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What's For Dinner?

ajqtrz

Chef - loquacious Old Dog
Because you are right, I will document what I said and thus, show my mistake(s). And thank you for the correction as well. I do love learning new things! LOL

"The main difference between chow mein and lo mein is that different methods are used to make these stir-fry noodles. Both chow mein and lo mein use wheat-flour egg noodles. More authentic chow mein noodles are fried to crispness, while lo mein noodles are boiled to softness." whatsthedifference.com

Having said that, mei fun is a noodle made from rice.

"Mei fun is a well known form of thin noodles that have traditionally been made with just rice and water, but have now been developed to include a wide range of ingredients, including egg and wheat to make the noodles more enjoyable for people from a variety of different countries around the world." www.chinesefoodrecipe.cc

"Mein or mian is simply the Chinese word for noodles. Lo Mein means "tossed noodles," while chow mein or chao mian means "fried noodles." https://www.thespruceeats.com/lo-mein-vs-chow-mein-694238

Thus, if it's "chow me fun" it could be any type of noodle though traditionally it would be a crispy fried rice noodle. My mistake was in thinking "mein" and "mei" were related (which they are), but "mei fun" refers to thin rice noodles, while "mein" to wheat and egg noodles. All of which is, apparently, changing right before our eyes as "mei fun" is no longer assumed to be made with rice noodles only. in any case, the dish is, as you correctly said, "mei fun" and I have been duley corrected. The only question I had was if the noodles are "chow" or not, since "chow" refers to the method of preparation (as you pointed out) and the picture is not clear to me if the noodles are fried or not.

Now that I've washed the egg noodles off my face, I'll carry on.

AJ
 

Vergazi

Well-Known Member
@ajqtrz thanks for that, but I was never so put out that you had to. About chow mei fun being a crispy fried rice noodle. The dish i was served and the videos i watched of preparing it made it clear that the noodles, in this particular dish, are neither fried crisp nor soft. They are a strange in-between texture that is at once dryish without being dry and crisp, and moist without being wet and soft. It does seem like a contradiction doesn't it? It's worth the effort to make though and there are lots of recipes out there in the ether. If you love curry powder it's especially great.
 

ajqtrz

Chef - loquacious Old Dog
I'm developing my own line of curry powder. Red, Green, Yellow and several other more regional ones. I love curry! If you do too, you should get "50 Great Curries of India" by Camellia Panjabi. It has a very good introduction to the types of curries and the ingredients you might like to try. And quite a few really good recipes thrown in too.

This morning I had Curried Rice with Eggs. I started by cooking a few sweet pepper bits, some onion and garlic in sesame seed oil. Once the onion was near caramelized I added 1 cup fresh cooked white rice (not sticky as that just clumps up). I stirred this for a couple minutes to get everything hot and coated with the oil then I mixed panang curry, evaporated milk and eggs together until the curry paste was evenly distributed into the eggs. Poured this over the rice and stirred it altogether. Turned up the heat to medium, covered for 3 or 4 minutes and plated. It is delicious....well, was delicious, sigh. LOL.

And I never feel forced to admit a mistake but instead feel relieved that I discovered it rather than repeating it. Bad information thrives when those who discover it's bad information keep that little piece of the puzzle to themselves. Of course, as the saying goes, "to err is human, to admit it takes a saint!" LOL!

AJ
 

Vergazi

Well-Known Member
@Laochra I never have had taco dip but I looked up a recipe for a version of it and it looked like gwunka to me. That's my personal word for really good eats. As in it's soooo good it lowers your IQ to that of an animal and it's like a caveman saying, "Cragor like gwunka!" TMI? :confused:
 

ajqtrz

Chef - loquacious Old Dog
Ok, that's awesome I love curry! But we NEED pictures! :rolleyes:

Hmmm..... what? my simple and elegant description does not trigger in your "mind's eye" a vision of deliciousness so great that a picture could do nothing to add to the sensation? It's food! It's good! And it's curry! What more need be said? LOL

I've never been a picture taker and even if I did I'd have to learn how to get the pictures off the camera an into this forum. I actually think we use pictures too much and should use our imaginations instead. A picture may be worth a thousand words but needs more interpretation than the thousand words.

On the other hand maybe I'll try it anyway.....(What is that flesh colored blob in this picture? Oh, my thumb!)

AJ
 

ajqtrz

Chef - loquacious Old Dog
IMG_20190618_174128[1].jpg


Recipe:

Dad’s Black Bean and Bacon Soup

1 lb bag of black beans
2 tsp salt
1 TBS “Better than Bullion” beef base or the equivalent of bullion
2 16oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes with juices
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large sweet red pepper chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS lime juice
½ 10 bag frozen carrots OR 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
12 oz package of bacon
2 TBS Cumin
3 Bay leaves
1 TBS Paprika
1 TBS Black Pepper

Soak beans overnight in enough lightly salted water so that when the soaking is done there is still about 1 to 1.5 inches of water over the beans.

In the pressure cooker cook the beans. I cook them for 30 minutes and then keep them on hold for 2 hours so they are firm but soft.

As you finish he beans fry the bacon until it’s medium done – not crisp but so the fat has melted to a considerable degree. Remove the bacon and use the grease to fry the garlic and onion until the onion just starts to caramelize.

Transfer the beans from the pressure cooker to a large pot – or you might cook them in the pressure cooker, though that’s not how I do it I imagine it might work fine.

In a cup dissolve the bullion completely. Add to the beans and stir it in. Then add the other ingredients, including the spices. Salt to taste.

Once everything is added adjust the amount of water if needed (I think I needed to add some at this point but don’t remember). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, simmer for 1 – 2 hours.

Top with crispy fried onions or croutons.

Serve and enjoy.

This soup is not spicy but mild with a complex, slightly sweet, slightly sour taste, I think it would go well with cornbread or muffins.

AJ
 
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