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[Bauglir]

Well, the trick is that the spices are practically definitive of the dish. You'll need turmeric* and cumin, absolutely. I hear coriander is also considered important, but I dunno about that. You'll probably want black pepper, garlic, and chili pepper. What I would do is fry up a bunch of vegetables in oil (carrots and onions, certainly, and whatever else you want to go in there), then add all your spices, plus some coconut milk or whole fruit (which ones work are kind of dicey, but I've never had problems with citrus or pineapple), and stir it until everything's well-mixed and simmering. If you use meat, throw that in just after the spices, and wait for it to cook before adding your water source (the coconut milk or fruit). I could write up a more formal recipe, if you'd like, but it'll be a while since I wouldn't want to post it without making it first, to make sure I'm not forgetting something.

*I am told saffron works as a substitute, if you are outrageously wealthy.

[GiglameshDespair]

I always use discount curry sauce.
20p jar of curry sauce
2 pork shoulder steaks, cut into chunks
1 onion
Frozen peppers
Frozen mushrooms
Frozen veg (either stirfry mix or standard mix)

Put a half-cup of rice on to cook.

Fry up the onions, the pork until the pork is almost cooked through and the onions are softened. Add the peppers and mushrooms, stirfry mix if you're havign that.
Once all that is cooked add the curry sauce and standard veg mix (peas, diced carrot, etc) and simmer for a while.

Drain rice, add to plate in a doughnut sort of shape, add the curry into the 'hole' of the doughnut.

Eat.

That's what i do, but i'm just a poor uni student, so others no doubt do it differently. I don't add any herbs or spices beyond what's already in the curry sauce. If you like tomatoes added diced tinned tomato with the curry sauce and lettign it simmer makes it nice and tomato-y.

[Sappho]

Here's a funny story for you all. In Czech, there is a spice called kmín. They put it in just about everything. When I first came to Prague, I assumed it was cumin - after all, the name is almost identical, and the seeds look exactly the same.

The short version is, I tried making some daal with that stuff, and it did not taste AT ALL right. I finally figured out that one of the spices was wrong, and started translating to see where I messed up. Turns out kmín is caraway.

(Of course they don't smell/taste anything like the same, but I had never cooked with it before coming to Prague, so I didn't realize what it was supposed to smell/taste like. When I finally found "řimský kmín," ("Greek cumin"), I immediately recognized the smell when I opened the package.)

[Mesa]

Kmin/caraway is a thing in Poland, too.
And my sister hates it for arbitrary reasons.


Also, ketchup/mayonnaise/mustard in equal parts make the best dip sauce ever.
Seriously, make it. It's the easiest thing, ever, cheap and goes great with everything that ketchup/mayonnaise/mustard go well with.

[VerdantSF]

I finally figured out that one of the spices was wrong, and started translating to see where I messed up. Turns out kmín is caraway.

Yeah, that's a pretty big difference!  Although I like the spice, I associate it strongly with rye bread.  No matter what I put it in, it feels like I'm eating rye bread.

[scrdest]

I finally figured out that one of the spices was wrong, and started translating to see where I messed up. Turns out kmín is caraway.

Yeah, that's a pretty big difference!  Although I like the spice, I associate it strongly with rye bread.  No matter what I put it in, it feels like I'm eating rye bread.

Ugh, I hate caraway, it just tastes really fucking weird to me.

[Bauglir]

It is an amazing addition to tomato sauce, though.

[Yoink]

Speaking of curry, I don't have the means or the knowledge to make it currently, but there's a Hare Krishna restaurant near my house and if you get their takeaway meals, they cram like... four different curries into the one plastic container with rice.
That might sound, I don't know, weird, but it tastes delicious. Eating just one curry on its own cannot compete.

[Sappho]

Speaking of curry, I don't have the means or the knowledge to make it currently, but there's a Hare Krishna restaurant near my house and if you get their takeaway meals, they cram like... four different curries into the one plastic container with rice.
That might sound, I don't know, weird, but it tastes delicious. Eating just one curry on its own cannot compete.

There's one of those here, too. Their food is fantastic. And I love eating in the restaurant. There's always a few tables set aside on a raised platform, low tables with cushions to sit on, you take your shoes off and sit properly Indian-style. Always smells nice there, too. And if you go after 5 pm, the food is half price (assuming there's anything left). I should find an excuse to go there soon...

[VerdantSF]

It is an amazing addition to tomato sauce, though.

