Asia - Retro Food For Modern Times

Category: Asia

09
Jul
2023

Chinese Lemon Chicken: Evil Under The Sun

categories: Chicken, China, Dining With The Dame, Poirot

Hello crime readers and food lovers! Welcome to Dining with the Dame for July and a collab with Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers. We have been reading/watching Evil Under The Sun. I loved this book. It reminded me of both Triangle in Rhodes and Death on the Nile, books I also loved. Maybe I just love an ill-fated love triangle. I was very disappointed that there was no food mentioned in this one – it is set in the delightfully named Jolly Roger Hotel (based on the Burgh Island Hotel). I would have thought that we might get the details of at least one meal in such a grand establishment but sadly that was not to be. Enter Jenny to save the day with a recipe for not just any old Chinese Lemon Chicken but David Suchet’s Chinese Lemon Chicken!!! I almost feel like we have two special guests this time round, Jenny and David Suchet! What an amazing dinner party that would be!

Evil Under The Sun -The Plot

Hercule Poirot is on holiday at the Jolly Roger Hotel in Devon. The hotel, which as mentioned has a very real-life counterpart, is located on a causeway that is underwater during high tide, accessible only via boat (book) or sea tractor (real life). One wonders why Hercule Poirot who, as we know suffers badly from “la mal de mer” would choose to holiday on an island remains unexplained in the book. The Poirot episode of Evil Under The Sun, explains this by saying that the hotel is a wellness spa that Poirot must attend for his health.

We have:

Stephen Redfern and Arlena Marshall, both married, (not to each other) having a very public attraction to each other
Two upset spouses
Arlena strangled to death on the beach
One of the other guests almost beaned by a bottle thrown out of a window
An oddly timed bath
A troubled teen buying candles
Arlena’s husband and his childhood sweetheart both being lying liars who lie
Drug smuggling in Pixy Cove
A reverend obsessed with evil in general and evil women in particular

Good thing we have Poirot on hand to solve the mystery of whodunnit!

Evil Under The Sun – The Covers

Again, the Christie covers do not fail to disappoint. Except maybe that Hawaiian Dancing Girl in Les Vacances D’Hercule Poirot…which…nice try French people but not really relevant! The impressionist-style Russian title (top left) is gorgeous! I also really like the second row far right which to me has a bleached-out California 1960s vibe. It may be more Helter Skelter than Hercule Poirot but is very attractive all the same. I also really like bottom row, second from the right, which gives a nod to Arlena’s red hair, green Chinese hat and Linda’s foray into witchery.

The Recipe – Chinese Lemon Chicken

Chinese kimonos are optional but heartily recommended!

I was feeling lazy the first night we ate this and served it with some bought fried rice and spring rolls. The second night, I stir-fried up some kale and cashew nuts to eat with the Chinese Lemon chicken. Both worked really well.

Emily Brewster said..”this isn’t the sort of place you’d get a body!”

Hercule Poirot stirred a little in his chair. He protested. He said:

“But why not Mademoiselle? Why should there not be what you call a “body” here on Smuggler’s Island?”

Emily Brewster said: “I don’t know. I suppose some places are more unlikley than others. This isn’t the kind of spot –” She broke off, finding it difficult to explain her meaning.

“It is romantic, yes, ” agreed Hercule Poirot. “It is peaceful. The sun shines. The sea is blue. But you forget Miss Brewster, there is evil everywhere under the sun:

Agatha Christie – Evil Under The Sun

A Slight Tangent on Poirot’s Attire

“There was one very important person (in his own estimation at least) staying at the Jolly Roger. Hercule Poirot, resplendent in a white duck suit , with a panama hat tilted over his eyes, his moustaches magnificently befurled, lay back in an improved type of deck char and surveyed the bathing beach”

Now, if like me, you are not 100% familiar with male couture of the late 1930’s and have only a limited idea of what a duck suit is…let me give you some advice. Unless you specify 1930’s duck suit in your search, you are more likely to get a whole heap of this:

And not a lot of this!

