Thursday, September 03, 2009
Ranting About Healthcare Reform
I've been reading a lot of posts on social media about health care reform. Most seem to be in favor of some sort of reform, as am I. Others posted inflammatory messages that I just truly don't fathom. In my economics class I learned that capitalism is fueled by self interest and indeed it is. But is that really a good thing in the long run? Is a system that focuses on the individual ultimately what is going to keep the world turning for another 1000 years? I don't think so, because everyone wants to drive their minivan or SUV just because they have visitors once a year and *might* need the extra space. I don't think so, because no one wants to be inconvenienced by having to sort out their recycling from the garbage. So many people want smaller government, but if everyone is out there only looking out for their own self interest what is to stop them from taking advantage of the little guy? Aren't we all little guys as individuals and supposedly only two paychecks away from loosing our homes? Is that always really always a result of bad choice? Refusing to implement public services means yes.
How many of you would change your mind if it meant *your* business had to go under, your child couldn't get a seat in the local public magnet school, or because you chose to be a teacher (yes, teachers do work for practically free - so why wouldn't doctors? - And to be honest, I don't think they would ever have to, even with a public health care system) and you can't afford to live in the neighborhood that will give your child the best education - as good as what you are giving other people's kids. Don't we all want firemen to rush to our homes to put out a fire? What about keeping police officers around to nab murderers and rapists and kidnappers?
I also hear people floating the word socialism around. What is so effing wrong with socialism? They spit it out like its a bad word, like...communism, or something. Or do they perhaps confuse it with the word communism? They aren't the same things, you know. Socialist economies are essentially still capitalistic, they just pay a higher percent of taxes in order to gain more governmental services. That is a far cry from a communist government telling you who's going to be a doctor, what to watch on TV, who's going to grow veggies or wheat, who's going to become an educator or an engineer.
There are basic things that people need to survive and shouldn't we as a community do our best to ensure people can reach their highest potential. Doesn't it make sense to invest in our human capital today for a better future tomorrow? Isn't that why we have public schools? Eliminating the need to worry about basic things such as health care, will help do that. I don't think it's too much to expect that things such as health care, education, infrastructure such as our streets and highways, modes of transportation such as public transportation, and the many other things our tax dollars pay for are run by the government. That's part of what they are there for - to provide those services, among other things.
It amazes me over and over again how people can't see beyond themselves. We do live in a capitalistic world that is self centered. Those are the values that we were raised with. Get out of your homes people! Leave your comfort zone. Travel the world and see how other systems work before deciding they will fail. I mean it's pretty obvious where our priorities are if we can even consider a ignorant floozy like Palin, who thinks she has international experience because Alaska is next door to Russia.
Someone posted today that they are tired of reading all the posts that are fear mongering. She was right, no one should be subjected to the fear mongering that the Republican party has caused at all those town hall meetings, specifically with respect to death panels, which has since been proven not to even be in the proposal! Focus on the facts. The fear mongering is just a sign of their own fear of change and that *gasp* they might be forced to actually do something worth while and beneficial to others over themselves!
She posted that the cash-for-clunkers was an abysmal failure. I don't know where she gets her news, but the cash for clunkers was so HUGELY successful that they extended the deadline and budget allotted to it. Just because the website was clogged from volume of users isn't an indication of the success of the program. Even private firms have trouble with expansion of hardware and servers when their businesses are more successful than expected. In everything we do, there is always room for improvement.
The same poster said that no one has died from not having health care. Again, I don't know where she got her statistics from but people unable to afford health care and then who get cancer and can’t afford treatment (I mean let's face it, who can afford the treatment with the prices where they are at)are forced to allow their cancer to progress until it is terminal (where perhaps it could have been treatable). Because they can't get treatment, they don't do anything until they land up in the emergency room (where we all pay for them anyways with our tax dollars. Damn that socialism!). These are the people who die from lack of health care. (Oh, and if it were a doctor failing to diagnose properly, or a family choosing for religious reasons not to medically treat their child, they are sued for malpractice or neglect! Is not allowing people in need, and also wanting to get treatment, but are unable to get it because of rising costs or a lack of health care just a neglect of the government or society)
Before this current financial crisis, the number one cause of home foreclosure was not due to bad consumer choices, but because people couldn’t make their payments because they fell sick. The propaganda fed to the public about UK and Canadian health care systems are out and out myths. Please call any of our Canadian neighbors and ask what they think... Have you traveled to Canada, or France, or Sweden to find out for yourself, or do you just simply believe what is fed to you on Fox News? Remember, people are only after their own self-interest. Why would they tell you what you should hear instead of what will benefit them?
