Cooking with "Cradle of Flavor"

[markemorse]

I finally got back to cooking after my Europeanized immune system was ravaged by some badass American stomach flu....yuck. Breakfast today was Twice-Cooked Tofu w/Coriander.

I had that flu as well. I'm just starting to think about cooking again.

I've been wanting to make that tofu but I don't like deep frying. I'm not afraid, I just hate wasting all that oil.

I'll just live vicariously for now. Great pictures as always.

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Thanks, Kim! Yeah, I've just recently ditched my no-fry policies, like maybe 6 months ago, don't know why. It always seemed like a big hassle: messy, wasteful, stinks up the house, dangerous, etc. And then, one day...I just did it, and it wasn't an ordeal, so I kept doing it. Just use a big pot, use as little oil as you can get away with, and open a window.

Edited November 20, 2007 by markemorse (log)

[Dejah]

I

I've been wanting to make that tofu but I don't like deep frying. I'm not afraid, I just hate wasting all that oil.

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I don't throw away the oil after deep frying, at least, not until I've used it several times. I strain it after it cools down, store it in a large sealer jar, and keep it in the fridge.

If there is food odor, just deep fry some slices of potato in it before you use it next time.

[djyee100]

I don't throw away the oil after deep frying, at least, not until I've used it several times. I strain it after it cools down, store it in a large sealer jar, and keep it in the fridge. If there is food odor, just deep fry some slices of potato in it before you use it next time.

I strain the oil through cheesecloth and a strainer, and I use it at least once or twice more, too. I didn't know about the potato trick, though. I'll have to try it.

Mark, your tofu looks scrumptious. I'm not a fan of tofu, but I'll eat something that good.

[djyee100]

Fragrant Fish Stew With Lime and Basil. The recipe says this stew is intense, and that's true. The stew is strongly flavored with lime and basil (I used Thai basil), with lesser flavors from lemongrass, chiles, ginger, and turmeric. I didn't like the step of adding some basil to the broth and letting it sit for 10 mins, though. The basil turned dark and very soft and I didn't like the look or texture. Next time I will add all the basil (not just some basil) at the end as a garnish, let it steam a minute to wilt, then serve.

The recipe calls for fish steaks or fillets, but some very fresh opah chunks were on sale at the market for $3.50 per lb, so guess what I bought.

This dish tastes good, and it's another bright colorful dish to serve at the table. Once you've made a simple flavoring paste, the recipe comes together quickly.

Stir-fried Water Spinach, Nyonya Style. This dish is headed to the top of the charts as one of my favs. It's spicy, sweet and salty, a common flavor combination in snack foods, but this is a vegetable. No guilt!

It's too bad that C of F doesn't offer alternatives for water spinach in this recipe. Water spinach is limited in its availability (and very perishable to boot). But the water spinach isn't what makes this recipe special--it's the sauce. I'm guessing that other greens could work in this recipe, something that tastes strong enough to stand up to the sauce, and also sturdy enough for a stirfry without being too watery. Regular spinach is out. Maybe choy sum? or gailan (Chinese broccoli)? If my CSA inundates me with chard this winter, as it usually does, I'd even try this recipe with chard.

Hmmm...Lots of cooking on this thread in the past 3 weeks. Time to update the recipes list. I'll try to do it this wkend.

[Dejah]

I think choi sum, pea shoots, bak choi tips would work in place of the water spinach. We seldom get it on the prairies, and when we do, they are often past their prime.

The slight bitterness of gai lan may clash with the flavours in the sauce.

I agree with you on the basil. I prefer it raw, but I suppose one could add some to flavour the sauce and add the larger portion just before eating.

I'm heading to an ESL workshop weekend. Hubby requested a big pot of beef rendang to satisfy his hunger while I'm away, so I have 2 chuck roasts cut up and ready to go. Think I might even try tepee's idea of beef rendang sushi!

