same way.
> >
> > --
> > Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
>
> No they don't.

I know from past experience that getting rid of potatoes is just as
hard as it is to get rid of calla lilies.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:03:31 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> Calla lilies grow nicely in our summers, but they have to be dug up and
> stored in a warmer place for the winter.

I pull them out by the bag full and unless I'm into sifting dirt to
remove every little bud that has broken off (which I'm not); I will
have just as many as I removed in a couple more years.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 27/03/2013 1:53 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:

> My water iris are doing great in the creek.

Apparently it is considered an invasive species here. I have been
removing any that pop up in the streams on my property. I am careful
about invasive plants. We somehow got purple loosestrife around here and
it has been overwhelming wetland. Marshy areas that used to have ponds
and cattails are now often filled with loosetrife instead. Two yeas ago
my neighbour bought some water lettuce for their pond and it was
contaminated with Azolla, aka Feathered Mosquito Fern. Holy cow that
stuff grew and propagated like nothing I have ever seen. Within days it
had covered the surface of the pond. I helped them remove vast
quantities, skimming it off the surface, but it seemed to be growing
back as fast as we could skim it off.

We would get about 3/4 of it off by the afternoon and the next morning
it covered the entire pond again. It looked horrible and it was
blocking the light to the natural plants below. They were really
frustrated. I had read that it was not hearty enough to survive our
winters, so we figured that the best hope was that it would die off in
the winter. Luckily it did. They were very careful of what they put in
the pond after that.



> Regular iris need thinning again.

I can't say that mine need thinning, though I have dug some up and
transplanted them,


> I've tried ginger and it never came up.

I have made several attempts. I planted it one year and nothing happened
until the next year. I planted quite a bit last year and it sprouted.
I just left it, hoping that it would survive the winter and reappear in
abundance this year. I don't know if it matters that I had bought in the
produce department of the grocery store rather than a garden shop. Given
my experience with calla lilies it didn't occur to me that they had to
be particularly fresh.




> Maybe I
> didn't give it enough time. Should I be trying to start in the
> summer, outdoors in a pot instead of starting in winter?

If you try enough methods on is bound to work. It can be like my
Forsythia, which my wife refers to as "the F word". It grows beautifully
in this area. Most of our neighbours have some. There was a highway
overpass where it had gone wild and it was was aan impressive flower
show in the spring every year. We have several forsythia bushes and
most years we could easily count the number of yellow flowers that came
out, usually a total of less than 20. I tried everything. I moved them,
putting some in drier locations and some damper locations. I tried
different fertilizers. I tried leaving them along. I tried light
pruning, heavy pruning, pruning at different times. A couple years ago
I got fed up and cut them back almost to the ground. The next year
there was actually a fair number of flowers.

I don't get it. That stuff grows wild and flowers beautifully around
here, but ours is a flop.

On 27/03/2013 2:16 PM, tert in seattle wrote:
>
>
> Well that was me referring to "grind your own spices snobs" who
> certainly do exist. I was thinking of the full range of people's
> curry orientations, with fully ignorant at one extreme and the
> people who grind their own spices *and* are snobs about it at the
> other. Actually I didn't think it through very carefully -- should
> have put grow-their-own-spices-snobs at the tippy top. I don't mean
> to suggest that making things from scratch implies snobbery.


Oh. That's the way it came across. Lots of us use various spice mixtures
rather than buying and using individual spices and preparing them
properly. Learning to toast and grind spices as part of the process just
makes them better cooks than you. It does not make them snobs.



To me
> it is all about what's worth the effort to an individual and that
> depends mostly on taste, and snobbery is an independent variable.


Oh. People who have a taste, or a sense of taste, are snob?


> People are either snobs or not and the subject matter is irrelevant -
> the things snobs aren't snobs about (because they can't be for whatever
> reason) are "not important" to them. etc etc

On other words.... people whose knowledge and skills are better than
your own are snobs.