My husband and I moved back to the country a few years back after traveling the world. This time he was a legal immigrant and I was pregnant. He was refused health care coverage because he hadn't been in the country long enough (before getting his green card, my mom had to sign an affidavit saying that she would be financially responsible for him if he couldn't support himself for the next 10 years. She had to do this just so he could get his green card. That means that his not having health insurance would have ultimately affected my mom had he had a tragedy) and because I (his wife) was a preexisting condition. I was a pre-existing condition - repeated for those of you who didn't get it the first time. Not his health or anything to do with him. Me, as a pregnant woman married to him. What did we do wrong?
On a more positive note, I feel immensely fortunate to be living in a country where such a debate is possible. Where, I hope, a huge change is about to take place. A country of which I am proud (almost) for the first time in my life for having elected Obama. To have witnessed a campaign that inspired me to get involved (or at least have an opinion). Don't let me down now, Obama!
But in the end, health care reform is about the bigger picture. It's about serving the greater interest over the individual. And although Obama has thus far refused to play this card, this is a moral issue. And, we should not tolerate anyone not being able to receive health care. It's for our future as a whole. So that we can be healthy and strong enough to fight off all those dangerous (and dare I say imaginary) terrorists.
How many of you would change your mind if it meant *your* business had to go under, your child couldn't get a seat in the local public magnet school, or because you chose to be a teacher (yes, teachers do work for practically free - so why wouldn't doctors? - And to be honest, I don't think they would ever have to, even with a public health care system) and you can't afford to live in the neighborhood that will give your child the best education - as good as what you are giving other people's kids. Don't we all want firemen to rush to our homes to put out a fire? What about keeping police officers around to nab murderers and rapists and kidnappers?
I also hear people floating the word socialism around. What is so effing wrong with socialism? They spit it out like its a bad word, like...communism, or something. Or do they perhaps confuse it with the word communism? They aren't the same things, you know. Socialist economies are essentially still capitalistic, they just pay a higher percent of taxes in order to gain more governmental services. That is a far cry from a communist government telling you who's going to be a doctor, what to watch on TV, who's going to grow veggies or wheat, who's going to become an educator or an engineer.
There are basic things that people need to survive and shouldn't we as a community do our best to ensure people can reach their highest potential. Doesn't it make sense to invest in our human capital today for a better future tomorrow? Isn't that why we have public schools? Eliminating the need to worry about basic things such as health care, will help do that. I don't think it's too much to expect that things such as health care, education, infrastructure such as our streets and highways, modes of transportation such as public transportation, and the many other things our tax dollars pay for are run by the government. That's part of what they are there for - to provide those services, among other things.
It amazes me over and over again how people can't see beyond themselves. We do live in a capitalistic world that is self centered. Those are the values that we were raised with. Get out of your homes people! Leave your comfort zone. Travel the world and see how other systems work before deciding they will fail. I mean it's pretty obvious where our priorities are if we can even consider a ignorant floozy like Palin, who thinks she has international experience because Alaska is next door to Russia.
Someone posted today that they are tired of reading all the posts that are fear mongering. She was right, no one should be subjected to the fear mongering that the Republican party has caused at all those town hall meetings, specifically with respect to death panels, which has since been proven not to even be in the proposal! Focus on the facts. The fear mongering is just a sign of their own fear of change and that *gasp* they might be forced to actually do something worth while and beneficial to others over themselves!
She posted that the cash-for-clunkers was an abysmal failure. I don't know where she gets her news, but the cash for clunkers was so HUGELY successful that they extended the deadline and budget allotted to it. Just because the website was clogged from volume of users isn't an indication of the success of the program. Even private firms have trouble with expansion of hardware and servers when their businesses are more successful than expected. In everything we do, there is always room for improvement.