Dang! I've got to move beyond this one recipe, but then, I thought, WHY?

djyee: Great looking fish curry. The lime and basil can sway me onto any recipe. I'll have to try and find some thick pieces of fish.

Edited November 22, 2007 by Dejah (log)

[C. sapidus]

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Ooh, I had missed those recipes. Thanks for posting and describing them, Donna, they look beautiful. I just updated my "must make" list.

I think choi sum, pea shoots, bak choi tips would work in place of the water spinach.

Dejah, thanks for suggesting water spinach substitutes. Bak choi tips - would that be just the green part?

Dang! I've got to move beyond this one recipe, but then, I thought, WHY? 

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Beef rendang is pretty ultimate. Have you tried the potato or chicken rendangs?

[Dejah]

[

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I think choi sum, pea shoots, bak choi tips would work in place of the water spinach.

Dejah, thanks for suggesting water spinach substitutes. Bak choi tips - would that be just the green part?

Dang! I've got to move beyond this one recipe, but then, I thought, WHY? 

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Beef rendang is pretty ultimate. Have you tried the potato or chicken rendangs?

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Bruce: Bok choi tips really should have been choi sum tips. Sorry about that! These are the top 4 - 5 inches of the plant. I think they must pinch these off growing plants forcing them to branch out and produce more tips. They are tender but would hold up better than water spinach in storage and cooking.

I have made the chicken rendang. We loved it too! Been staying away from starches, so potato rendang will have to wait a bit.

I cooked up 4 lbs of the beef in rendang . Slept with the aroma and salivated all night! The recipe calls for 2 cups of coconut milk/2 lbs of beef. I used one can regular coconut milk and one can of "lite". I wonder if the flavour will suffer? Won't know until I get home from the workshop.

[crouching tyler]

I know I keep saying this, but I really dig the brightness (both in terms of flavor and color) of this food. That plate of food is practically sunny. Now that the Thanksgiving food has been made and jammed into our small refrigerator, I am all fired up to make something with some serious flavor - Rendang, here I come.

Fragrant Fish Stew With Lime and Basil. The recipe says this stew is intense, and that's true. The stew is strongly flavored with lime and basil (I used Thai basil), with lesser flavors from lemongrass, chiles, ginger, and turmeric. I didn't like the step of adding some basil to the broth and letting it sit for 10 mins, though. The basil turned dark and very soft and I didn't like the look or texture. Next time I will add all the basil (not just some basil) at the end as a garnish, let it steam a minute to wilt, then serve.

The recipe calls for fish steaks or fillets, but some very fresh opah chunks were on sale at the market for $3.50 per lb, so guess what I bought.

This dish tastes good, and it's another bright colorful dish to serve at the table. Once you've made a simple flavoring paste, the recipe comes together quickly.

Stir-fried Water Spinach, Nyonya Style. This dish is headed to the top of the charts as one of my favs. It's spicy, sweet and salty, a common flavor combination in snack foods, but this is a vegetable. No guilt! 

It's too bad that C of F doesn't offer alternatives for water spinach in this recipe. Water spinach is limited in its availability (and very perishable to boot). But the water spinach isn't what makes this recipe special--it's the sauce. I'm guessing that other greens could work in this recipe, something that tastes strong enough to stand up to the sauce, and also sturdy enough for a stirfry without being too watery. Regular spinach is out. Maybe choy sum? or gailan (Chinese broccoli)? If my CSA inundates me with chard this winter, as it usually does, I'd even try this recipe with chard.

Hmmm...Lots of cooking on this thread in the past 3 weeks. Time to update the recipes list. I'll try to do it this wkend.

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[djyee100]

I was updating the recipes list for this thread when I came upon the discussion upthread about the color of Beef Rendang and how it's supposed to resemble roasted coffee beans (posts # 198, 212, 213). I was intrigued since I had a skillet of Beef Rendang on the stove at the time.