I think I'll try that .

[Avis-Mergulus]

Here's a funny story for you all. In Czech, there is a spice called kmín. They put it in just about everything. When I first came to Prague, I assumed it was cumin - after all, the name is almost identical, and the seeds look exactly the same.

The short version is, I tried making some daal with that stuff, and it did not taste AT ALL right. I finally figured out that one of the spices was wrong, and started translating to see where I messed up. Turns out kmín is caraway.

(Of course they don't smell/taste anything like the same, but I had never cooked with it before coming to Prague, so I didn't realize what it was supposed to smell/taste like. When I finally found "řimský kmín," ("Greek cumin"), I immediately recognized the smell when I opened the package.)

In Russia, caraway is тмин ("tmin"). So it must be a general "Slavs have naming convention; rest of world not invited" thing.
Also, shouldn't "řimský kmín" be "Roman cumin"?

[scrdest]

Here's a funny story for you all. In Czech, there is a spice called kmín. They put it in just about everything. When I first came to Prague, I assumed it was cumin - after all, the name is almost identical, and the seeds look exactly the same.

The short version is, I tried making some daal with that stuff, and it did not taste AT ALL right. I finally figured out that one of the spices was wrong, and started translating to see where I messed up. Turns out kmín is caraway.

(Of course they don't smell/taste anything like the same, but I had never cooked with it before coming to Prague, so I didn't realize what it was supposed to smell/taste like. When I finally found "řimský kmín," ("Greek cumin"), I immediately recognized the smell when I opened the package.)

In Russia, caraway is тмин ("tmin"). So it must be a general "Slavs have naming convention; rest of world not invited" thing.
Also, shouldn't "řimský kmín" be "Roman cumin"?

Over here in Poland, it's 'kminek' for caraway and 'kmin (rzymski)' (i.e. Roman cumin) for cumin. The former is a diminuitive of the latter, and since the two are related closely to the point of looking alike, hardly surprising.

[Sappho]

Also, shouldn't "řimský kmín" be "Roman cumin"?

Yes. Yes it should. I was... just testing you all. I definitely didn't forget my Czech words. Definitely not.

[Sappho]

I wanted a drink tonight and didn't feel up to making svařák (mulled wine), so I figured I'd just have a glass of regular wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, the type used to make svařák. Red wine.

I'm told this is a good one, but after my first sip, I remembered why I never drink red wine (unless spiced and hot): it tastes like crap.

White wine is better, but not great. But red wine... Every single type of red wine I've ever tasted has tasted exactly the same. It tastes like funky vinegar. I know that wine can go to vinegar eventually, but I mean, even if I'm having a glass from a bottle shared with friends, and they all remark on how good it is, it just tastes awful to me. Swallowing it feels like trying to eat a spoonful of salt. I keep trying to "acquire" this taste, but it never works.

I'm posting this here because I'm wondering if this is something similar to the coriander leaf (or cilantro) thing that's come up recently. Cilantro tastes just fine to me (though it destroys my breath for at least a day no matter how much I brush and floss), but wine... Blegh.

Anyone else have the same problem? Any advice?

I also heard recently that the "asparagus pee" thing doesn't affect everyone. I love asparagus and have never noticed anything unusual when I pee afterwards, so apparently I'm one of the random people who doesn't get it. Someone should do a study and see if these things are linked! For science!

[MorleyDev]

Some people just can't acquire certain tastes. For example, I can't drink any beers because the after taste doesn't go away and instead makes me feel ill. Trying to force a whole beer down is a good way to get me kneeling over a toilet and calling for hughey.

Wine tends to be hit and miss for me. White wine is usually good, red wine it seems to depend on celestial alignments whether I'll like it or not because I have yet to find any other reliable way to predict. Couldn't tell you if the 'quality' of White or Red wine though. Probably mostly a lack of experience with it. Wine isn't something I drink very frequently. I've had mulled wine before, and can only describe the taste as 'odd'. Not bad, I remember it being reasonably nice, but there was just something about it I can only describe as 'odd'.

Random question, when frying is there any real advantage to using Olive Oil over say Vegetable Oil or Sunflower Oil. I prefer to use Olive Oil since it seems like when I use Vegetable Oil things cook faster but less evenly, but I'm not sure if that's just me changing how I cook and not realising it. I've heard some say Olive Oil is healthier, but elsewhere that commercial Olive Oil is usually so watered down that it doesn't really matter.