The same poster said that no one has died from not having health care. Again, I don't know where she got her statistics from but people unable to afford health care and then who get cancer and can’t afford treatment (I mean let's face it, who can afford the treatment with the prices where they are at)are forced to allow their cancer to progress until it is terminal (where perhaps it could have been treatable). Because they can't get treatment, they don't do anything until they land up in the emergency room (where we all pay for them anyways with our tax dollars. Damn that socialism!). These are the people who die from lack of health care. (Oh, and if it were a doctor failing to diagnose properly, or a family choosing for religious reasons not to medically treat their child, they are sued for malpractice or neglect! Is not allowing people in need, and also wanting to get treatment, but are unable to get it because of rising costs or a lack of health care just a neglect of the government or society)
Before this current financial crisis, the number one cause of home foreclosure was not due to bad consumer choices, but because people couldn’t make their payments because they fell sick. The propaganda fed to the public about UK and Canadian health care systems are out and out myths. Please call any of our Canadian neighbors and ask what they think... Have you traveled to Canada, or France, or Sweden to find out for yourself, or do you just simply believe what is fed to you on Fox News? Remember, people are only after their own self-interest. Why would they tell you what you should hear instead of what will benefit them?
My husband and I moved back to the country a few years back after traveling the world. This time he was a legal immigrant and I was pregnant. He was refused health care coverage because he hadn't been in the country long enough (before getting his green card, my mom had to sign an affidavit saying that she would be financially responsible for him if he couldn't support himself for the next 10 years. She had to do this just so he could get his green card. That means that his not having health insurance would have ultimately affected my mom had he had a tragedy) and because I (his wife) was a preexisting condition. I was a pre-existing condition - repeated for those of you who didn't get it the first time. Not his health or anything to do with him. Me, as a pregnant woman married to him. What did we do wrong?
On a more positive note, I feel immensely fortunate to be living in a country where such a debate is possible. Where, I hope, a huge change is about to take place. A country of which I am proud (almost) for the first time in my life for having elected Obama. To have witnessed a campaign that inspired me to get involved (or at least have an opinion). Don't let me down now, Obama!
But in the end, health care reform is about the bigger picture. It's about serving the greater interest over the individual. And although Obama has thus far refused to play this card, this is a moral issue. And, we should not tolerate anyone not being able to receive health care. It's for our future as a whole. So that we can be healthy and strong enough to fight off all those dangerous (and dare I say imaginary) terrorists.
Labels: health care, obama, rant
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Costs of childbirth at the Santa Monica Hospital in 1952
This was the year my mom was born.
Note that the prices are published. All this was before stupid lawsuits, ridiculously overpriced lobbyists and Siamese twin pharmaceutical companies. Sure, infant mortality has gone down.
We had Eve and Arjun at home in a tub. Arjun though had to be taken to the hospital due to some complications. So, lets see, born at home, we drove him ourselves to the hospital and checked him into the NICU. He was there for just over 2 days. Our insurance was billed for over $7000. Let me reiterate, he was in the NICU for just over 2 days and we were billed for over SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. Insane.
An average normal birth is billed at close to $10,000. Add complications and the bill doubles.
Do you care that the leading cause of personal bankruptcy filings is medical expenses?
Do you care that the number of uninsured Americans increases by over 10,000 people every day, which does not include the under-insured?
Do you know that there are over 150 million un/under insured in this country today?
Have you heard about Autumn?
No? Read her story (Love me). Do you think she can afford health care? She's just 17.
Don't worry about all those people who aren't as well off as you. It's not your problem. But do listen to the wing nuts at companies who dictate your premiums and what they'll cover or umm... not. These bureaucrats push the right wingers to oppose any competition the government may pose in health care. They throw words like socialism around, yeah, that is a synonym for communism. Numb nuts.
So you think this is about somebody else? Think about your family, extended family, friends... are they all really covered?
Please read your insurance policy to understand inclusions and exclusions. Do not become a victim.
Please... please understand the issue of health care reform before making a stand.
Note that the prices are published. All this was before stupid lawsuits, ridiculously overpriced lobbyists and Siamese twin pharmaceutical companies. Sure, infant mortality has gone down.
We had Eve and Arjun at home in a tub. Arjun though had to be taken to the hospital due to some complications. So, lets see, born at home, we drove him ourselves to the hospital and checked him into the NICU. He was there for just over 2 days. Our insurance was billed for over $7000. Let me reiterate, he was in the NICU for just over 2 days and we were billed for over SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. Insane.
An average normal birth is billed at close to $10,000. Add complications and the bill doubles.