Also, speaking of costumes, I have not seen the Peter Ustinov version of Evil Under The Sun but I will pay good money for it, just to see this scene!

Magnifique, as Poirot himself might say! (Peter Ustinov also looks like je might be about to tuck into a place of Chinese Lemon Chicken in that kimono!)

And on Casting…

I know that the Poirot version of Evil Under The Sun is not held in high regard by many people. However, I think Michael Higgs is perfectly cast as Patrick Redmond. He is undeniably handsome but also has a slightly dissolute air about him – a combination the French would call louche and good girls everywhere who love a bad boy call hot! (Also louche is one of my favourite words and finally after 11 years I get to use it on the blog!)

Equally Tamzin Malleson is perfect as Christine Redmond:

Links to The Christieverse

Mrs Gardner mentions “That business in Egypt when Linet Ridgeway was killed” referring to Death on The Nile (and also possibly setting the scene for another love triangle?)

When Colonel Weston talks of “that affair at St Loo” he is referring to Three Act Tragedy

Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in Evil Inder The Sun

Strawberry Jam
Dry Martini
Bacon and Eggs (of course)
Cup of Tea x 2
Poisoned Chocolates
Devonshire cream
Sandwiches

Thanks to Jenny for providing the David Suchet recipe, I hope you enjoyed your foray into the world of Agatha Christie! For everyone else, please pop over to Silver Screen Suppers to see Jenny’s take on the recipe. (I will link to it when it is up).

August’s read will be N or M. I finished reading it today and it is a super Tommy and Tuppence World War 2 Thriller! I am reading ahead because I am on holiday for part of August so need to be super organised to make sure I can get that post out before I leave.

Have a great week!

05
Mar
2023

Thai Cucumber Boats

categories: 1980's Food, Cucumber, ThaiLand

Hello friends! Today we are eating Thai Cucumber Boats from Vogue Entertaining Oct / Nov 1989. This recipe comes from an article about Thai Cook Joe Bangkok. Apparently back in 1989 people couldn’t be arsed learning how to pronounce Asian people’s names properly. I mean why bother when you can just give them some rubbish Anglicised nickname? Welcome to 1989, the year the Berlin Wall came down, the Velvet Revolution happened in Czechoslovakia, tanks ran over protesters in Tiananmen Square and casual racism was alive and well in Sydney! But enough sniping, there is a whole lot to be happy about with these Thai Cucumber boats!

These are pretty much my perfect idea of hot-weather food. A couple of these with an ice-cold beer on a hot summer night is pretty much my idea of heaven!

Thai Cucumber Boats – The Recipe

To make it even easier, I used rare roast beef from the deli and did not sauté the onions as per the recipe. My version means there is no cooking involved in this recipe! Perfect for summer! I also sprinkled some chopped-up peanuts over the top of my boats for some extra crunch!

Of course, you could just slice up the cucumbers and place the rest of the ingredients on top. TBH, cutting the cucumbers into boats was fiddly and took quite a bit of time. However, then you would lose the delightful retro kitsch of the boat!

Also, keep the scooped-out bits of cuke for another day!

The Perfect Soundtrack For Your Thai Cucumber Boats

I am currently reading The Shards, the new novel by Bret Easton Ellis which is set around the same time as this recipe was originally published. Now, whether you love or hate BEE is not a topic for discussion here. What I do want to mention is that the book is absolutely crammed with musical references. So much so that I was inspired to make a playlist so I could have the soundtrack playing while I was reading I went to Spotify only to find that many people had already done just that.

My favourite is this one (pictured below) which lists every song in the order it is mentioned in the book. If you like 80s pop / punk / new wave you will love this playlist. Mind you, there is also a lot of garbage on there too! But I can heartily recommend, on your next hot summer night, make these Thai Cucumber Boats, put some beer on ice and crank up this playlist. It will take you right back to the 80s!

As for the book, I am about 5 hours into what is a 23-hour-long audiobook so I’ve got a long way to go yet!

