Curry and home

Look what Rick and Emilee got us as a thank-you gift for taking care of Kumo last week?- a cookbook of curry recipes that Rick's been experimenting with (which by the way, we've had the pleasure of being very willing and satisfied guinea pigs of...). I had been thinking about getting the books myself not only because of it's very alluring pink and orange cover (yes, like my cousin Terri, I do judge a book by its cover...), but also because more than any other food, curries remind me most of home. I mean, we can get pretty decent Chinese food in one or two places here and in the Chinatowns that we visit, but authentic Southeast-Asian curries- that woody, savory spiceness, the layers upon layers of complex flavors and textures, that vibrant color- are much harder to come by. And my mum's thick and luxuriously rich chicken curry- man, don't even get me started...

From what I've read so far, this book covers a wide spectrum of curries, not just Southeast-Asian, but also those from Africa, India, and the West Indies. And one of the things I appreciate most about it is that it's structured almost as a cultural narrative of sorts. She traces the ways in which Indian spices and recipes travelled with Indian migrants, shares the sentiments she associates with certain recipes, and peppers the book with little anecdotes about the provenance of certain dishes, one of which I hold especially dear to because it's about Fish Head Curry from Singapore, Mutthu's in Little India to be exact :) In her words, "Diners tucked in as if there were no tomorrow." I'm getting wistful just thinking about it...

She even dedicates a small section of the book to talking about the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and how the Tiffin Room there has been- and still is- reknown for its curries and chutneys. Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham are just two eminent guests who've stayed at the Raffles and Kipling is said to have coined the phrase, "Feed at the Raffles when visiting Singapore."

Most Singaporeans visit infinitely more humble establishments for their frequent curry fixes, which itself tells you something about the centrality of curries to Singaporean life- regardless of income and social stature, when it comes to curry- in a pot of steaming fish head curry, with simple prata, or in delicate portions served on white linen and fine china- all Singaporeans respond the same way, with gusto and relish, as if there were no tomorrow.

Thanks Rick & Emilee!

This curry was like a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that I'd once heard.....especially the last movement, with everything screaming and banging 'Joy.' It stunned, it made one fear great art. My father could say nothing after the meal."
-Anthony Burgess