Do you care that the leading cause of personal bankruptcy filings is medical expenses?
Do you care that the number of uninsured Americans increases by over 10,000 people every day, which does not include the under-insured?
Do you know that there are over 150 million un/under insured in this country today?
Have you heard about Autumn?
No? Read her story (Love me). Do you think she can afford health care? She's just 17.
Don't worry about all those people who aren't as well off as you. It's not your problem. But do listen to the wing nuts at companies who dictate your premiums and what they'll cover or umm... not. These bureaucrats push the right wingers to oppose any competition the government may pose in health care. They throw words like socialism around, yeah, that is a synonym for communism. Numb nuts.
So you think this is about somebody else? Think about your family, extended family, friends... are they all really covered?
Please read your insurance policy to understand inclusions and exclusions. Do not become a victim.
Please... please understand the issue of health care reform before making a stand.
Labels: rant
Friday, July 24, 2009
EA Marketing = Fail
The freakin idiots at EA thought it would be a good way to promote their new game, which I refuse to name, by offering prizes to Comic Con attendees who "commit acts of lust" with their booth babes. Take pictures, make sure you add it to you favorite social media. Rinse, repeat and you may win a sinful night with two hot babes. Slight paraphrasing there, but you get the message.
I'm guessing the genius marketing boys didn't run this by legal. I'll roast marshmallows in the fallout. I love morons.
I'm guessing the genius marketing boys didn't run this by legal. I'll roast marshmallows in the fallout. I love morons.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Naked kids at home
Today I read an article in the NY Times about children wanting to be naked. One particular section in the article made me think about what my reaction would have been to this situation.
So there are two parts to the situation above.
a) Being naked
b) Urinating in the backyard
Lets deal with the second one first. For a child who is almost 6, urinating in someone else's backyard, certainly not acceptable. Ms. Dominguez needs to make sure that Hayden is made to understand that some he is (probably) allowed to do at home is not acceptable at other places. A non controversial example is that Hayden (or my kids) should not open someone else's fridge and help themselves to stuff without permission.
Next is the nudity. Well, the lady in Burlingame (very close to where I live actually) is overreacting. No kid would be scarred for life by seeing a naked body. If something in not acceptable in your home, make the rules very clear. If broken, let the child's mom know what is acceptable and figure out what needs to happen. Freaking out never helps.
So, now my thought about kids wanting to be naked and what people think. First there are two situations here. One is at home and the other is in public.
In a private situation, my kids can be naked for as long as they want, as long as that does not come in the way of any scheduling like heading off to school, the park... or just heading out. After a bath both the kids have "nangu time", translates to naked time. They run around, squealing, chasing each other and just having a good time. When I turn on the sprinklers in the backyard, Eve strips down before running around naked on the grass. Arjun can't be trusted to be naked for too long cause he pees/poops on the floor (twice so far) and stands there, points and it and says "Ooooh!". But he gets supervised naked time.
The next situation is with people at home. Well, it depends on the people, if it's relatives, it's all good. With other people, we haven't been in a situation too often. Eve used to bathe with her friend Eliana and then they would be naked, but that was a couple of years back. I don't think Eliana's parents thought anything about naked babies playing together.
The last situation is being in public. This one's tricky and has plenty of facets. One is the beach. I'm all for kids being naked in safe places. If someone else takes offense it is their puritanical obsession with sexuality and thereby child abuse. Anytime there is a discussion of children being nude in public, there is always a religious wing-nut who has something demented to say.
I also can't understand why people think that naked kids are more susceptible to sexual abuse. If that was true, we'd see the majority of sexual abuse incidents should be of the kids who were naked, and I'm pretty sure that is incorrect. Clothes don't magically stop child abuse. It's similar to what some idiots say about women who were dressed skimpily and was sexually assaulted... "She was just asking for it". The clothes have NOTHING to do with this kind of abuse, it the deviant who's responsible.
I am appalled that some would impose their own (skewed, misplaced) sexuality on pure beings. I want my children to be comfortable with their bodies. Let them run free and innocent.
"Upon picking up her son, Hayden, from his friend’s house in Burlingame, Calif., last year, Rachael Dominguez, an optician, said she was stunned when the friend’s mom told her that Hayden, who turns 6 next month, was not welcome back because he had undressed and urinated in the yard. “She said, ‘I just think it’s a bad example for my children and I think he shouldn’t come over and do that anymore,’ ” said Ms. Dominguez, 42."
