I know everyone here is a health food nut

[A Lark Ascending]

Hmmm. . . less interesting. I like real curries. . . I don't like ketchup and curry powder!

Try this at home:

Die Currywurst-Sosse aus dem Revier

2000 g Tomaten

500 g Schalotten geschält

75 g Ingwerwurzeln

6 Knoblauchzehen geschält

3-4 Chilischoten

50 g Currypulver Madras

1 TL rote Currypaste (Tandoori)

200 ml Weißwein

Alles grob zerkleinern und in einem Topf aufsetzen und köcheln lassen

für ca. 30 Minuten dazugeben

3 Selleriestangen

1 Gewürzsäckchen bestehend aus:

2 EL Korianderkörner

2 Gewürznelken

1 TL Senfkörner

1 TL Muskatblüte zerkrümmelt

Die Soße nun durch ein Passiergerät streichen und für ca. 60 Minuten köcheln lassen,

das es sich um die Hälfte reduziert (dickliche Soße)

Für je Liter Soße

Nun ¼ L Apfelessig

75 g brauner Zucker

2 TL Salz

1 EL Paprikapulver

und wiederum unter rühren ca. 1 Stunde köcheln lassen, bis zur dicklichen Soße.

[catesta]

And another thing, FFA:  Do the steaks come to your table sitting on top of 200 degree plates?  Does your steak stay hot through the whole meal?

I can get a 200 degree plate at just about any Mexican restaurant in town. As long as I order something with rice and beans or enchilada style. ($6.99-$9.99)

I've got the burn marks on my hands to prove it.

Edited October 7, 2004 by catesta

[Guest Chaney]

Also, I occasionally eat Doritos and when I do, I overindulge and pay the price.  (Let's just say that for a few days thereafter, I'm an infrequent user of the facilities. 

Did you mean to say infrequent? Man, when I O.D. on Doritos I have the OPPOSITE problem.

Affirmative.

[jazzbo]

Thanks for the recipe Bev. If I try it, I'll build the curry sauce from components rather than "curry powder." Ten years ago I didn't know any different really, now I thrive on the variety of different "curries" and how they interact with the other ingredients of the sauce and what they cover.

[Free For All]

And another thing, FFA:  Do the steaks come to your table sitting on top of 200 degree plates?  Does your steak stay hot through the whole meal?

I know, good service counts for a lot.

Hot plate? Sure, I can do that, I've even got the metal plates that you can stick in the oven. I usually don't bother though 'cause my steak ain't on the plate long enough to get cold!

BTW, regarding hot plates- whenever someone brings me a plate and says "careful it's hot" I ALWAYS have to check it out for myself, like a little kid.

I have scars from all the best restaurants.

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks for the recipe Bev.  If I try it, I'll build the curry sauce from components rather than "curry powder."  Ten years ago I didn't know any different really, now I thrive on the variety of different "curries" and how they interact with the other ingredients of the sauce and what they cover.

I'm a curry fan myself and very much enjoy making them from scratch.

There are two curry traditions in the UK. I grew up eating my mums currys which come from the British Empire tradition - Brits abroad adapting recipies in India etc, bringing them home and then adapting them once more to what was available in local shops.

Then there are the vast range of dishes available from Asian restaurants that really started to take off here in the 60s and have in turn created an enthusiasm for making the things. The 10 pints of lager followed by 'a curry' has become something of an English tradition! It's frequently joked that the 'curry' is now the national dish of England, it's become so popular.

Fresh herbs - especially coriander - really make a curry for me. Despite not liking cream or yoghurt their presence in moderation in a curry can make a wonderfully rich experience. I'm also very fond of a cod and tomato dish with fennel seeds at its heart from and old Madhur Jaffrey book.

The 'currywurst' recipe came randomly off the net! Curry wurst or bockwurst with curry sauce are a million miles from a great curry; but I really enjoy them as a fast food.

Edited October 7, 2004 by Bev Stapleton

[jazzbo]

Yes, I had two experiences with curries when I was in boarding school in Africa. I always enjoyed the beef curry that the school served once a week: beef stewed in a deep brown gravy with curry powder. The Indian students there turned their noses up at it and I didn't quite know why til I began to sample their packages from home, especially when Ramadan rolled around and entire meals showed up. What a difference!

Back in Ohio for years afterwards my mother would make a hamburger curry with curry powder and onions and it was actually. . . good, with some chutneys and peanuts believe it or not. But when I finally came to more cosmopolitan areas and Indian restaurants my adventure became animated. And I began to cook at home from a few cookbooks and tips. . . .

I'll try this wurst out sometime soon and see what happens! Thanks!

Edited October 7, 2004 by jazzbo

[.:.impossible]

What the hell is Ruth's Chris doing in a fast food discussion? Couldn't be further.

I love fast food. And I love eating it in my car. While I'm driving. And reading liner notes.

