I suppose I should say something here...
Bless us.
Happy 4th of July.
Wednesday evening's meeting went far better than I ever thought possible. Then again, large steps forward get paid for, sometimes in advance, with horrendous payments in/of/with self. And it was only a couple of steps, not a major accomplishment.
Yesterday, I spent down at the Smithsonian Institution's Folk Life Festival. I spent most of the day in Bhutan, which located between Texas and NASA, doncha know.
The first presentation I went to, and I was really late getting there, was about prayer wheels and flags. What I heard was interesting, and some manners of it are already in my ways. But, I, and my manners, can be improved upon.
From there, I had a mango. Besides the food tents, there are beverage stands and arabbers. The arabbers comes from Baltimore, and was the term they used for fruit sellers, especially in the street. There endeth the lesson.
Where lunch was being prepared. I learned many things. In Bhutan, the chili is a vegetable, and they are preferred. Many Bhutanese homes have red roofs, because they are drying chilies. They made red rice, and chili and cheese.
The red rice is cooked until there is still some chew in the grain. You don't want it mushy or very sticky. And red rice, in Bhutan, is pink. Their way of processing it it is pounding it, which removes the hull and the skin. When we buy it here, only the hull is removed.
The chilies are red and long. The presenter said they were capiscum anuum. Looking that up, most peppers are capiscum anuum. In look, they were Anaheim peppers, red and elongated, some were dried. He did mention they do use a variety of chilies, based on heat and taste. In preparing the chilies, they are cut/torn/etc. into bite size pieces, either square-ish or long. Compassionate people wash the peppers free of the seeds and stem, wicked vicious people use the seeds. So, he said. The proportion, in the pot was 3/4 full of chilies, and 1/2 full of water. Add some onions to taste. Simmer, covered till nearly done, stirring often. You do want some reduction.
When nearly done, you add in the chopped onion tops, and add salt (which lowers the heat some). In Bhutan, you put their cheese in now, and leave it on the fire to finish. It doesn't melt well and holds its shape. Here, you use a mixture of a cheese like brie or camembert or cream and grated cheddar. You put it on top, cover, and remove from the heat. You want some melt, but not fully.
Serve this with tea and/or buttermilk.
In Bhutan, since lunch is an interruption to the workday, if there is not enough time to wash up, you use a bit of rice and roll it in your hands into a ball, and set aside. It cleans the dirt off your hands. Also, a bit of each dish is given to the Gods (there is a bowl for them on the table, which is the taken to the altar).
At this lunch, the Minister for Culture and Home Affairs attended, which allowed us to see how a guest is treated.
Very interesting, and I can't wait to try it myself at home. The Bhutanese food tent is run by an Indian restaurant in DC. The presenters said they are trying, but...
Off to home altars and rituals. This one ended up being mostly about objects and things. I was hoping for more about home and family rituals, etc. Interesting, tho.
RANT: I never want to hear complaints about 'entitlements' from Americans again! Being poor, I have seen and fought for support and aid. Being poor is your job, because once you get something that could help you, everyone wants to take it away. But you solvent Americans are RUDE!!! At the Bhutan Kitchen, you kept walking into the demo, getting behind it, barking instructions for your personal photo taking. And, if you show up an hour late, don't demand the presenter waste our time with a synopsis of daily meals and special feasts just for you. Because our presenter had to do it FOUR TIMES!!! What makes you all think you are entitled? Because you have money? Because these people have come all this way to share there culture and life on your demand- when you want and heedless of the people around you? Bhutanese are happy being Buddhist, please stop your Christian missionary work! And they've told you over and over again- there are no metrics for measuring Gross National Happiness because it is subjective. You the patio gardener, the sci-fi geek, the man wander the festival... You are not going to suggest a way of measuring it, nor will being Christian/Western/a US colony help. Look to your own national colony capital to see that fallacy.
Just quit being inane, rude, boorish, stupid, demanding, and QUIT PREACHING!
*stepping down off the soapbox*
I wandered around NASA for a bit, then headed home.
I stopped at the store last evening, on the way home. I picked up what I need to make the oven fried chicken mix. Going to try it this evening with a cut-up chicken, with corn on the cob, spinach, and maybe some rolls. Then fireworks.
Looks like Saturday opened up in the evening. We'll see.