I was in no hurry, so I decided to let the rendang cook on low heat for as long as...whatever. After 3 3/4 hrs of stovetop cooking, most of the liquid had boiled away from the sauce and the rendang was sizzling and frying in its own fat. I still let it do its own thing. I noticed that the orange-y color of the rendang noticeably turned more brown at this point. I kept an eye on the rendang and turned it over now and then and still let it cook. After a half-hour of this I pulled the pan off the stove, because it was getting on time to eat! But the rendang could have stayed on the stove longer, turning browner and browner.

Nothing left to do then but pull out the camera and do a color comparison:

The cinnamon stick and lemongrass knot are there for color comparison also. My rendang was pretty brown, but it still wasn't the same color as the coffee beans. OTOH, this was a dark roast coffee... Seriously though, I think that if you want that dark brown color you have to keep cooking the rendang in its fat. This rendang was intensely flavored and very spicy (I put in 10 Fresno chiles). It was almost like a condiment to the rice, rather than an entree. It tasted spectacular, of course, it's rendang.

Edited November 25, 2007 by djyee100 (log)

[djyee100]

Spiced Nyonya Rice. Basmati rice simmered in rich chicken stock with lots of spices, garnished with crispy fried shallots and garlic and clarified butter. It's a project to cook this dish. You have to make the stock, fry the shallots and garlic, and prepare the clarified butter. Then the result looks like plain brown rice with some fried onions on top. The rice tastes quite delicious and complex, though. I think it tastes best when it is slightly warm, only a bit over room temperature.

To my annoyance, the rice was slightly undercooked. Next time I'll probably keep the pot on the heat longer (also double-check that I'm following the instructions correctly).

Traditionally this rice is eaten by itself, though I served it with one of the Menu Suggestions, Javanese Cucumber and Carrot Pickle. Too minimalist for me. Next time I eat this rice with another Menu Suggestion, Nyonya spicy fried chicken.

Edited November 25, 2007 by djyee100 (log)

[djyee100]

Malaccan Beef and Vegetable Stew. Not your typical stew. The beef, vegetables, and potatoes are cooked separately, then folded together before serving. As a result the stew is a bit of a fuss to make, but it's colorful and fresh-looking at the table, and tastes delicious--rich and savory.

I braised the beef ahead of time (the same day I made Beef Rendang; imagine what my house smelled like), and then cooked the vegs and potatoes before serving the stew. That made it easy. This dish could be handy for a dinner party if you cook the beef the day ahead. The stew assembles quickly after that.

Served with Sweet-Sour Cucumber and Carrot Pickle with Turmeric, another showy and tasty pickle from C of F. This pickle definitely tastes better the day after you make it. The ingredients need time to meld.

A comfort food dessert of Plantains with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar. Surprisingly good and easy to make. I didn't have any pandanus leaves, so I added a few drops of vanilla instead. The plantains cook up quickly--be careful not to overcook them. This dessert tastes sweet and refreshing after the Malaccan stew.

[Dianabanana]

Robin, do you mind telling me where you got your sweet soybean paste and what brand? I went to Uwajimaya last night to lay in Cradle of Flavor provisions, and found everything but this. I had both my husband and a very helpful stockboy running all over the store, bringing me various soybean pastes for my consideration (actually fascinating to see how many different variations there are on this theme!) but none of them seemed to be it.

[crouching tyler]

Robin, do you mind telling me where you got your sweet soybean paste and what brand? I went to Uwajimaya last night to lay in Cradle of Flavor provisions, and found everything but this. I had both my husband and a very helpful stockboy running all over the store, bringing me various soybean pastes for my consideration (actually fascinating to see how many different variations there are on this theme!) but none of them seemed to be it.

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If I had some sweet soybean paste, I would happily tell you all about it, but as of yet, I don't have any. I know it is on my first shopping list, but I evidently didn't buy any (I can't find any in my kitchen at the moment) - and I don't think I've made anything yet that called for it (correct me, if I am wrong about this). I am going grocery shopping tomorrow, so I will keep my eyes peeled and tell you if I discover anything.