On 27/03/2013 2:35 PM, sf wrote:

> I know from past experience that getting rid of potatoes is just as
> hard as it is to get rid of calla lilies.
>


It's not hard to get rid of calla lilies here. Just leave them in the
ground over the winter and they will be dead by spring.

I am too cheap to pay for them these days. <any years ago when I had
jobs that involved travelling to our district highway maintenance yards
there were a couple guys who were always bringing in their excess calla
lilies and giving them away. I was thinking about trying them again and
I see signs for them for $10-15 each. That's too big a jump from free
for me. ;-)

Dave Smith wrote:
> On 27/03/2013 2:16 PM, tert in seattle wrote:
>>
>>
>> Well that was me referring to "grind your own spices snobs" who
>> certainly do exist. I was thinking of the full range of people's
>> curry orientations, with fully ignorant at one extreme and the
>> people who grind their own spices *and* are snobs about it at the
>> other. Actually I didn't think it through very carefully -- should
>> have put grow-their-own-spices-snobs at the tippy top. I don't mean
>> to suggest that making things from scratch implies snobbery.
>
>
> Oh. That's the way it came across. Lots of us use various spice mixtures
> rather than buying and using individual spices and preparing them
> properly. Learning to toast and grind spices as part of the process just
> makes them better cooks than you. It does not make them snobs.
>
>
>
> To me
>> it is all about what's worth the effort to an individual and that
>> depends mostly on taste, and snobbery is an independent variable.
>
>
> Oh. People who have a taste, or a sense of taste, are snob?
>
>
>> People are either snobs or not and the subject matter is irrelevant -
>> the things snobs aren't snobs about (because they can't be for whatever
>> reason) are "not important" to them. etc etc
>
> On other words.... people whose knowledge and skills are better than
> your own are snobs.


looks like a nerve has been touched

On Thursday, 28 March 2013 02:15:50 UTC+10, sf wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:26:35 -0700 (PDT), Timo wrote:
>
> > Modify, or find a different recipe (that is, if, hypothetically, you wanted to cook Indian curry). The above + black pepper, turmeric and sweet paprika are a sufficient set of dry spices. The biggest omissions would be fenugreek and mustard seeds, which you can do curries without.
>
> If I did that, then buying a premade powder would be fine.

It is fine. It comes with the downside that you buy a jar/packet of 20 identical curries. If you could curries once a year or less, having them all the same is not necessarily bad; could be a good thing. If you cook curries 100 times a year, or more, then it's a Bad Thing.

Premade powder is the authentic way to make English curries, pre-made paste block is the authentic way to make Japanese curries.

The Indian shop where I buy most spices has some pre-mix curry powders, Indian-style mixes of course. Mostly 500g and bigger bags, which is a lot of the same curries.

On Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:24:49 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> On 27/03/2013 2:35 PM, sf wrote:
>
> > I know from past experience that getting rid of potatoes is just as
> > hard as it is to get rid of calla lilies.
> >
>
>
> It's not hard to get rid of calla lilies here. Just leave them in the
> ground over the winter and they will be dead by spring.

Not as easy here. Rosemary grows all year long too.
>


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Mar 27, 5:19*pm, Timo > wrote:

>
> Premade powder is the authentic way to make English curries,
>
And horrible they are. English curries generally contain apples,
sultanas and some kind of powder. I wouldn't call them "authentic".

On Thursday, 28 March 2013 15:02:24 UTC+10, Helpful person wrote:
> On Mar 27, 5:19*pm, Timo > wrote:
> >
> > Premade powder is the authentic way to make English curries,
> >
> And horrible they are. English curries generally contain apples,
> sultanas and some kind of powder. I wouldn't call them "authentic".

I'd say that more than a quarter-millennium of tradition makes them pretty authentic. Apples and commercial curry powders have been used in English curries for over 150 years (don't know when sultanas in English curries date to). With that kind of history, how can a traditional-style English curry not be an authentic English curry?

Some of them can be horrible, but the same thing can be said about other English dishes as well.