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Post by AMonk on Aug 31, 2006 2:01:13 GMT 7
 The Ladies have been saying that some everyday, Western seasonings are kinda hard to come by (vanilla, marjoram, etc). That got me thinking.....what about Lee & Perrin's* Worchester Sauce, HP* Sauce, Sharwood's* curry powders, Bird's* custard, Red Devil* hot sauce or Tabasco*  What do you miss/use as substitute?
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Post by Raoul Duke on Aug 31, 2006 2:28:45 GMT 7
Actually, I don't miss all that much. For one thing, I don't cook a lot. I live alone at the moment, and I firmly believe that cooking for one should be illegal. Also, I live near a large city and I can go there and enter one of the horribly overpriced grocery stores for laowai (in this case, City Supermarket in Shanghai) and find most of the things I want. Beyond that, kind friends have brought me many of the things I couldn't find here (Old Bay seasoning, ancho chili powder, etc.). So I really want for relatively little in this regard. I'm currently the proud owner of chorizos, pepper jack cheese, a can of beef chili, picante sauce, blue corn tortilla chips, sour cream, and fresh flour tortillas. I'm going to buy some eggs and onions, put on the Mexican hat, and cook myself up a case of heartburn I may never fully recover from. Illegal or not.  |
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Post by AMonk on Aug 31, 2006 2:38:09 GMT 7
 Bon Appetit, mon frere
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Post by Missi on Aug 31, 2006 5:32:22 GMT 7
Custurd you can get from your local bakers, it takes a little charming up the manager to get it, but for a can of powder it sabotu 20RMB
Curry Powder you can get yellow curry from McCormick
Hot Sauce China has hot souces so much better than anything I could find back home. My friends mothers makes me a jar full of hot sauce every few weeks.
HP Sauce- I make my own BBQ sauce
I have to agree with Raoul on this one, The first few months that I was here, I missed western spices. Now I hardly even think most of the spices in my cupboards back home. I also grow my own herb garden mainly for fennel(tea) and dill.
Raoul enjoy the heartburn....... it sounds like it will be worth it!!!!
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Post by George61 on Aug 31, 2006 5:41:25 GMT 7
Of course, if you could cook properly, you wouldn't get heartburn!!  |
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Post by Mr Nobody on Aug 31, 2006 7:29:10 GMT 7
Lee & Perrin's* Worchester Sauce, HP* Sauce, Sharwood's* curry powders, Bird's* custard, Red Devil* hot sauce or Tabasco* Lee & Perrins is used in southern style chinese cooking as a sauce for Beef Balls at Yum Cha and is thus reasonably available in many areas at larger supermarkets. Sharwoods, nope, never seen them but I don't eat curry. Custard powder I can't find anywhere in my city, but found some in Dongguan so I bought some. Later I will try the suggestion, ask a bakery, good idea. Tabasco is easy, along with a bunch of other related type sauces. Good cream is also hard to find when dairies are thin on the ground. I am also having trouble finding Equal or other artificial sweeteners, as these are thought to be harmful here. Maybe this should be moved to somewhere people can find info? |
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Post by Stil on Aug 31, 2006 11:26:12 GMT 7
Many spices can be found in medicine shops rather than grocers. Curry is common, called 'gali'.
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Post by Dr. Gonzo on Aug 31, 2006 14:07:40 GMT 7
Yep, the GALI powder is readily available, if raw and lacking in real flavor. But I found it better to grind my own paste: onions, garlic, ginger, chilli, some cumin powder [from your local Xinjiang restaurant if nowhere else], some tomato paste, coconut milk, etc. A spoonful of the orange curry powder [mostly turmeric I think] adds color.
A made in Shanghai Worcestershire sauce I've even found in Asian supermarkets in Oz. It was 5Y a big bottle in China.
Chinese restaurants make a very nice steamed custard from base ingredients: no custard powder involved.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Aug 31, 2006 15:46:33 GMT 7
Wow, lots of good stuff in here...
