o i'm so chil it's hot
Love me hate me adore me but baby, I'm a chilli lover. No point in denying that.
I guess growing up in a South East chilli-embracing Asian nation, your mum has a pretty good chance taking part in the statistic where the mainstream mothers start introducing this potent veggy to their toddlers at a shockingly tender age -as young as two/three years old- this will send shivers down the back of most Westerners.
Where I live now, our backyard (in South of Sydney) isn't too shabby, I guess. It may not be your average Anglosaxon backyard but at least it's good enough for growing organic chillies (only natural manure, please). Oh the joy of picking those pure fresh c h i l l i ... just before chopping and serving it à la naturale or dumping it in my stir fries. Can't get any chillier than that aye. Sadly the house is now up for sale, and my precious chilli plants are included in the package. So gotta say adios amigos.
Contrary to popular belief, that most people in Asia luurrv their taste bud annihilated to oblivion [well ok, this may have some good portion of the reality] ... chilli is not from Asia, there ya go I said it, I'm sorry but it's not ours. Basta.
Its south American origin may be justified through their cuisine, I'm no taco buff but those South American nosh look red-hot enough to me they gotta contain a helluva of the fiery stuff to slaughter an uninitiated diner.
My very own chilli collection stands at the moment as: (1) Asian bird-eye red, (2) long slender red (pictured above resting on my palm), (3) red keg it's so tiny I normally don't bother with it, and (4) habanero the grand daddy of all chilliers (chillier a french-english term for a chilli tree ^^). Whereas the first two gained 7 out of 10 on the hotness scale, a slice of habanero of a perfect 10 will send you to the nearest water fountain. I rarely and sparingly use it in my cooking. Way too hot, mes amis.
 The habanero chile (Capsicum chinense Jacquin) (Spanish, from Havana) is the most intensely spicy chile pepper of the Capsicum genus. The Red Savina is a cultivar of the habanero pepper, and has been tested and certified as the "World's hottest spice" and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records... originated in Cuba, it is nonetheless an important part of cuisine in the Yucatán peninsula, where it is often served roasted as a condiment with meals. +++ And the million Peso question is, How does one enjoy a daily snack served with the hottest chilli on Earth? +++ |
Dan kelas French saya pun masih berlangsung menyenangkan. Salah satu highlights-nya adalah «pause café», kami mengambil break menikmati pastries, kue, dan biasanya selalu ada baguette & fromage yang dibawa oleh classmates bergiliran.
Giliran saya jatuh tanggal 6 Mei. Walaupun sudah wanti-wanti kepada Prof saya, Rita, bahwa sulit buat saya yang tinggal jauh membawa "bekal" decent ke kelas, tapi tetap saja nama baik pribadi menjadi taruhannya. Rita bilang, tidak perlu menyediakan yang ekstravagan, sesuatu yang kecil dan ringan saja.
As if! Selama ini classmates telah membawa, beh ... kemarin Irene, seorang classmate ibu-ibu ramah berusia 70-an, membawa our favourite by popular vote: Pissaladière, sebuah pastry specialty Nice (South of France) beradonan crusty semi-pie-semi-pizza, dan bertabur kalamata, anchovies, di atas gelombang sundried tomatoes kental. Sedang classmates lain sering membawa home-made cakes, aniseed flavour thank you very much, atau fig on date (oalah lezatnya). Yang pasti, setiap sajian selalu berusaha tampil beda.
Pilihan saya ada dua: membawa sesuatu yg etnik, non-French maksudnya, dengan risiko tidak disukai atau malah digila-gilai. Dan nominasi saya, karena itu kelas siang di mana sebagian classmates masih ber-apetite besar, gado-gado (ada bumbu siap jadi di dapur, tinggal tambahkan air panas dan peanut butter).
Opsi lain, Tiramisu, mungkin ini lebih kompleks, tapi suatu ketika tahun lalu kami mencoba membuatnya di kelas Italian dan tidaklah buruk (dlm tempo 2 jam). Dan bahan-bahannya pun bisa dicari di superkampret. Maka, sambil menyelam minum air, supaya tidak lupa membuat resep ini, saya pun bisa mencengangkan classmates.
Atau hm ... adakah ide lain? Makanan atau penganan khas RI yang gampang dan cepat membuatnya, untuk sekitar 12 orang. Lupakan mpek-mpek dan otak-otak karena saya tidak berniat mengerat daging ikan dan membuat adonan yang rumit dan berisiko gagal besar.
Ah kalau saja saya bisa menyajikan Tahu Sumedang dengan bumbu cabe pedas. Lezat dan tepat untuk konsumsi massal. Tapi classmates anglosakson saya tau-tau tepar seketika di kelas (dan saya digiring ke kantor keamanan?) atau keesokan harinya mereka harus menyambangi toilet setiap sepuluh menit. Kan berabe.
Boh ...
Addendum: baru saja terlintas, bubur kacang ijo, atau bubur ketan item. Voilà. Mudah murah meriah eksotik manis pengganjal perut di siang hari terik berudara dingin.