stirfry.tex

\mychapter
{chapter_corn.jpg}
{stirfried vegetables . coconut polenta . cabbage slaw}
{peanut-dressed stirfried vegetables lounge atop coconut polenta as
soy-ginger cabbage slaws pleasant amusement}

\section{coconut polenta}

\begin{ingredients}
  \item 1 packet or a few cups of polenta
  \item boiling water (more than 2:1)
  \item salt
  \item coconut: fresh, dry, or milk
  \item a lemongrass stalk or two
  \item some black pepper
\end{ingredients}

boil the water. get a whisk or other implement with which you can stir with 
the steady vigorous focus of a true culinary Jedi. if you can find lemongrass, 
you can add it to the boiling water. the tea/soup this makes is excellent and 
vital for your continued survival on this disintegrating planet --- MAKE SURE 
TO DRINK AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT. when the water is hot, turn down the heat to 
medium-low, remove some of it (\onethird perhaps) for ``just in case you need 
more''.

add your coconut product and mix before adding the polenta. if the coconut is 
dry (desiccated), allow it to rehydrate and soften for a couple of minutes 
before adding the corn. remember: polenta stands united and will clump 
together in culinary disobedience unless you (The Man) whisk down with surety 
and force. pour the polenta in a slow, steady stream, constantly stirring. 
when you achieve a smooth consistency, evaluate.

if it's looser/soupier than you like your porridge, lower the heat and 
continue to stir occasionally as you finish the rest of your preparations. in 
a few minutes it should thicken up nicely. if it's tighter than you like, add 
some of the reserved water or more coconut milk until you get Just The Right 
Thing.

do not take the polenta off the (low) heat until you are ready to serve --- 
the texture and flow change completely as it cools. make it last and when your 
fools and lovers are ready to eat, stir in the freshly cracked black pepper 
and plate immediately.

\subsection{the \textit{pattern} amongst polenta's grains}

polenta is (perfectly and paradoxically) both simple in its cooking and varied 
in its possible uses. the first incarnation of polenta is a sort of thick corn 
gruel obtained by stirring together ground corn with boiling water. this 
porridge can be cooked to a variety of consistencies and adapts to its form 
upon cooling, so it can easily be used for odd shapes or innovative 
presentation ideas.

for its initial cooking (described above) most people prepare polenta in one 
of three ways

\begin{itemize}

  \item a loose gruelly porridge, with vegetables or spices mixed in or 
  served on top
  
  \item a firmer more gelatinous porridge, served with an ice cream scooper 
  and holding an attractive shape on the plate
  
  \item a focaccia-style creation, poured until flat and baked until firm

\end{itemize}

in the initial recipe, being a brasilian restaurant, i cooked the polenta 
with coconut and lemongrass. if you're not in brasil you probably won't 
(and shouldn't) follow suit because the coconuts, after such long and bumpy 
travels, will not be in a happy nutritious mood. other additions could be:

\begin{itemize}

  \item chopped chipotle peppers and lime juice (the lime at the end)

  \item fresh mediterranean herbs (lavender, rosemary, sage, oregano, marjoram)

  \item chopped greens and garlic: beet greens, collard greens, mustard 
  greens, chard

  \item milk instead of coconut milk, apples boiling in the water instead of 
  lemongrass, and cheddar cheese with black pepper at the end

\end{itemize}

to achieve the second from the first merely continue cooking. as more water 
evaporates the porridge will become jello-like and hold together better. keep 
the polenta at a warm temperature (warm oven, warm water bath) until serving.

to achieve the third you can passively pour the hot polenta into a tray and 
let it cool, or bake the water out of the polenta in its new shape. i've found 
it easier simply to let it cool to room temperature and then even put the 
entire tray in the fridge for a couple of hours. make sure the tray has been 
lightly greased so it's easy (flip it over) to get the polenta out. 

when you want to serve the formed polenta:

\begin{itemize}

  \item remove it from the fridge, allowing it to return to room temperature

  \item cut it into whatever clever shape you desire

  \item sear it in oil or butter on the stove/grill, forming a tasty crust on 
  each side.