Wendy's

McDonald's

Taco Bell

Arby's (damn I miss Arby's, but Rhode Island has it's own RB culture... Walt's Roast Beef, Miller's Roast Beef) no drive thru's though

Jack In The Box (another one I miss up here in NE)

Hardee's (not up here either)

Dunkin Donuts (never past 10AM, I just won't succumb)

and the sub shops

Jersey Mike's

D'Angelo's

The burrito craze that popped up in the late nineties never really caught on with me. Charlotte had Phat Burrito. Right across the street from Price's Chicken Coup. Take your hands and make an "O" with your thumbs touching each other. That is a dainty Phat Burrito. No room for sides on that one. Guac is always good with burritos though.

Did you ever go to Price's Shawn D?

And I LOVE pizza! I'll try anybody's pizza.

[jacman]

i quit eating fast food for the most part 2 years ago, but every now and then i'll go to Baja Fresh.

there is a take out only place on the other side of town that i like. it's called Chicken Kwik, and they serve Tandoori Chicken and Nan bread. good stuff.

[GregK]

When your wife is as good a cook as mine is, you never eat fast food. However, I do enjoy the occasional grinder (oven baked sub), but is that fast food? They sure are greasy!!

[GloriousBlues]

My favorite is Rubio's, whose specialty is the fish taco. Tonight they made me an excellent shrinp burrito.

I also appreciate In N Out.

The best fries in the whole fast food world are at El Pollo Loco. They're larger than most fries, plenty salty, crispy on the outside, and served piping hot. If you haven't tried 'em you're missing out.

[Leeway]

The DC area isn't that good for fast food; this is the land of bureaucrats, and they seem to like their fast food produced by vast bureaucracies.

Anyway, when I want a fast food burger, I get the Wendy double-burger with ketchup, pickle and onion. When it's hot of fthe gril, it's really tasty and good.

Every 3 or 4 months, I get a Big Mac attack. It seesm to met hat the Big Mac has deteriorated over the decades (don't know why), but it's still a unique kind of taste.

I don't care much for fast-food but I like street food: hot dogs, meat on a stick (souvlaki), a slice of pizza-- if you are a New Yorker, you know what I'm talking about (I grew up in NYC).

I lived in Chicago for a while. I love Chicago style hot dogs and Polish sausages. Also, Italian beef sandwiches. Chicago is a good place for that kind of food.

Right now, one of my big faves is pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. Recently found a little place in North Carolina that served the BEST pulled pork Carolina- style sandwiches (with a layer of slaw and hot sauce over the pork), $2.00 a sandwich. Damn that was good stuff. All of a sudden, I'm hungry.

[BruceH]

In N Out is the one we go to most often. I'll have to try Chipotle's, if I can find one. We used to love a fast-slice pizza place called "Pizza A-Go-Go" but it closed a couple of years ago.

Edited October 8, 2004 by BruceH

[kinuta]

I'm amazed at the stuff you guys eat. I feel guilty if I eat an ice cream bar.

I am however a total curry addict and have been cooking my own for a long time.

The results are now excellent even though I say it myself.

Edited October 12, 2004 by kinuta

[.:.impossible]

Where in NC Leeway?

[Leeway]

Where in NC Leeway?

Moore's Barbeque

HWY 301, Kenly NC

919/284-3865

Open Tues-Sat 10:30am-8pm.

Just off I-95.

I can't vouch for the other items on the menu. I can recommend the pulled pork BBQ; put the slaw on it, drizzle some of the BBQ hot sauce on it, and you're good to go

Edited October 14, 2004 by Leeway

[Peter Johnson]

Thanks for the recipe Bev. If I try it, I'll build the curry sauce from components rather than "curry powder." Ten years ago I didn't know any different really, now I thrive on the variety of different "curries" and how they interact with the other ingredients of the sauce and what they cover.

Lon, would you be so kind as to explain "building the curry"? I'm totally intrigued. I have madras curry powder, use it and love it, but have not considered getting "this far" into the ingredients. Inquiring minds want to know! Are we talking mortar & pestle, or ???

Thanks!

[Peter Johnson]

Oh yeah. My fast food guilty pleasure:

Phoebe's Barbeque. Freakin' YUM.

Edited October 14, 2004 by Peter Johnson

[A Lark Ascending]

Lon, would you be so kind as to explain "building the curry"? I'm totally intrigued. I have madras curry powder, use it and love it, but have not considered getting "this far" into the ingredients. Inquiring minds want to know! Are we talking mortar & pestle, or ???

Thanks!

I imagine Lon is referring to building the curry from things like cumin, corriander, tumeric powders etc rather than the ready made curry powders. You can also buy the seeds and crush them yourself if you want to. It also helps to use some fresh herbs.

Buy a good curry book and read the front pages. They usually tell you how to make up various powders and pastes.

I have a fabulous recipe for a curry puree. I make a huge batch and then freeze it in small tubs. It can be used as a base for various curries. Highly recommended.

If interested I'll post it.

(Apologies for referring to a huge range of Indian/Asian meals as 'curries')