So there are two parts to the situation above.
a) Being naked
b) Urinating in the backyard
Lets deal with the second one first. For a child who is almost 6, urinating in someone else's backyard, certainly not acceptable. Ms. Dominguez needs to make sure that Hayden is made to understand that some he is (probably) allowed to do at home is not acceptable at other places. A non controversial example is that Hayden (or my kids) should not open someone else's fridge and help themselves to stuff without permission.
Next is the nudity. Well, the lady in Burlingame (very close to where I live actually) is overreacting. No kid would be scarred for life by seeing a naked body. If something in not acceptable in your home, make the rules very clear. If broken, let the child's mom know what is acceptable and figure out what needs to happen. Freaking out never helps.
So, now my thought about kids wanting to be naked and what people think. First there are two situations here. One is at home and the other is in public.
In a private situation, my kids can be naked for as long as they want, as long as that does not come in the way of any scheduling like heading off to school, the park... or just heading out. After a bath both the kids have "nangu time", translates to naked time. They run around, squealing, chasing each other and just having a good time. When I turn on the sprinklers in the backyard, Eve strips down before running around naked on the grass. Arjun can't be trusted to be naked for too long cause he pees/poops on the floor (twice so far) and stands there, points and it and says "Ooooh!". But he gets supervised naked time.
The next situation is with people at home. Well, it depends on the people, if it's relatives, it's all good. With other people, we haven't been in a situation too often. Eve used to bathe with her friend Eliana and then they would be naked, but that was a couple of years back. I don't think Eliana's parents thought anything about naked babies playing together.
The last situation is being in public. This one's tricky and has plenty of facets. One is the beach. I'm all for kids being naked in safe places. If someone else takes offense it is their puritanical obsession with sexuality and thereby child abuse. Anytime there is a discussion of children being nude in public, there is always a religious wing-nut who has something demented to say.
I also can't understand why people think that naked kids are more susceptible to sexual abuse. If that was true, we'd see the majority of sexual abuse incidents should be of the kids who were naked, and I'm pretty sure that is incorrect. Clothes don't magically stop child abuse. It's similar to what some idiots say about women who were dressed skimpily and was sexually assaulted... "She was just asking for it". The clothes have NOTHING to do with this kind of abuse, it the deviant who's responsible.
I am appalled that some would impose their own (skewed, misplaced) sexuality on pure beings. I want my children to be comfortable with their bodies. Let them run free and innocent.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Inept TV fathers
Continuing my theme about fathers. Last Sunday was fathers day which we celebrated by going camping and eating a lot of meat. We even threw in a few short hikes at Standish-Hickey State Park. On one hike Eve saw a river, stripped naked and jumped right in. Arjun managed to fill the hood of his sweatshirt with pebbles and dirt. A nice weekend away.
The point to this rant is the portrayal of fathers on TV. Inept, bumbling, buffoons who are obsessed with sports and hod rods. So I have to admit that I enjoy sports and cars, but that is not the be-all and end-all of my life.
So fathers like...
- Tim Taylor (Tool Time)
- Al Bundy (Married With Children)
- Arthur Spooner (King of Queens)
- Ray Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
- Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
... just make me want to punch the writers in mouth. Most of these dads can't change a diaper without injuring themselves. In fact the stereotype has been extended to do the following:
- Get hit with a soccer ball in the groin
- Prat falling on everything
- Always in over his head with being a father + husband at the same time
- Get nervous and bumble around women perceived to be hotter than his wife
- Generally pushovers
- Wears sports jerseys ALL the time
- Make a mess in the kitchen while reheating a pizza in the microwave
- Drink excessive amounts of beer
- Basically incapable of handling anything without adult supervision
What is wrong with the powers that be and the writers in TV land? Can they never have a normal dad who loves his wife and kids? Well, I'm that normal guy. I used to be the guy who put his career and ambition ahead of everything. Now, I have a one year old and a three year old depending on Tricia and me to expose and polish all the facets of their personality. Can I do it? Well, I try my level best.
Enough with the inept dad already. It's not funny anymore. All it implies is that the woman's job is to run the house and manage the kids, whereas the father provides slapstick comic relief. Sexist and not even original anymore.