\end{itemize}

\subsection{variations on coconut polenta}

\subsubsection{lily's polenta breakfast}

so there's this girl lily who lived with us for months and months and it's 
this whole other story but she dug the polenta and sometimes would have it 
for breakfast with nothing but some sugar or honey. however, if you live in 
the first world or are trying to impress somebody's parents you can put all 
kinds of breakfasty additions in your exotic corn porridge.

start by cooking the polenta (as above) and maybe using milk (if you're into 
that kind of thing) or coconut milk with your water. add sugar or maple 
syrup with the polenta and stir towards conformity. when it's ready open your 
pantry and inject whatever you like:

\mbox{\hskip 1cm}\textsf{raisins}\\
\mbox{\hskip 2.5cm}\textsf{chopped dried fruit}\\
\mbox{\hskip 6cm}\textsf{walnuts}\\
\mbox{\hskip 1.5cm}\textsf{grapenuts}\\
\mbox{\hskip 3.5cm}\textsf{toasted coconut}\\
\mbox{\hskip 7cm}\textsf{picante}\\
\mbox{\hskip 2cm}\textsf{yogurt}\\
\mbox{\hskip 4.5cm}\textsf{granola}

\subsubsection{polenta with leftover saut\'{e}}

this chapter's title dish takes freshly stirfried vegetables and mounds 
them atop a warm polenta porridge for a hearty, satisfying meal.

the next day you're going to have soft wilted vegetables and cold hard 
polenta sitting outside amidst empty beer bottles and scraps of purple 
ribbon on your floor. maybe some seashells and hemp bracelets in the corner 
and your roommates nowhere to be found. you're going to need some lunch 
before you can really focus on Ending Poverty or whatever else it is they 
happen to be selling on the culture channel.

\begin{itemize}

  \item heat up a cup of water on the stove; add leftover polenta when hot, 
  mix to the best of your ability.

  \item when more or less conformed, mix in a few chopped handfuls of last 
  night's vegetables.

  \item while they heat together, dice a few green onions and juice a lime or 
  lemon.

  \item take the pot off the heat, stir in some more black pepper, the 
  scallions, and citric juice.

\end{itemize}

the fresh touches at the end (cilantro would also be nice) help one rediscover 
the vitality of the food. they are essential. 	

\subsubsection{seared sun-dried tomato polenta}

a more traditional polenta variation from our brothers on the mediterranean

\begin{ingredients}
  \item polenta
  \item water or stock
  \item sun-dried tomatoes
  \item white wine
  \item onions, diced
  \item garlic, minced
  \item basil, chopped
  \item cheese, grated
\end{ingredients}

if your tomatoes are already wet and dripping with olive oil, chop them and 
you're ready for business. if they're still dry soak them for a few hours in 
white wine (if that's legal and desirable for you) or water. if you don't have 
a few hours, rehydrate them in hot water or wine for 15 minutes. when they're 
soft and wet, chop them and set aside.

heat a pot for the polenta with a little olive oil in the bottom. saut\'{e} 
your onions and garlic together on medium heat until they go from white to 
clear and feel soft and easy.

when the onions are translucent add your stock if you have some or salted 
water if you don't. when the water starts to boil, reduce the heat and add the 
polenta. if you forget to turn down the heat the polenta will boil over and 
you will have a hilarious mess. as the polenta cooks and smoothens, add the 
basil, cheese (parmigiano or romano if you're in the first world), and black 
pepper.

when The All is One pour into a tray or baking dish to cool (as directed 
above). let it relax to room temperature, chill in the fridge, and relax again 
to room temperature. while it's chilling you can press whatever you want into 
the top of it for fossilized spice or herb bits in your polenta. i use thin 
slices of garlic, whole rosemary branches, and tomato rounds.

when you're ready to serve, cut the polenta into pieces (squares, triangles, 
circles using a coffee cup, narrow rectangles to be seared on their sides) 
and perhaps in half heightwise if they're thick enough. heat some oil or 
butter in pan (good high heat) and reverently toss a peeled clove of garlic 
into the oil. when the oil is hot and garlic is fragrant, begin searing. each 
piece should cook for a minute or two on each side: enough to pop, brown, 
blister, and warm all the way through. it helps to cover the pan as you're 
searing the second side to add steaming action and make sure the middle is 
hot --- especially for thick pieces. take care with slices who have cheese or 
fresh tomato on the outside edge --- they will be blister faster, making them 
more and more attractive until they burn and are ruined (FOREVER).

cover attractively with sauce or saut\'{e}ed vegetables and serve.