I'm with Missi...hot sauces here kick ass and definitely do what I need. An ayi in Shanghai made me a big jar of hot sauce/chili paste that I'm still using...in fact, my great-grandkids will be using this stuff. A tiny bit on the end of a toothpick or chopstick will warm up about anything.
However, Tabasco is indeed easy and can be found if you search a while.
I'll also second Gonzo...Chinese curry is really wimpy and disappointing. Bring it in or make your own or just go to a good Indian restaurant and order the Lamb Vindaloo!
I know a guy here who is a curry fanatic and makes his own. I'll see if he has any tips for us.
Gerge, with Mexican food (and curry, for that matter) heartburn is a sign of success! Ay! Carrumba!
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Post by George61 on Aug 31, 2006 16:20:22 GMT 7
Coincidently, I am cooking curried chicken, literally as I write!! I won't get heartburn, though. I am doing it gently in the rice cooker. Will add apple and raisins later..Alas, no bananas!! A sweet, hot curried chicken on rice, is to devour!!............devoutly.
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Post by Missi on Aug 31, 2006 19:38:39 GMT 7
Speaking of curry, I need help. How exactly do you cook it? It may seem stupid, but I usually just add a tsp or more to some odds that I feel like eating and pouring it over meat. I loved the curry sauce I got in an Indian restaurant in Yiwu, it was thick and well, you could eat with your hands and that was just fun.
If you want to find some hot sauce, ask your Chinese friends if their mothers make any. I have tried many from the store shelves, but none compare. I wish there was a way to bottle up this goodness and ship it home.
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Post by George61 on Aug 31, 2006 19:56:48 GMT 7
How do you cook a curry? Bloody simple! Just chuck curry powder into whatever you're cooking, and it becomes a curry!! There are probably a brazillion and one ways to cook curry, but that's the easiest!
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Post by cheekygal on Aug 31, 2006 20:01:48 GMT 7
Here's my way of cooking curry (inherrited from ex-mom in law): 1) South-Indian style: Heat up oil in a frying pan, throw in some cloves, cummin seeds, a table spoon of curry. Stir-fry on slow fire for about 2 mins. Throw in onions and garlic and also a piece of ginger cut really finely. Fry till golden. Put chicken in, cover and let it simmer, occasionally stirring, for about 10 mins on medium fire. Then pour in the following mixture: dissolve in 1 big glass of warm-ish water 2 tablespoons of coconut powder and 1-2tablespoons of curry powder and salt. Stir chicken in it and let it cook on slow fire for about 10 mins. Then add potatos (medium size, cut into 4-6 cubes). Let it cook till ready on slow fire. 2) Northern style: Soak chicken overnight in a following mixture: 1 plastic can of yogurt (sweet yogurt but without flavours would also do) and 2 tablespoons of curry (mixed with few cloves and a drop of cummin seeds). Store in fridge. Next day take chicken out 1 hour before cooking. Heat up oil in the frying pan, put the soaked chicken and the sauce into it. Stir-fry for about 10-15 mins. Add salted water (depending on how thick you want your curry), potatos and cook it till done. The amount of ingredients depends on your appetites. E.g. 10 chicken wings (but the ones that look like legs - dont know what that part is called) would require 3 medium size potatos. All could be found in any supermarket. So... no hastle  |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Aug 31, 2006 20:21:13 GMT 7
How do you cook a curry? Bloody simple! Just chuck curry powder into whatever you're cooking, and it becomes a curry!!! Dear God, we ask you to overlook this man's post and have mercy upon his benighted heathen soul...  |
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Post by Missi on Aug 31, 2006 20:38:55 GMT 7
I got the easiest down pat, jsut wanted the more.... complicated way.......
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Post by George61 on Aug 31, 2006 20:46:09 GMT 7
How do you cook a curry? Bloody simple! Just chuck curry powder into whatever you're cooking, and it becomes a curry!!! Dear God, we ask you to overlook this man's post and have mercy upon his benighted heathen soul...  Peasant!!  |
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Post by Mr Nobody on Aug 31, 2006 21:48:50 GMT 7
Most curry isn't food, it is a poisonous substance that makes me hurl. I can eat red and green curries, but yellow is a no no.