The God/dess/es bless us.
Happy 4th of July.
Wednesday evening's meeting went far better than I ever thought possible. Then again, large steps forward get paid for, sometimes in advance, with horrendous payments in/of/with self. And it was only a couple of steps, not a major accomplishment.
Yesterday, I spent down at the Smithsonian Institution's Folk Life Festival. I spent most of the day in Bhutan, which located between Texas and NASA, doncha know.
The first presentation I went to, and I was really late getting there, was about prayer wheels and flags. What I heard was interesting, and some manners of it are already in my ways. But, I, and my manners, can be improved upon.
From there, I had a mango. Besides the food tents, there are beverage stands and arabbers. The arabbers comes from Baltimore, and was the term they used for fruit sellers, especially in the street. There endeth the lesson.
Where lunch was being prepared. I learned many things. In Bhutan, the chili is a vegetable, and they are preferred. Many Bhutanese homes have red roofs, because they are drying chilies. They made red rice, and chili and cheese.
The red rice is cooked until there is still some chew in the grain. You don't want it mushy or very sticky. And red rice, in Bhutan, is pink. Their way of processing it it is pounding it, which removes the hull and the skin. When we buy it here, only the hull is removed.
The chilies are red and long. The presenter said they were capiscum anuum. Looking that up, most peppers are capiscum anuum. In look, they were Anaheim peppers, red and elongated, some were dried. He did mention they do use a variety of chilies, based on heat and taste. In preparing the chilies, they are cut/torn/etc. into bite size pieces, either square-ish or long. Compassionate people wash the peppers free of the seeds and stem, wicked vicious people use the seeds. So, he said. The proportion, in the pot was 3/4 full of chilies, and 1/2 full of water. Add some onions to taste. Simmer, covered till nearly done, stirring often. You do want some reduction.
When nearly done, you add in the chopped onion tops, and add salt (which lowers the heat some). In Bhutan, you put their cheese in now, and leave it on the fire to finish. It doesn't melt well and holds its shape. Here, you use a mixture of a cheese like brie or camembert or cream and grated cheddar. You put it on top, cover, and remove from the heat. You want some melt, but not fully.
Serve this with tea and/or buttermilk.
In Bhutan, since lunch is an interruption to the workday, if there is not enough time to wash up, you use a bit of rice and roll it in your hands into a ball, and set aside. It cleans the dirt off your hands. Also, a bit of each dish is given to the Gods (there is a bowl for them on the table, which is the taken to the altar).
At this lunch, the Minister for Culture and Home Affairs attended, which allowed us to see how a guest is treated.
Very interesting, and I can't wait to try it myself at home. The Bhutanese food tent is run by an Indian restaurant in DC. The presenters said they are trying, but...
Off to home altars and rituals. This one ended up being mostly about objects and things. I was hoping for more about home and family rituals, etc. Interesting, tho.
RANT: I never want to hear complaints about 'entitlements' from Americans again! Being poor, I have seen and fought for support and aid. Being poor is your job, because once you get something that could help you, everyone wants to take it away. But you solvent Americans are RUDE!!! At the Bhutan Kitchen, you kept walking into the demo, getting behind it, barking instructions for your personal photo taking. And, if you show up an hour late, don't demand the presenter waste our time with a synopsis of daily meals and special feasts just for you. Because our presenter had to do it FOUR TIMES!!! What makes you all think you are entitled? Because you have money? Because these people have come all this way to share there culture and life on your demand- when you want and heedless of the people around you? Bhutanese are happy being Buddhist, please stop your Christian missionary work! And they've told you over and over again- there are no metrics for measuring Gross National Happiness because it is subjective. You the patio gardener, the sci-fi geek, the man wander the festival... You are not going to suggest a way of measuring it, nor will being Christian/Western/a US colony help. Look to your own national colony capital to see that fallacy.
Just quit being inane, rude, boorish, stupid, demanding, and QUIT PREACHING!
*stepping down off the soapbox*
I wandered around NASA for a bit, then headed home.
I stopped at the store last evening, on the way home. I picked up what I need to make the oven fried chicken mix. Going to try it this evening with a cut-up chicken, with corn on the cob, spinach, and maybe some rolls. Then fireworks.
Looks like Saturday opened up in the evening. We'll see.
The God/dess/es bless us.