Quest for Curry: Cinnamon This Time

by

I’ve been trying to find a “just right for me” curry for awhile.  This is a variant of a variant of another recipe I’ve been tweaking, trying to find just the right “edge.”  Last time it was oregano, this time cinnamon.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups light coconut milk (one 14 oz can)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
3 tbsp dried basil (should be 1/2 cup chopped fresh)

1) Shake can of coconut milk. Mix sugar, soy sauce, coconut milk.
2) Place the olive oil, red pepper, lemon juice, garlic, curry powder in a wok/pan.  Sautee on high until fragrant (once it starts sizzling this is only about 10-30 seconds).
3) Add milk mixture to the pan/wok.  Add basil if dried.  Add cinnamon  Bring to boil then simmer.  Simmer until it thickents, about 3-5 minutes.
4) If using fresh basil, stir in now and serve.

OK so my quest . . . continues.  I get heat but not enough flavor.  The cinnamon is better than oregano and adds a nice kick (it may in fact be too much) but it’s still a bit high on heat over flavor.  Not quite sure where to go – tempted to just get rid of the red pepper powder.

Served over peas and brown rice, 1 cup each.  Nice meal.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Media Awareness 9/15/2012: Social Patterns

by

Continuing my media awareness experiment – essentially watching how I consume media and what I see in media consumption, and what I learn from it.

Since I gave up on cable, I’ve noticed my socializing patterns have changed.  It’s stunning to me how much of our socializing is centered around media – television shows, movies, etc.  Sure this is understandable, but it seems almost dominant, and also seems odd when there’s so much else in life that such a great deal of time is devoted to media.

This also makes me think that, when people study media, we’re often overwhelmed by “there’s so much” and forget to ask “what’s it all for.”  As soon as I began noticing the prominence of media, especially big media, in our culture, the “what for” question kept popping up – and there’s no one answer.

However I think we’re unaware of how much of our lives are influenced or driven by television, movies, and publishing.  At an age where there are more media choices – and more ways to choose them – we may be in some pretty seismic shifts as peoples awareness and choices change.

That also means changes in social patterns.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

The Fire That Leaves All As Ash

by

Hatred is fire, and a powerful weapon too tempting for many to resist.

It is easy to inflame a few people with words, actions, and deeds.  Such people with their passions ignited will easily take terrible actions and commit atrocities.

Soon, seeing the actions of this hateful group, others will burn with hatred of them.  These people, caught up in the fire of hatred, will in turn do even worse acts.  These acts will catch many innocents, many unawares, many who were not enemies.  Those who survive these acts of retaliation will be further enflamed.

Thus hatred spawns hatred, the fire spreads.  Clever, sly men will use the fire of hatred to achieve their goals.  Clever, sly men will benefit when their followers and deceived agents hate each other.  Clever and sly men know hatred too easily blazes alight, and those blinded in the brilliant agony of hatred can be so easily led to do horrors.

Of course in the end fire leaves ash, but oh those clever and sly men don’t think of that, only of the power they have.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.