\section{stirfry vegetables}

nothing hits the Spot and the Complementary Contrast better for me than 
sizzling crunchy vegetables over a soft warm grain. you work for half the 
meal and are comforted by the other. take:

\begin{ingredients}
  \item onions
  \item green onions
  \item whatever vegetables they have at the market (carrot, cabbage, peppers, 
  broccoli, cauliflower, beets, cucumbers, green tomatoes)
  \item garlic
  \item ginger
\end{ingredients}
wash all your vegetables and peel the pestilential ones. cut them into thin longish slices that accentuate their shape and color. be adventuresome and don't worry about the forks of your fellow men and women. they will find a way.

heat some cooking oil (peanut oil, canola oil) in a pan, on high heat, and 
add the onions when hot. stir them well, constantly in motion: we want them 
soft and translucent, neither brown nor burnt.

while the onions cook, chop together a few cloves of garlic and pat's thumb 
of ginger. add the ginger and garlic when the onions are soft.

cook briefly and start adding the vegetables. hard items like carrots and 
beets should go in first, then cabbages, peppers, etc. spinach, greens, 
pineapple or other fleshies can go in last. the key is to cook everything 
exactly to the right texture so nothing is raw and nothing is mushy.

when everything is almost done, turn down the heat and add your sauce: 
either the peanut sauce (below) or any variation you see fit. mix together 
on low heat for a minute or two, until everything is cooked perfectly and has 
the right consistency, and serve immediately.

\subsection{stirfrying vegetables following the pattern}

if you're not going to eat your vegetables raw and really maximize the work 
they've done for you (and the work you have to do for them), then it's 
probably best to have them cooked as little as possible. stirfrying cooks 
vegetables at a high heat for a short amount of time, allowing sweetness to 
develop before the soggy sets in. it's work intensive in the sense that it 
requires a lot of chopping and a lot of attention, but these obligations are 
better seen as trainings --- different yogas or meditations to help you relax 
into your true, eternal, selfhood.

\begin{algorithm}

  \item wash, peel, and chop all your vegetables. take up a lot of room if you 
  can.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item it's easier and safer to chop vegetables with a flat side down. many vegetables are not born with a flat side and it is up to you to give them one. luckily, with a knife, this is not hard.
    \item body- mind- and spirit- altering chemicals (nutrients, pesticides) congregate in the peel. you may want to remove it.
    \item chop slowly and with dedication. relax. let it be a medication. having a bounty of vegetables around you is in itself a gift. having the opportunity to feed your fellow human is in itself a gift. if you focus on these presents you will grow full and fat before you have heated a single drop of oil.
  \end{itemize}

  \item appreciate them. the color, the size, the texture.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item there are millions of US who do not eat when we want to.
    \item there are millions of US who only eat the insides of cans and boxes. artificial colors and illusionary sizes.
    \item you are truly blessed to be looking at a cutting board or countertop full of vegetables.
  \end{itemize}

  \item highly heat a small amount of oil in a large amount of pan.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item use peanut, canola, mustard, or whatever the locals do.
    \item olive oil and sesame oil will burn immediately, so if that's all you have skip down to dry-frying (below).
  \end{itemize}

  \item fry your onions first.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item until translucent. onions take more stages of cooking to get to the taste and texture we want. so it's good to privilege them.
  \end{itemize}
  
  \item fry your garlic and ginger next.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item just for a minute until they begin to release they're goodness. you don't have to use them either. you don't have to do anything you don't want to, regardless of what the police or your middle school teacher tried to tell you.
  \end{itemize}

  \item fry everything else in order of size and hardness.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item this is the zen or dance of timing. it's very important and will take you a few tries. it's worth it. there is an alternative (below) if you really think this desperate mix of on the fly density vs. surface area calculations is not for you.
    \item good vegetables include:
    \begin{ingredients}
      \item carrots
      \item xu-xu (see chapter five)
      \item bell peppers of various colors
      \item cabbage
      \item cauliflower
      \item broccoli
      \item lotus root (if you're really living in style)
      \item bok choi (or anything foreign that sounds like it's from a 
      stirfry culture)
      \item mushrooms
	\end{ingredients}
  \end{itemize}

