Random Notes From the Southern Hemisphere: March 2011

I Love Hanoi

Hanoi crazy night traffic from vinceslas on Vimeo.

Labels: Hanoi

Izzy's Pic of the Day 26 March, 2011

The Scene of the Crime

How to make Pop Rocks

HOWTO make Pop Rocks

Cory Doctorow at 9:17 AM Mon

Chickflix has posted an Instructable that pierces the veil of mystery and describes how to mix your own Pop Rocks at home. The secret ingredient turns out to be pretty mundane, alas -- I always assumed that they were filled with some violent, rare substance that ground its way through my guts on the way out. On the other hand, now that the secret is in the open, it paves the way for exotic Pop Rock flavors, such as French mustard, roast beef, and pineapple.

~ 2 Cups Sugar
~ 1 Tsp Baking Soda
~ 1/4 Cup Citric Acid Crystals (Can be tricky to find. If your local gourmet/country store doesn't have them, try here .)
~ 1/3 Cup of Corn Syrup
~ Small amount of Water (Just enough to get sugar wet)
~ 1/4-1 Tsp Flavoring (any extract will work. Use what you like! When using stronger flavors such as cinnamon, mint, and cherry, you can use a small amount (about 1/4 teaspoon). Subtler flavors such as lemon, strawberry, orange, and peach require more (1/2 to 1 teaspoon.)
~ A Few Drops of Food Coloring of your choice

Labels: pop rocks

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson interviews Keith Richards [part 1 of 2]

大津波　tsunami japan おいらせ町

Pic of the day 22 March 2011

Hanoi Fried Fish (Cha Ca Hanoi)

My recipe

The dish

Another recipe

Rice flour
Ground turmeric
White fish fillets, such as cod skinned and cut into bite-size chunks
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Fresh dill
Groundnut (peanut) oil
Roasted peanuts
Spring onions (scallions), cut into bite-size pieces
Fresh basil, stalks removed, leaves chopped
Fresh coriander (cilantro), stalks removed
Lime, cut into quarters
Nuoc cham sauce, to serve
Method :
Mix the flour with the turmeric and toss the fish chunks in it until well coated. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan and cook the fish in batches until crisp and golden.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Scatter some of the dill fronds on a serving dish, arrange the fish on top and keep warm.
Chop some of the remaining dill fronds and set aside for garnishing.
Heat the groundnut oil in a small pan or wok. Stir in the peanuts and cook for 1 minute.
Add the spring onions, the remaining dill fronds, basil and coriander.
Stir fry for no more than 30 seconds, then spoon the herbs and peanuts over the fish.
Garnish with the chopped dill and serve with lime wedges and nuoc cham to drizzle over the top.

The Real Deal