[Dianabanana]

Robin, do you mind telling me where you got your sweet soybean paste and what brand? I went to Uwajimaya last night to lay in Cradle of Flavor provisions, and found everything but this. I had both my husband and a very helpful stockboy running all over the store, bringing me various soybean pastes for my consideration (actually fascinating to see how many different variations there are on this theme!) but none of them seemed to be it.

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If I had some sweet soybean paste, I would happily tell you all about it, but as of yet, I don't have any. I know it is on my first shopping list, but I evidently didn't buy any (I can't find any in my kitchen at the moment) - and I don't think I've made anything yet that called for it (correct me, if I am wrong about this). I am going grocery shopping tomorrow, so I will keep my eyes peeled and tell you if I discover anything.

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Well, after tonight I have the distinction of having scrutinized every single jar and bottle in both Uwajimaya and 99 Ranch in my search for this stuff. Unless I'm blind, I'm pretty sure they don't have it at Uwajimaya, but after a comically long search at 99 Ranch I finally came away with something that looks likely. It's called Sweetened Soybean Paste, and it's made in Taiwan by Ming Ten. The ingredients are soybean, wheat flour, sugar, salt, and sesame oil. I hope this is the right thing--it's not one of the brands recommended in the book, so I'm just not sure.

Edited to say whoops! I wrote everything except the word "tauco" on my list, so failed to recognize that the jar of Kokita Super Tauco Sauce staring me in the face was the very thing I was looking for. Never mind!

Edited November 28, 2007 by Dianabanana (log)

[djyee100]

Caramelized Tempeh with Chiles. Deep-fried tempeh, which tastes nutty and savory, in a sticky hot-sweet sauce. I took a leap of faith and added the maximum number of suggested Fresno chiles in the recipe. Very good! A much better result than the last time I cooked tempeh, when I probably undercooked it (eww...). Markemorse's comments on this thread have been very helpful for my tempeh cookery.

Reducing the sauce. The tempeh has been deep-fried, drained on a rack, and cooled; now it's waiting in the wings to be added to the sauce.

Served with Celebration Yellow Rice.

I'm on a cooking hiatus for several weeks (project deadline ahead). But I'll be around to hear about what everybody else is cooking.

[djyee100]

Here's an update.

Cradle of Flavor

Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore

by James Oseland

Recipe Index:

(numbers refer to post #s on this thread)

CONDIMENTS: SAMBALS, DIPPING SAUCES, DRESSINGS & PICKLES

Javanese Sambal - 156

Nyonya Sambal - 10, 169

Lemongrass & Shallot Sambal - 51

Green Mango Sambal - 185

Sweet Soy Sauce & Lime Dipping Sauce - 40, 74, 116, 188

Nyonya Dipping Sauce - 136, 142

Soy Sauce, Chile & Lime Dipping Sauce - 202

Sweet & Sour Chile Dipping Sauce - 207

Javanese Peanut Sauce - 124, 198

Sweet & Sour Cucumber & Carrot Pickle w/Turmeric - 17, 40, 51, 112, 236

Javanese Cucumber & Carrot Pickle - 74, 97, 142, 158, 198, 199, 235

South Indian-Style Eggplant Pickle - 157

Malaysian Spiced Pineapple Pickle - 100

STREET FOODS

Beef Satay - 10, 40, 45, 59, 112, 188

Chicken Satay- 74, 177, 198

Shrimp Satay

Gado Gado - 124

Chopped Veg. Salad w/Coconut & Lime Leaf Dressing - 116

Crisp Jicama & Pineapple Salad - 45

Fried Sweet Plantains - 160

Bean Sprout & Potato Fritters - 207

RICE & NOODLES

Steamed Rice - 74, 142, 199, 202

Lemongrass Scented Coconut Rice - 10, 40, 51, 97, 188

Celebration Yellow Rice - 83, 112, 144, 240

Spiced Nyonya Rice - 235

Javanese Fried Rice - 10, 116

Herbal Rice Salad

Stir Fried Chinese Egg Noodle w/ Shrimp & Asian Greens - 210

Penang-Style Stir-Fried Kuey Teow Noodles - 154

Chicken Curry Noodle Soup, Kuala Lumpur Style - 67

VEGETABLES

Stir Fried Asian Greens w/ Garlic & Chiles- 74, 134, 153, 217

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts w/ Chinese Chives or Scallions - 123, 157, 166