I'll just leave it to the heathens who think that the point of food is to kill the taste with nasty pungent spices rather than to add savour.
Cheers.
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Post by George61 on Aug 31, 2006 22:00:00 GMT 7
Also peasant!! |
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Post by AMonk on Sept 2, 2006 16:18:00 GMT 7
 For those of you who are Purists....the (universally approved/used) ingredients are Cumin Turmeric Fenugreek Coriander Of course some other seasonings may be added to suit individual tastes.....garlic, ginger, clove, fennel, etc... ps Missi: I add HP* to my BBQ sauce rather than using it "as is".
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Post by Missi on Sept 2, 2006 17:56:28 GMT 7
I was in Thailand and they made the most delicious green chicken curry and they said something in Thai about how to make it and all I understood was coconut. This one is one I want to learn to make.
Another is a yellow curry I had while in Yiwu that was thick and creamy.
PS- AMonk, when you come to China can I come over for a BBQ?
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Post by AMonk on Sept 2, 2006 23:19:27 GMT 7
Of Course!!!
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Post by Dr. Gonzo on Sept 3, 2006 3:04:07 GMT 7
Thai curries use shrimp paste: vile on its own, fantastic when a small quantity is blended into a coconut cream sauce. Lemon grass is another key ingredient, as are kaffir lime leaves, and fish sauce which is available in China. Watch out, its very salty. If you're ever in The Big Smoke, eg Shanghai, you should be able to buy Thai curry paste at a City Supermarket, and even Carrefour stocks coconut cream. Or get someone at home to mail you some sachets. I was making Thai curries in Guilin in 1997. thaifood.about.com/od/thaicurrypasterecipes/r/greencurrypaste.htm |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Sept 3, 2006 12:00:45 GMT 7
I like Thai curries better than Chinese curries, but I still prefer the full-bore, mucous-membrane-destroying, eye-popping, sweat-raising, down-and-funky power of the Indian curries. The rest just don't have enough punch...
Vindaloo and Bollywood! Yah saar!
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Post by Raoul Duke on Sept 11, 2006 2:29:33 GMT 7
Just wanted to report that the Mexican cookery was a great success. Even better than I imagined it the last couple of years... Serious thanks to Dolly for the gift of chorizos. If more happened to fall in your bag on your way back...  It's such a comfort to get a taste of home once in a blue moon... And I come from a place where we take hot, spicy Mexican food purty durn serious...  Raoul's Impossible-to-Reproduce-in-China Burritos RancherosChop half a large onion, half a bulb of garlic, and 1-2 seeded hot jian jiao (Anaheim peppers) and saute until they just begin to soften. Drain and remove from heat. Dice 4 chorizos (I had the dry kind) into small cubes and saute until hot. Drain excess oil, return to heat, and stir in the veggie mix. Once hot, scramble in 8 small fresh eggs until the eggs are firm. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Spoon a bit of the egg mixture into tortillas (I prefer flour for this one) and roll into burritos. Cover the burritos with grated pepper jack cheese and microwave a moment until the cheese melts. Cover with salsa picante (hotter the better), place dollops of sour cream on the burritos. Serve. Ay! Carrumba! Feeds at least 3, maybe 4 if you roll the burritos smaller (or use more eggs) and supplement with something like Spanish rice and refried beans. Suggested dessert: Calcium antacids such as Tums or Rolaids. |
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Post by Mr Nobody on Sept 12, 2006 14:47:48 GMT 7
We get a sausage around here that will probably do an OK substitute for Chorizos. I was so happy to find something that wasn't sweet. Some are a bit hot for me, but most are a nice smokey bitey sort of thing. They are a bit thin and a bit fattier thatn chorizos, but I think you could manage.
There is a chinese pancake thing that is similar to a flour tortilla, too. My wife makes them.
Sour cream would take doing. Still working on that.
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