Hopefully, the good weather holds and I can have another evening with the Thai Cukes and The Shards playlist soon!

Have a great week!

07
Aug
2022

Fish with with Mulligatawny Flavours

categories: Curry, Daily News, Fish, Modern Times, Sri Lanka

The Daily News Cookery Book is a stalwart of Sri Lankan Cooking, first published in 1929. My mum was given a copy as a wedding present which we still have and I have a copy of the 2013 edition which seems to be a paperback copy of the 1964 edition without the vintage ads but with all the quirkiness. This quirkiness oftentimes means it is not the easiest book to cook from. The methods of cooking can seem outdated, the measurements can be odd. So, I often use it more as an inspiration rather than something to follow exactly. This is how my dish of Fish with Mulligatawny Flavours came about. It was so tasty and delicious that I wanted to share it – and after all, it is truly revamping a retro dish for modern times!

So, I hear you ask, why not just make this as a mulligatawny? I had some really nice roti and I wanted to dip that bread into something thicker than a soup. A curry gravy seemed like the perfect thing. So, why not just call it a fish curry? I wanted to recognise the OG recipe which was for a fish mulligatawny. There are also some very non-traditional ingredients here – for instance, you would never see Thai Basil in a traditional Sri Lankan curry. However, I love its flavour, particularly with fish! Roti is also not a traditional accompaniment for Sri Lankan food – we do have a coconut roti but this is not the flaky type of bread I am referring to here.

Fish With Mulligatawny Flavours – The Recipes

And now here is the OG recipe. You can, of course, choose to make this version if you wish. Please let me know how it turns out if you do! If not keep reading for my version!

Fish with with Mulligatawny Flavours

Print Recipe

A modern take on a vintage recipe for Fish Mulligatawny

Author: Taryn Nicole

Ingredients

Scale

4 red onions, 2 sliced, 2 chopped finely
1 sprig of curry leaves (about 20 leaves)
2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil, split
*450g-600g fish fillets (I used Rockling) but any white fish would work.
1 270ml can of coconut milk
200g vegetable stock
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, grated
2cm stick of cinnamon
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 10cm stick of celery cut in 4 pieces
150g of green beans, chopped (optional)
Salt

To Serve:

Lime cheeks
Thai basil or Coriander
Roti or Rice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Heat half the ghee or coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the sliced onions, half the curry leaves and a pinch of salt.
Drop the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are a deep brown. Take your time with this, it took me 20 minutes to get the onions as dark as I wanted them. Remove these from the pan and set aside.

Wipe the pan and add the rest of the coconut oil / ghee.
Once this is melted turn down the heat and add the chopped onions, the rest of the curry leaves, the coriander, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and celery.
Cook stirring often until the spices are fragrant and the onions are softened.
Add the stock and coconut milk. Cook this mixture down until the gravy reaches the consistency of thickened cream.
Add the beans, if you are using them, to the pan.
Sprinkle your fish fillets with salt and add to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your fish. When you turn the fish over, add the chopped tomatoes.
Check for taste – add more salt and or a squeeze of lime to balance out the flavours.
Remove the cinnamon stick and the pieces of celery.**

To Serve

Place a fillet of fish on each place, spoon over the gravy and top each piece of fish with the reserved onion and curry leaf mix.
Garnish with coriander, Thai basil and lime wedges
Serve with rice and/or flaky roti to soak up that lovely gravy.

Enjoy!

Notes

*I had 450g of fish which was three fillets however there was a lot of gravy so you could easily add another fillet in for this same quantity.

** I do not like the texture of cooked celery so I like to remove it before serving. If you are happy to eat it, chop the celery into smaller slices, as you would when making a soup and leave it in.

This is a lovely gently spiced delicate dish – the perfect response to anyone who thinks that all Sri Lankan food is blow your head off hot!

I also found myself eating the leftover gravy with more of that roti the following day and it was also delicious!

I hope you have enjoyed my updating of this old recipe!

Have a great week!