Sauteed Cabbage w/Ginger & Crispy Indian Lentils

Braised Cabbage w/ Dried Shrimp - 149, 164

Stir Fried Water Spinach, Nyonya Style - 17, 129, 183, 229

Green Beans with Coconut Milk - 112, 144, 149, 156

Ching Lee's Braised Lemongrass Long Beans - 100, 119

Rohati's Crisp-Fried Potatoes w/Chile & Shallot Sambal - 10, 150

Potato Rendang - 32, 173

Fern Curry with Shrimp

Asiah's Eggplant Curry - 36, 202

FISH & SHELLFISH

Fragrant Fish Stew w/Lime & Lemon Basil - 229

Spice Braised Tuna - 10

Padang Fish Curry - 10

Hot & Sour Fish Stew w/Bamboo Shoots

Indian-Style Fish Stew w/Okra

Pan-Seared Mackerel w/Chiles & Garlic - 10, 134

Pan-Seared Tamarind Tuna - 51

Stir-fried Tamarind Shrimp - 130

Grilled Whole Fish w/Lemon Basil & Chiles

Nyonya Shrimp Curry w/Fresh Pineapple & Tomatoes - 217

Stir-Fried Shrimp Sambal - 10, 173

Black Pepper Crab

POULTRY

The Soto King's Chicken Soup - 113

Javanese Chicken Curry - 120, 185

West Sumatran Chicken Curry - 106

Chicken Rendang w/Cinnamon & Star Anise - 10

Nyonya Chicken & Potato Stew - 110

Mien's Garlic Fried Chicken - 156

Nyonya-Style Spiced Fried Chicken - 136, 142

Kevin's Spiced Roast Chicken w/Potatoes, Penang Style - 112

Javanese Grilled Chicken - 83, 97, 112, 144

Grilled Coconut Chicken w/Lemon Basil - 17, 166, 183, 187

Nyonya Duck Soup w/Salted Mustard Greens - 169

BEEF, GOAT & PORK (FOODS OF CELEBRATION)

Beef Rendang - 32, 90, 125, 158, 193, 198, 199, 234

Spiced Braised Nyonya Pork - 10, 100, 105, 157, 158

Malaccan Beef & Vegetable Stew - 236

Javanese Spice Oxtail Stew

Achenese Goat Curry - 176, 182

TEMPEH, TOFU & EGGS

Garlic-Marinated Tempeh - 201, 202

Tempeh Sambal w/Lemon Basil

Carmelized Tempeh w/Chiles - 240

Tofu & Summer Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Twice-Cooked Tofu w/Coriander - 224

Fried Eggs w/Garlic, Shallots, Chiles & Ginger - 16, 123

Kopi Tiam Soft-Boiled Eggs - 164

Chile Omelet - 153

SWEETS & BEVERAGES

Indonesian Spice Cake - 152

Nutmeg Tea Cookies - 163, 165

Purple Rice Pudding w/Coconut Milk

Sweet Spiced Mung Bean Porridge - 164

Plantains w/Coconut Milk & Palm Sugar - 236

Sweet Rice Dumplings w/Palm Sugar & Coconut

Cinnamon Tea - 134

Hawker's Tea - 220

Warm Spiced Limeade - 162

Lime-Cordial Syrup

Singapore Slings

[crouching tyler]

Thanks, djyee100, for the updated list. We are really working our way through this cookbook.