  \item add your sauce.
  \begin{itemize}
    \item some sauces (that have sugar or cornstarch or lots of liquid) like to be cooked to thicken and gloss. others want to stew to exchange flavors. and others just need to be mixed. generally the heat of the stirfry will be too hot for the sauce, so you can either remove the pan from the heat or turn it down (or off).
  \end{itemize}

\end{algorithm}

that's just the standard way i've learned of cooking together different 
vegetables. there are a number of other easy techniques to get totally 
different flavors and textures out of the same vegetables:

\subsubsection{dry-frying:}

oil. if you're stranded on some lakeside in patagonia and don't have any or 
are prison to your ideological beliefs and can't find any organic non-gmo 
varieties at the local hypermarket, dry-frying is for you. it works best for a 
fajita-style mix of onions and peppers, but i've used it with great success on 
any vegetable that carries enough water to cook itself. as i understand it, 
the chemical premise is that the high heat steams out the internal water of 
your vegetables, cooking them from the inside-out as the hot metal sears them 
from the outside in. you should end up with some blistering and charring, to a 
degree you can control by how often and how vigorously you stir. 

heat a pan to very hot. cheap aluminum or steel pans work the worst and will 
scar and burn easily. heavy steel pans, cast-iron and of course magical 
poisonous teflon work the best. throw in your vegetables all at once --- 
onions and peppers or carrots or peppers and carrots or broccoli or carrots 
and beets or whatever. let them sit and cook at rest for a moment, and then 
begin to stir them. relax and let your intuition guide you --- you will be 
drawn to stir or agitate that vegetable which is about to blacken until you 
are dancing with the heat of the pan, attuned to the microvariations of 
temperature, balancing the steaming and charring action. when the vegetables 
are appropriately soft, add roasted cumin, salt, or whatever other spices 
you desire. stir a few moments longer, and remove from the hot pan.

\subsubsection{more authentically chinese stirfrying:}

i've never done this but i feel i have to include it because it might be true. 
apparently stirfrys are traditionally made by frying each vegetable 
separately, then combining and heating the different elements together in the 
end. this technique is way beyond my levels of dedication and patience and i 
could only suggest it as a philosophical exercise, or for those who absolutely 
can't handle the idea of adding each vegetable to the mix at Just The Right 
Time to get the cooking to come out even.

\subsubsection{gentler proven\c{c}al-style saut\'{e}s:}

many cultures prefer to cook their vegetables on lower heat for a slower 
softer cooking. natural sweetness develops better, there is less chance of 
burning, and less work and attention required of the cook. follow the normal 
directions but keep the heat on medium, don't pay careful attention, and feel 
free to cover to encourage steaming (they're going to be soft anyhow).

\subsection{varying stirfried vegetables}

\subsubsection{fajita style onions and peppers}

follow the dry-fry technique from the beginning, using onion rings or 
half-rings and long strips of bell peppers. chile peppers work well too for a 
much more intense experiences. as they soften and start to blister i'll throw 
in a couple of chopped cloves of garlic to fry for a few minutes, as well as 
ground roasted cumin and a little oil (if i have some around). this cuts the 
burning and everything mixes together softly and easily. these vegetables are 
great in tacos, as a sidedish, appetizer, over polenta, or anywhere else.

\subsubsection{instant sauerkraut}

traditional sauerkraut is a conspiracy between various species of airborne 
bacteria and the human consumer, to preserve vegetables for months (or years) 
with added flavor and nutrition. this version replaces centuries of careful 
knowledge and technique with vinegar, which has a similar taste. using a 
flavored vinegar (see chapter two) would of course be preferable to the 
clinical distilled white you'd take home from The Store.

\begin{ingredients}
  \item as much cabbage as you can eat or chop
  \item some spices: dill seeds, caraway, black pepper, minced garlic, salt
  \item a sliced apple or two
  \item vinegar
\end{ingredients}

use the standard technique for saut\'{e}ing vegetables --- medium heat in a 
little bit of oil, stirring enough so it doesn't stick or burn but not 
obsessing because the heat isn't quite dangerous enough. when all the water 
has been exorcised from the cabbage, add your spices and apples and cook 
together with the leaves for a couple of minutes. when the soft feels in 
danger of drying out, add enough vinegar to truck the cooking along. as the 
veggies steam more and the vinegar reduces, taste for acidity. it should taste 
sour and strong but not so much that you can't eat it. add more vinegar and 
cook until it's as strong as you like.

cover while people find the right chairs and wash their right hands.