The point to this rant is the portrayal of fathers on TV. Inept, bumbling, buffoons who are obsessed with sports and hod rods. So I have to admit that I enjoy sports and cars, but that is not the be-all and end-all of my life.
So fathers like...
- Tim Taylor (Tool Time)
- Al Bundy (Married With Children)
- Arthur Spooner (King of Queens)
- Ray Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
- Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
... just make me want to punch the writers in mouth. Most of these dads can't change a diaper without injuring themselves. In fact the stereotype has been extended to do the following:
- Get hit with a soccer ball in the groin
- Prat falling on everything
- Always in over his head with being a father + husband at the same time
- Get nervous and bumble around women perceived to be hotter than his wife
- Generally pushovers
- Wears sports jerseys ALL the time
- Make a mess in the kitchen while reheating a pizza in the microwave
- Drink excessive amounts of beer
- Basically incapable of handling anything without adult supervision
What is wrong with the powers that be and the writers in TV land? Can they never have a normal dad who loves his wife and kids? Well, I'm that normal guy. I used to be the guy who put his career and ambition ahead of everything. Now, I have a one year old and a three year old depending on Tricia and me to expose and polish all the facets of their personality. Can I do it? Well, I try my level best.
Enough with the inept dad already. It's not funny anymore. All it implies is that the woman's job is to run the house and manage the kids, whereas the father provides slapstick comic relief. Sexist and not even original anymore.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Of Garam Masala & Curry Powder
Every now and then I speak to someone who looks at the lunch I usually bring to work and mentions something about Curry Powder. Now, just to be very clear, I hadn't ever heard of "Curry Powder" in my life. Also I saw Curry Flavored Sausages and other oddities.
Curry can mean two things in India. The more common usage is the gravy or sauce in any dish. So a Chicken Chicken will have sauce in it as opposed to something like Chicken 65, which does not.
The second meaning of curry is the curry leaf, which has nothing to do with the sauce in a dish or curry powder. Yeah, I know this is confusing, but stay with me here. The curry leaf is commonly used in southern Indian cooking with fish and coconut milk dishes.
Back to the rant at hand.
Indian food is rarely, if ever, made with premixed ground spices. Especially home cooked food. All the spices are mixed in the right proportions and then tempered, ground etc. All traditional food is like this, regardless of the region of the world they come from.
So, about 11 years back when I moved to this country I heard of this magical spice powder called "Curry Powder", living in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. I asked around and found an Indian store in the area. And yes, they had Curry Powder. I bought it for a princely sum of $1.25 and took it home with me.
So, I had no idea what I could make with that powder, so I looked up recipes online. I found this Chicken Curry recipe that only needed garlic, onions and tomatoes besides the curry power. Seemed simple enough. I followed instructions. Cooked for Bhaskar, (my housemate then) and me. We took one spoonful of it and realized this was a part of that unpalatable "Curry" available at roadhouses in England. Tasted a lot like dirt, very earthy. That box of curry powder moved slowly from the front to the back of the spice cabinet. Only to be given looks of disdain every 3-4 months when I'd see it sitting back there. I moved to Portland for a new job and it made it's way to my new apartment. It sat there through the dot com boom it sat there and it sat there when the bubble burst. It sat there though my company turning into dust and people losing jobs left, right and center. Mid 2000 I moved to Sydney, Australia, for work and finally I cleansed my home of that disgusting stuff.
So, what exactly is this spice mixture made of? Well, there is no authentic recipe, so here are the basic spices I've seen listed on the box
- 2 tbsp, Coriander
- 1/4 cup, Turmeric
- 2 tbsp, Cumin
- 2 tbsp, Fenugreek
- 1 tbsp, Black Pepper
I've seen ginger, garlic, cardamom etc in some of the more expensive one. My $1.25 box was probably 90% sawdust and 10% turmeric. Sure tasted like it.
The next thing on my list is Garam Masala. Indians do use Garam Masala a lot and is sold ground in boxes as opposed to whole spices. My mom always put the spice together from scratch, tempered it and ground it. The problem with a ground spice is the same as ground coffee. It must be stored in air tight containers and used in a few days, any longer and it's as flavorful as asphalt.
What does Garam Masala contain? The quantities vary by region, so I've omitted that.