We still have lots of work to do on the seafood components of the book, though.

[crouching tyler]

Robin, do you mind telling me where you got your sweet soybean paste and what brand? I went to Uwajimaya last night to lay in Cradle of Flavor provisions, and found everything but this. I had both my husband and a very helpful stockboy running all over the store, bringing me various soybean pastes for my consideration (actually fascinating to see how many different variations there are on this theme!) but none of them seemed to be it.

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Dianabanana -

I found it! Pictures below for reference purposes. It is one of the brands Mr. Oseland recommends (Kwong Hung Seng Sauce), and I found it at Viet Wah, in the 2nd to last aisle (the one that if you look down the aisle, you see Meat in Neon on the wall). It (and another brand of sweet soybean paste) were on the left side of the aisle (if you are facing the meat sign) and in the first half of the aisle. Viet Wah is on Jackson, on the north side of the street, a few blocks east of I-5 in the ID (Seattle).

With an apple, to demonstrate the size of the bottle:

Close-up of the label:

By the way, I spent a good 20 minutes examining the wealth of options at the HT Oakwood Market, none of which seemed quite right. So, don't look there for the sweet soybean paste. They had ground soybean paste, salted soybeans, and something called sweet soybean paste that was very dark brown ( ala molasses) but did not resemble the substance described in Cradle of Flavor.

Got to run - I am making the Malacca Beef Stew tonight and am significantly behind schedule.

[Tepee]

There are some dishes (mostly the Indonesian ones) I haven't cooked before, and you guys are having so much fun, I just had to order the book. Hope to get it by Monday and jump in.

[crouching tyler]

First off, please excuse the photographs - the food tastes so much better than it looks here. I am hoping to get a mini-tripod soon, so there may be an improvement in my food photography in the near future.

If anyone is planning on undertaking many of these recipes, and they have not yet acquired a small food processor, let me give you a bit of advice: Wait no longer! I made two seasoning pastes and a sambal today, so I used that magical little machine three times (3!)! Yes, my biceps would be in better shape had I used a mortar and pestle, but dinner would have been at 9:30 instead of 7:30 and I probably would have skipped seasoning paste #2, and thus the water spinach would have molded in the vegetable drawer.

Stir Fried Water Spinach, Nyonya Style - Kangkung Belacan

And I am so glad I made the water spinach, since that gave me a chance to use the Sweet Soybean Paste - which I spent a fair amount of time looking for today. When there is an entire aisle (or two or three) of glass jars full of condiments, finding the one bottle of sweet soybean paste can take a while - particularly when you can't always read the writing on the label, you and the grocer speak different languages, and you don't actually know whether the stuff in question will hang out with the other soy bean products, or the condiments, or the other sweetened bean products, or the sauces.... You get my drift. A minor victory, assuredly, but a victory nonetheless.

And to top it off, the water spinach rocked! I can't get mine to look appetizing (there is something about getting the stems swirled the same direction, I think) but it tasted great. Two of my dinner guests said it brought up fond memories of eating morning glory while they were living in Vietnam. I'll take that as a compliment.

Nyonya Sambal - Sambal Belacan

Speaking of sambal, the Nyonya Sambal had some seeeerious power. I used about a half of teaspoon with my dinner, and that was more than enough. Obviously, the relative heat will vary tremendously depending on your chiles, but I stayed at the small end of the chile range (quantity wise) and my sambal was definitely not wimpy.

Malaccan Beef and Vegetable Stew - Semur Daging Lembu

The stew, as dyee100 mentioned, is a bit fussy, but I did like that vegetables didn't get soggy. My beef was tender, though not meltingly so. I am not sure whether it would have become more tender with further cooking or not.

And for the record, I fried the potatoes with absolutely no fear at all - just a healthy does of caution and respect for the hot oil. Progress is being made here.

We also had some Steamed Rice, but I neglected to capture the stunning presentation (2 quart pot with some white rice still in it).

