LAtoBA said:
Very helpful actually. Especially about the thai food stuff. Do you get the stir fry sauces at the barrio chino stores?
I get the curry pastes, fish sauce, coconut milk, and ALL my asian staples in barrio chino (rice noodles, rice in general, soy sauce, oyster sauce, crushed and dried hot peppers, etc.). I'd be lost without that place. The large Casa China (there are two, the bigger is further away from Juramento on the second block on Arribeños) is my favorite grocery store there. Sometimes they don't carry everything I need, so it's good to check out what the other stores have. Sometimes the big asia market on Olazabal (I think? it's the parallel street to Juramento) has what Casa China lacks (dry wide rice noodles, for one, I love those things and with them you can make Pad Kee Mao and Pad See Ew, two of my favorites). I do try to get friends to bring in some stuff when I can (coconut oil and coconut sugar I can't find here, in addition to thai basil seeds, etc.), but for the most part you can make due with what's here. If you can't get palm sugar, use the azucar integral (the closest approximation to the soft, crumbly brown sugar we're used to in the States) instead. As for teriyaki sauce and other stir fry sauces, I make my own (with BC ingredients, of course). Lots of good recipes online, but for example here's one that is the best teriyaki I've tried to make on my own:
1 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS water
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C sugar (to taste, maybe more or less depending on how sweet you like it)
1/4 C cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic (crushed or diced--I like more)
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger (I like more)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
+hot pepper to taste
In a small sauce pan whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined, then simmer until thickened. Make sure to stir every few seconds to keep from burning. I like to make this and cook some chunked chicken thigh with it, and serve it over steamed broccoli and rice. I always add more veggies to whatever I'm cooking, and usually less sugar. I'm pretty much incapable of following any recipe as written, but they're great inspiration.
Honestly, I realized through having to make so many things on my own here that I really prefer the homemade versions to store bought now (I'll never go back to canned enchilada sauce, ever!). Have fun with it. Know that not everything will be a masterpiece, but you will surprise yourself!
Oh yeah, I like to cook Indian food too.
Feelgood, Mumbai in Palermo is a pretty good Indian restaurant here, and the food is actually spicy. Tandoor is pretty good, too. That said, any ethnic foods are really quite pricey here, and you can make your own butter chicken easily at home (here's the first recipe I looked at online:
http://www.expatrecipe.com/2010/10/05/butter-chicken/)! I know it's more work, but you can also get basmati rice and even make your own Naan (mmm, garlic naan) for a very enjoyable meal at a fraction of the price.