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Caraway
On the right is what it looks like when we mix it together at home. Ah it's just so fragrant.
Screw it, you should never buy ground spices again, especially that Curry Powder nonsense. But do buy the Magic Bullet, our only purchase off of TV. Haven't regretted it. Grinds just as much spice as we need, dump it in the dish washer and you're done.
Curry can mean two things in India. The more common usage is the gravy or sauce in any dish. So a Chicken Chicken will have sauce in it as opposed to something like Chicken 65, which does not.
The second meaning of curry is the curry leaf, which has nothing to do with the sauce in a dish or curry powder. Yeah, I know this is confusing, but stay with me here. The curry leaf is commonly used in southern Indian cooking with fish and coconut milk dishes.
Back to the rant at hand.
Indian food is rarely, if ever, made with premixed ground spices. Especially home cooked food. All the spices are mixed in the right proportions and then tempered, ground etc. All traditional food is like this, regardless of the region of the world they come from.
So, about 11 years back when I moved to this country I heard of this magical spice powder called "Curry Powder", living in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. I asked around and found an Indian store in the area. And yes, they had Curry Powder. I bought it for a princely sum of $1.25 and took it home with me.
So, I had no idea what I could make with that powder, so I looked up recipes online. I found this Chicken Curry recipe that only needed garlic, onions and tomatoes besides the curry power. Seemed simple enough. I followed instructions. Cooked for Bhaskar, (my housemate then) and me. We took one spoonful of it and realized this was a part of that unpalatable "Curry" available at roadhouses in England. Tasted a lot like dirt, very earthy. That box of curry powder moved slowly from the front to the back of the spice cabinet. Only to be given looks of disdain every 3-4 months when I'd see it sitting back there. I moved to Portland for a new job and it made it's way to my new apartment. It sat there through the dot com boom it sat there and it sat there when the bubble burst. It sat there though my company turning into dust and people losing jobs left, right and center. Mid 2000 I moved to Sydney, Australia, for work and finally I cleansed my home of that disgusting stuff.
So, what exactly is this spice mixture made of? Well, there is no authentic recipe, so here are the basic spices I've seen listed on the box
- 2 tbsp, Coriander
- 1/4 cup, Turmeric
- 2 tbsp, Cumin
- 2 tbsp, Fenugreek
- 1 tbsp, Black Pepper
I've seen ginger, garlic, cardamom etc in some of the more expensive one. My $1.25 box was probably 90% sawdust and 10% turmeric. Sure tasted like it.
The next thing on my list is Garam Masala. Indians do use Garam Masala a lot and is sold ground in boxes as opposed to whole spices. My mom always put the spice together from scratch, tempered it and ground it. The problem with a ground spice is the same as ground coffee. It must be stored in air tight containers and used in a few days, any longer and it's as flavorful as asphalt.
What does Garam Masala contain? The quantities vary by region, so I've omitted that.
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Caraway
On the right is what it looks like when we mix it together at home. Ah it's just so fragrant.
Screw it, you should never buy ground spices again, especially that Curry Powder nonsense. But do buy the Magic Bullet, our only purchase off of TV. Haven't regretted it. Grinds just as much spice as we need, dump it in the dish washer and you're done.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Do sequels suck?
Every moron always responds in the affirmative. Predictable, just like saying that "Oh, the book was much better... WHAT? You haven't read it? Here let me send you the link on amazon from my iPhone". Cacafuego.
Yeah sure most sequels have been pretty horrendous. But there are a few that stood out. In no particular order:
- The Godfather 2
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Aliens
- Wrath of Khan, Star Trek 2.
- Dark Knight, Batman series
- Terminator 2, Judgement day
- Lord of the rings, Two Towers
- Beverly Hills Cops II
- Die Hard 2
- Evil Dead 2
- Ghostbusters 2
- Naked Gun 2 1/2
- Mad Max 2, The road warrior
Yeah sure most sequels have been pretty horrendous. But there are a few that stood out. In no particular order:
- The Godfather 2
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Aliens
- Wrath of Khan, Star Trek 2.
- Dark Knight, Batman series
- Terminator 2, Judgement day
- Lord of the rings, Two Towers
- Beverly Hills Cops II
- Die Hard 2
- Evil Dead 2
- Ghostbusters 2
- Naked Gun 2 1/2
- Mad Max 2, The road warrior