I should mention that our dinner guests brought Mango Sorbet (could eat this stuff every day) and a new flavor of ice cream - Pomegranate with Chocolate Chips. Oddly, the Pomegranate Ice Cream comes in a metal tin which makes it very hard to handle - but it was worth every frozen fingertip. It had better be I guess, since marketing people made sure to indicate on the label that the ice cream was "Ultra Super Premium,".

[Tepee]

What do you mean you need to improve on your photography? Your kangkong belacan has got my keyboard wet. While waiting for a tripod, you can rest your camera on something ( a box, a jar etc...) to prevent shakes.

As for your belacan, quick! go make some noodles. Belacan goes very well with sweet soy-sauce based noodles or braised/roast duck/chicken. If it's too fire-y, you may want to remove some chilli seeds next time.

For local stews/braises, I've taken to cook it LTLT (long time low temperature), for that drop off the bone texture. Yes, your meat will definitely become more tender given more time.

[snowangel]

For local stews/braises, I've taken to cook it LTLT (long time low temperature), for that drop off the bone texture. Yes, your meat will definitely become more tender given more time.

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Ditto, here, too. There's been extensive discussion about this on the Cooking with "All about Braising" by Molly Stevens topic.

I just looked this recipe over, and I'd likely make this in my Le Creuset dutch oven, and once the liquid has been added and comes to a simmer, stick it in a 275 degree oven.

[djyee100]

Robin, all your food looks great. Lucky guests!

Two of my dinner guests said it brought up fond memories of eating morning glory while they were living in Vietnam. I'll take that as a compliment.

The "morning glory" eaten as a veg in SE Asia and water spinach sound like the same plant. A Thai dish featuring zillions of hot chiles with stir-fried "morning glory," or water spinach, is called "Red-flamed morning glory." This is what Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica

Apparently this plant is easy to grow and is actually an environmental problem in Florida and Texas. (Not in California, as far as I know. I bet we eat all of ours.)

Bruce, take heart. Someday water spinach may be growing prolifically near you.

Edited December 1, 2007 by djyee100 (log)

[Dianabanana]

Thanks, Robin! Actually they had that at 99 Ranch, too, but I thought it was Thai yellow bean sauce. Maybe they are the same thing? I wound up buying the Kokita Super Tauco at Uwajimaya, which was right under my nose all along (the words "super tauco" threw me).

I used my Super Tauco to make the noodles with shrimp and greens (sorry, am at work and don't have the book with me for the correct name--also no pictures). I made the Nyonya Sambal to go with it, using the minimum amount of chilies. At first I thought it was insanely hot but then I found myself putting one spoonful after another onto my noodles. The combination was addictive and I ate way too much. Once the sambal is made, the noodles are super fast to put together.

I also made potato rendang and the bean sprout and chive dish for breakfast (started the potatoes the night before, obviously!), with a fried egg. Holy cow, those potatoes go so well with egg and a cup of black tea. I was in heaven.

I, too, bought a cute little Cuisinart Mini-Prep Pro ($10 off at Macy's!). It's red and I love it. It just sits there on the counter cheerfully waiting to do my bidding.

The only problem is that now I'm wondering if everyone can smell all this spiciness in my clothes and hair! When I got done with the rendang I went out to walk the dog. A couple of blocks down, my husband happened to drive by and got out to talk to me. He went to kiss the top of my head and said, "Ha, you smell all spicy!" It really permeates everything, especially the toasting fish paste!

[Dejah]

Robin: As Tepee said, "There ain't nuthin wrong with your photography!"

Here I was feeling guilty for using my mini-food processor to make my pastes! Thanks for "coming out, folks!"

I too braise in my Le Creuset in a slow oven. I've been using sirloin or chuck roasts. These cuts are rendang-worthy. Local Sobeys has both cuts on for $3.00/lb. Guess I'd better go and load up.

Looking forward to your participation, Tepee. Being familiar with many of these recipes, I look forward to tips from you!