Guess what I had for dinner...

-JohnD.

When I hear that question the odds are it was asked by one of my Hmong relatives and my knee jerk response is automatic:
I do NOT want to know!

I do hope you put them away ala Mr. Bean's seafood platter on his vacation.

The Snark said:

When I hear that question the odds are it was asked by one of my Hmong relatives and my knee jerk response is automatic:
I do NOT want to know!

uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:​

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I'm Filipino, so you can guess this is not the most surprising thing that I've had the lovely opportunity to consume. Not too sure about the Hmong culture but from your response, I better look up some Hmong recipes for tomorrow night lol .

-JohnD.

JohnDapiaoen said:

I'm Filipino, so you can guess this is not the most surprising thing that I've had the lovely opportunity to consume. Not too sure about the Hmong culture but from your response, I better look up some Hmong recipes for tomorrow night lol .

-JohnD.

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Recipes? Recipes... One small step removed from the hunter gatherers that got kicked out of Tibet and moved to China, got kicked out of China and moved into the hills of Laos, the Cambodian forests and the hills and mountains of Thailand. Over 50% illiteracy rate until 20 years ago... (my wife taught her mom how to read).. recipes? We don't need no steenking recipes! You whack or shoot it, chop it up if it's big, impale it on sticks and roast it over the fire! What's to recipe? Come visit mom-in-law's for dinner. Take note of the bars of soap I gave her 11 years ago on the shelf. Did you catch a glimpse of her kicking the pigs and shooing the chickens out of the kitchen?

Then you sit down to the meal. On the floor, dangit. You want a chair you should have brought one with you. As I sit there looking at the evenings repast a weird little zot always cruises through my brain from some English teacher I knew many many moons ago: "Using grammar, punctuation and emphasis, there are 16 ways to write or pronounce the sentence 'what is this sh*t stew'."

I never have figured out all 16 ways and I never have figured out what all has gone into the average meal there. I'm usually too busy thinking back on my infection control days and how long I should incinerate tidbits to be reasonably assured it's sterile. I couple that with smiles and assurances that I like eating charcoal.

The Snark said:

Recipes? Recipes... One small step removed from the hunter gatherers that got kicked out of Tibet and moved to China, got kicked out of China and moved into the hills of Laos, the Cambodian forests and the hills and mountains of Thailand. Over 50% illiteracy rate until 20 years ago... (my wife taught her mom how to read).. recipes? We don't need no steenking recipes! You whack or shoot it, chop it up if it's big, impale it on sticks and roast it over the fire! What's to recipe? Come visit mom-in-law's for dinner. Take note of the bars of soap I gave her 11 years ago on the shelf. Did you catch a glimpse of her kicking the pigs and shooing the chickens out of the kitchen?

Then you sit down to the meal. On the floor, dangit. You want a chair you should have brought one with you. As I sit there looking at the evenings repast a weird little zot always cruises through my brain from some English teacher I knew many many moons ago: "Using grammar, punctuation and emphasis, there are 16 ways to write or pronounce the sentence 'what is this sh*t stew'."

I never have figured out all 16 ways and I never have figured out what all has gone into the average meal there. I'm usually too busy thinking back on my infection control days and how long I should incinerate tidbits to be reasonably assured it's sterile. I couple that with smiles and assurances that I like eating charcoal.

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Reading that gave me some vague déjà vu... Ah yes! been there, done that, seen that. Couple that with being forced to sit and listen to grandfathers stories of how life was even harder back in the day, makes you appreciate the fact that life will just get better. I'd say you're living the common life of most third world country people.

There HAS to be some kind of recipes to Hmong food, unless those Hmong folks at a culture festival I attended last year gave me spring rolls that they gathered from some forest somewhere. Even though 90% of what my people eat is fried "look what I caught... what is it?" I can find some decent recipes originating from there, though my cooking skills could use some improvement.

-JohnD.

JohnDapiaoen said:

Reading that gave me some vague déjà vu... Ah yes! been there, done that, seen that. Couple that with being forced to sit and listen to grandfathers stories of how life was even harder back in the day, makes you appreciate the fact that life will just get better. I'd say you're living the common life of most third world country people.

There HAS to be some kind of recipes to Hmong food, unless those Hmong folks at a culture festival I attended last year gave me spring rolls that they gathered from some forest somewhere. Even though 90% of what my people eat is fried "look what I caught... what is it?" I can find some decent recipes originating from there, though my cooking skills could use some improvement.

-JohnD.

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Well, we don't have a grandparent giving the stories but the usual stories are 'life is harder now'... due to the collective raping and encroachment they have done to the forest.
As for recipes, I just asked the boss. She has never heard of a Hmong recipe book but if you happen across one she would like to have a copy. While she is a professional chef running her own restaurant all her tribal cooking knowledge, and that of everyone she knows, is strictly handed down by word of mouth from the parents. Hmong traditional meals really are hunter gatherer. Catch or pick it and shove it in your mouth or cook over a campfire.
Thai cooking is another matter. The cook books are legion. Really, near infinite as every competent cook does it a different way. Wifeypoo adds to that as she combines Thai and international cuisine casually at a whim. She cranked out a tam yam souffle once in a small toaster oven that was fantastic but she didn't like the appearance of the finished product stating it looked like an inflated cow flop and she never made it again.

And oh yes. It started with 'What is (unintelligible word) I finally was able to translate as Quiche. I explained precisely what it was, a glorified omlette with a pie like crust. So she finds a picture of it on the internet and combines it with papaya salad and south of Thailand green and yellow curry. I would dearly love to take a few of those to one of the Texas Chile cook offs and show those wusses what real hot it. Got to love the way they go at hot food here. Tears streaming down a flushed red face and great wads of sticky rice shoved in your maw at intervals to quell the flames and finally, a gasped 'can I have another?'. After she sprang her quiche on her sisters, there was a small shriek and a series of anguished gasping moans from sis in the bathroom the next morning as she delivered a #2.

I'm not sure about a lot of Hmong recipes myself but I've had the luxury of trying filipino balut. Words can not describe it. lol

A nice serving of procambarus clarkii

I love crayfish, i enjoy that spicy tangy flavor, like shrimp but way better