never again will i be seduced by your oriental teas, macro mama's. never. but it kept me warm as i sat on the docks of cayuga lake on a chilled sunny day, taking in my weekly farmer's market.
there's a reason why i head for the cambodian food stall at the farmer's market unfailingly, every time. it is distanced enough from the generic brand of asian food to be novel and exciting while retaining all the qualities of tasting like home--home in the sense that you feel like you're tasting something embedded so deeply in a cultural memory you can't quite remember. elements of comfort food according to southeast asia:
-white rice. rice flour. rice noodles. rice anything. if you don't eat rice, you are probably sipping tea and thinking of conquering people who do.
-bean/root vegetable in a mushy/pasty form. ex. taro (mmm!), monk bean (yes!), red bean (ehhh).
-something rich and creamy, like peanuts or coconut milk.
-the suggestion that a wok was used in the making.
-slivered winter vegetables.
-glutinous dipping sauce.
a far cry from mashed potatoes and apple pie, or whatever floats the anglo boat. my khmer pancake lasted all of 5 minutes, and it was beautiful.
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