\subsubsection{onion, zucchini, and carrot taco filling}

\begin{ingredients}
  \item diced onion
  \item half moon zucchini
  \item cubed or grated carrot
  \item cumin
  \item minced garlic
\end{ingredients}

saut\'{e} these vegetables on medium-high heat, following the technique above 
which places the onions first and adds the zucchini and carrots when the 
former are soft. i add garlic and cumin to the onions a few minutes before the 
other vegetables, and squeeze on lemon juice and salt at the end. the zucchini 
have a higher water content and will finish softer than the carrots --- the 
more you stir them, the saucier they will become.

\subsubsection{saut\'{e}ed potatoes}

one of my favorite comforting weekend breakfast recipes, this saut\'{e} 
accepts a wide variety of seasoning combinations and can fill many roles on 
the p(a)late. the key is in the small and even sizing of the potatoes

\begin{ingredients}
  \item some potatoes cut into small frenchie cubes (brunoise)
  \item oil
  \item salt
  \item pepper
\end{ingredients}

to make a brunoise cut, cut off a long side of the potato to give a flat 
surface. roll the potato onto this flatness (for security) and make a similar 
cut on the next side (for posterity). continue slicing down the potato, 
holding it together with your hand above the knife if it starts to fall apart. 
when you've sliced the potato into an array of thin (pinky thick) slices, turn 
the entire stack on its side (the second flat surface you created) and repeat 
the process. you will now have a matrix of matchsticks.

apply a ninety degree transform to your matrix and chop into cubes. the 
important part is to have a flat surface down at all times to allow yourself 
the peace of mind to make firm swift cuts without worrying about slippage and 
medical bills and your lack of insurance coverage.

heat more than enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. when 
loose and flowing, add the potatoes. they are full of starch (glue) and will 
want to stick to the pan, so it is your sacred duty to stir them often enough 
to prevent stickage. keep the heat on medium, cover the pan when not stirring, 
and cook for 10-15 minutes. they will eventually brown on all sides (if you're 
stirring evenly) and be cooked through (the smaller the faster). add salt and 
pepper, toss and stir a minute longer, and serve.

if you run into serious sticking problems, assuage the situation by adding a 
little more oil to the pan (not directly to a potato --- he will greedily 
absorb it all leaving nothing for his brethren). adding water to the pan, 
which may at some points seem like a good idea, will likely cause 
over-steaming and a mushy potato result which you will have to rename before 
serving.

\section{soy-ginger cabbage salad}

one of the most popular dishes (among gringos) at O Bigode, this salad 
marinates thinly prepared vegetables with a powerful dressing.

\begin{ingredients}
  \item healthy cabbage
  \item bunch of carrots
  \item pair of beets
  \item green and white onion
  \item sesame seeds
\end{ingredients}

\begin{itemize}
  \item shred cabbage
  \item grate carrots and beets
  \item thinly slice white onion
  \item dice the green ones and toast the sesame seeds.
\end{itemize}
	
dressing:
\begin{ingredients}
  \item tamari
  \item tahini
  \item rice wine vinegar
  \item minced ginger
  \item minced garlic
  \item honey
  \item sesame oil
\end{ingredients}

combine and mix vigorously. start with \onethird cup of tamari and \onequarter 
cup of tahini; taste after each ingredient.

\subsection{the \textit{pattern} of this cabbage salad}

three elements are key to this type of salad:

\begin{itemize}
  \item vegetables cut with high Surface Area To Volume Ratio (SATVR)
  \item some time for the dressing to marinate and impregnate the high 
  SATVR-cut vegetables (SATVRCV)
  \item a good dressing
\end{itemize}

within these constraints you can thinly slice (or grate; much easier with a 
grating robot) any vegetables together, let them soak with some good flavors, 
and enjoy.

\subsection{variations on soy-ginger cabbage salad}

\subsubsection{a simpler teriyaki-style sauce}

if the soy-tahini-ginger is a little much for you, this provides a simpler 
dressing or sauce for a vegetable stirfry


\begin{ingredients}
  \item orange juice
  \item soy sauce
  \item honey
  \item a little bit of minced ginger
\end{ingredients}

mix the ingredients together until slightly viscous. if using for a stirfry 
sauce, be sure to cook a little bit on medium heat to thicken, and then toss 
in sesame seeds during the last minute or two of heat to speckle your 
vegetables.