24
Jan
2021

Pink Dawn Salad

categories: Prawns, Salad, ThaiLand, World Cooking

Hello friends! Today we are talking Thai. I love Thai food in general but I absolutely love Thai salads – my favourite is green papaya or green mango salad but a Thai beef salad or a banana blossom salad are also fine by me. I love their freshness and zing! So I had high hopes for a Thai inspired salad with a lovely name – Pink Dawn Salad. This comes from Good Housekeepings World Cookery (1972). Imagine this as a salad – the perfect mix of colours becoming the perfect Thai mix of sweet, salt, hot and sour!

Gorgeous huh? And now that I’ve set your expectations….let’s take a look at the salad. I mean, I knew from the ingredients that it was not going to be a typical Thai salad but it was definitely touted as such by the press back in the 1970’s. I found an article from back in 1978 in the Vancouver Sun that contains this same recipe which certainly implies if not downright states that this is an authentic Thai Salad. Anyway, here it is…

Hmm…not great is it?

There was nothing wrong with the Pink Dawn Salad. I like eggs, tomatoes and prawns. I’m not that keen on bananas but Holy likes them…

Between the two of us, we ate it all. It was just…meh. Boring…bland…not really cohesive. Not a bit Thai. And only marginally pink.

I’m calling a fail on the Pink Dawn Salad – the great name did not equate to great flavour. And I had to skin tomatoes which is something I find weirdly repulsive.

Pink Dawn Salad – The Recipe

Here it is…although I can’t recommend that you give it a try.

If you are looking for a good Thai salad, I made this a few days ago and it was heaven!!!! It was actually this on a plate!

Have a great week!

07
Jan
2021

Barbecued Chicken with Spiced Ketchup

categories: 1970's food, 1970's recipes, Asia, Chicken, Chicken & Poultry, World Cooking

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a recipe for Barbecued Chicken with Spiced Ketchup which comes from the Malaya, Siam and Indonesia chapter of Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery (1972). From the name, I thought this recipe was going to be for chicken in a spicy tomato sauce. Which would have been fine. This, however, was so much better! This. is ketchup, Jim but not as we know it!

This “ketchup” is made out of garlic, onions, sambal oelek (a chilli paste) soy sauce and lemon. Not a tomato in sight! Which lead me down a rabbit hole into the origins of ketchup. Turns out this may be closer to the original than what we commonly recognise today as ketchup or as we in Australia call it, tomato sauce. The tomato version has been around for a long time – just look at this ad from 1933!

And just to show that Heinz can patronise men as well as women, how about this add for He-Ketchup.

The History of Ketchup

Fascinating as these ads are, let’s head even further back into the past to look at the history of ketchup. There are a few theories but ketchup most likely originated in Asia. The word either derives from the Hokkien word ke-tsiap or from the Malay word kecap. Kecap Manis is a Malysian sweet soy sauce which could be a distant relation to the original which was a fermented fish sauce. Possibly like the one still used in Vietnamese cooking.

And don’t let those ads from the 1930’s fool you. According to no less than history.com

The 18th century was a golden age for ketchup

Who knew? Anyway, the short version is the fermented fish sauce made its way to England. And the Brits went mad for all sorts of ketchups. Lemons, oysters, mushrooms, walnuts, fruit – you name it there was probably ketchup made out of it! And then in 1812 (somebody cue up that overture), James Mease from Philadelphia developed a recipe for tomato ketchup. And apart from a few artisan brands, all those other kinds of ketchup have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Barbecued Chicken with Spiced Ketchup – The Recipe

The Barbecued Chicken with Spiced Ketchup or to give it its non-English name Ajam Panggang Boemboe Ketjap was delicious and very easy to make! As you can see from the picture, I served it with plain boiled rice as the recipe suggested. If I was to add anything, I would have added a little tomato, red onion and coriander salad maybe with some fresh green chilli to add a fresh element but it was fine without. It would be very nice comfort food on a cold winter evening!

Also, I used chicken thighs for my recipe, not a whole chicken as suggested.

Have a wonderful week, friends, stay safe and look after yourselves and others!