\subsubsection{asian dressed carrot apple salad}

\begin{ingredients}
  \item carrots
  \item cucumbers
  \item apples
\end{ingredients}

grate your carrots. if you are cooking for people who like vegetables and like 
asians, use 1 carrot per person. otherwise use \onehalf. always think about 
future versions of the self (lunch tomorrow) and any guests who might show up 
(doid\~{a}o or elijah or otherwise).

mix the grated carrots with a liberal amount of rice wine vinegar. let them 
sit and negotiate while you finish grating.

peel and de-seed the cucumbers (using a spoon works dandy, just scrape down 
the line) and grate. use half the mass of cucumber as of carrots. squeeze them 
to remove the water (most of it) and reserve for a nice vodka cocktail. 

peel and grate an apple or two as well.

drain the vinegar if you added too much, combine all the ingredients, and add 
the sauce:

\begin{ingredients}
  \item soy sauce
  \item toasted ground sesame seeds
  \item minced ginger
\end{ingredients}

in general, the more sesame seeds the better, unless somebody is deathly 
allergic to sesame (ask).

\subsubsection{apples in bahia?}

every once in a while we would get apples. most crops grow year round in bahia 
but apples were cultivated in the south and harvested in the southern fall. so 
by october these apples had been in cold storage for six months and shipped 
from at least a 24 hour busride away. they were mediocre at best and cost over 
three times as much as mangoes.

clearly this dish would be hard to do without the carrots. everything else is 
negotiable. the combination i like is the sweetness of the carrots soaked in 
the sweet/tart of the vinegar. it's best with the rice wine (and indeed --- 
just the carrots and vinegar is common in vietnamese food) but i've made it 
with just apple-cider vinegar as well. i never saw a pear in brasil but little 
cubes of firm/crisp pear instead of apple would be perfect. you wouldn't even 
need the soy sauce.

\section{peanut sauce}

making a decent peanut sauce is incredibly easy, and making a great one takes 
about three tries. the key is to balance the creamyfatty taste of the peanuts 
(which we in amerika are very attracted to) with the flavorings that lend 
subtlety to the dish.

\begin{ingredients}
  \item water
  \item peanut butter
  \item soy sauce
  \item rice wine vinegar
  \item honey
  \item garlic
  \item ginger
  \item something hot
\end{ingredients}

water your peanut butter down by whisking them together on low heat. take the 
sauce off of the heat and start added flavorings in the order listed. when 
it's salty enough, stop with the soy; when it's sour enough stop with the 
vinegar. etc. trust yourself: if you like it so will everybody else.

\subsection{peanut sauce \textit{patterns}}

i couldn't find anywhere else to put high-fat vegetable variations so here's 
where they're going to be. coconut, peanut, and avocado -based sauces are 
similar in that they start from a creamy fatty base and flavor it with the 
strong additions necessary to compete with so much luscious vegetable richness.

if you have access to peanuts or coconuts, THERE IS NO CONCIEVABLE NEED to buy 
peanut butter or coconut milk.

\subsubsection{how to make peanut butter}

take your roasted peanuts and put them in your robot. plug in and turn on.
through the curtain of schrappy noise you will notice the peanuts go from 
whole to chopped to powdered to a big oily ball to a smooth creamy butter. 
after the ball relaxes into a butter, blend a little longer to force even 
more oil out of the nut. taste and add salt if you want ``salted peanut 
butter''. thin with water if you're making a peanut sauce. there is absolutely 
no need to add oil.

\subsubsection{how to make coconut milk}

if using desiccated shredded coconut, soak in water for an hour and treat as 
fresh coconut.

if using fresh coconut, blend your coconut chunks in enough water to smoothen. 
this will take few minutes.

the smooth paste you get is coconut milk. what you find in the inside of an 
unripe coconut is coconut water. they are two different things. in the 
evolution of the holy coconut, actually, it is the coconut water that 
solidifies into the coconut meat, which dries into the flesh of the coconut 
fruit. to wit:

\textsf{coconut water $\rightarrow$ wet meat $\rightarrow$ dry meat 
$\rightarrow$ grated coconut $\rightarrow$ coconut milk}

\subsection{variations on peanut sauce}

\subsubsection{coconut curry}

a simple thai coconut sauce could be saut\'{e}ing the following (as above) and 
letting the result simmer in coconut milk while you prepare everything else:

\begin{ingredients}
  \item onions
  \item garlic
  \item green chile
  \item ginger
  \item lemon grass
\end{ingredients}

basil and cilantro in large quantities help turn the coconut milk green. this 
sauce then gets added to whatever vegetables you've just cooked, either merely 
to coat or as a sort of stew.

\subsubsection{coconut chutney w/ mustard fenugreek}

you can get a lot of insight into a culture from its markets and thriftstores. 
one device you could find in every kitchen/restaurant supply store in salvador 
looked like a horizontal orange juicer mounted on a hand crank (or electric), 
cost 40 points, and was used to grind out the meat of a coconut. so all you 
have to do is split it with your fac\~{a}o\footnote{fac\~{a}o (br) : large 
knife, machete}, drain the agua, mount it on the provided bracket, and crank 
until all the delicious meat piled up in front of you. definitely the way to 
go if you were making cocada\footnote{cocada (br) : coconut custard style 
brasilian desert} or a lot of this chutney (say for a wedding) and were intent 
on using fresh coconut.

luckily, the recipe adapts well (as in, hell, everything adapts well if we 
adapt well, it doesn't have enough ego to care) to desiccated coconut: just 
transmute it into coconut milk (see above).

coconut milk (either newly made or purchased) is the base of the chutney. the 
other two components are fresh spices and roasted spices. for the fresh spices 
i use a mixture of minced ginger and green chiles, with more of the latter 
than the former. as for the dry spices:

heat a small amount of oil in a pan. when hot add 1 tbsp each of:

\begin{ingredients}
  \item black mustard seeds
  \item fenugreek seeds
  \item chana dal
\end{ingredients}

they might be hard to find but here the flavor matters. dal just means split 
so i imagine you could break a couple of dried chickpeas and use that if you 
don't have chana dal in your house. chana dal is a really great lentil, 
however, and i recommend having it with you AT ALL TIMES. borders crossings 
and everything.

let the seeds pop and roast in the oil and take off the heat when browned. 
grind in a mortar and pestle until powdered. there will be some fragmentary 
chunks and that's fine. mix in the oil and spices to the milk, ginger, and 
chile. the chana flour you've made should act as a thickening agent, to help 
the sauce hold together. if it doesn't work, it's because you made the coconut 
milk too loose or didn't toast/grind enough chana dal.

it doesn't have to be very tight anyhow for dipping samosas or empanadas, but 
works great as a sandwich spread or on pita if it's a little thicker (like 
mayonnaise).

\subsubsection{sweet and spicy aguacates\footnote{aguacate (sp) : avocado}}

guacamole, while famous in mexico and everywhere else, is basically unheard of 
in brasil. they have many types of avocados, delicious and smooth, and never 
put them near garlic. instead they like their avocados sweet, with sugar or 
honey on bread, or in smoothies. so to be fair i'll put them both, though we 
made the guac a lot more often than the jam

\subsubsection{guacamole:}

\begin{itemize}
  \item mix together roughly with a fork
  \item the lemon salt chile combination is really what's going to send you 
  out there, and the rest of it is an important fashion accessory.
\end{itemize}

\begin{ingredients}
  \item a few soft, ripe, dark avocados
  \item half an onion diced small
  \item two minced cloves of garlic
  \item a little cayenne pepper
  \item juice of one lemon, maybe two
  \item a ripe tomato
  \item fresh ground toasted cumin
  \item salt
\end{ingredients}

\subsubsection{doce de abacate\footnote{doce de abacate (br) : avocado jam}:}

\begin{itemize}
  \item mix together until creamy
  \item as sweet as you can take it (the brasilians take it pretty sweet) and 
  the texture to spread on bread. add ice water for an interesting smoothie.
\end{itemize}

\begin{ingredients}
  \item a few soft, ripe, dark avocados
  \item a few tablespoons of sugar or honey
  \item a little bit of cream or coconut milk
\end{ingredients}