The Pleasure Of Mini Rice Tables

What a diff'rence a day makes
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain

~Dinah Washington

I seem to be in some kind of vacuum after my visit to the Lowlands, it's a good one. I guess seeing my friends again, catching up on their lives, left me with a very positive attitude and hopefully it will stay like that for a while. I'm much happier and I feel a lot better in general. It was extremely good to see them and even though I came back to the UK totally knackered and with a cold, that week will be something to treasure. I miss the Dutch rain and riding my bike already...

I have to work on my CV again today and finalise it. I showed it to a few people to get some feedback, Maurice made some really useful comments, something I hadn't thought off so I have to change a few things. It won't be that much work but since I found the perfect layout I probably end up swapping around sentences and words to keep it like that. He has worked for recruitment agencies in the past so his knowledge comes in quite handy! He promised me to have a look at it when I'm done so I can send it out asap, sweet isn't it? I found a really cool job last week so hopefully it will still be there when I've finished the corrections.

We went to Lakeside yesterday morning because we had to look for a present for M. who will turn 40 next week. We will be going there [New Forest] and stay at a B&B. She has invited a crowd to her party, I'm looking forward to seeing her, Steve and the girls again! I was invited to a BBQ party yesterday, A.'s friends, but I didn't feel like it, I couldn't be bothered to go. So I bought some groceries for dinner; Maurice invited me over and I promised to cook an Indonesian meal for him and Warren later that day. We had to be back at 12.00 because A. had to work from home, working on a cluster of servers for the bank. He took me over to Maurice and Warren's place around 18.15 in between jobs.

Maurice and I started cooking around 20.00, I gave him the traditional Indonesian recipe for peanut sauce [sateh sauce], it was his first time but he did an excellent job; it was a delicious sauce with the right structure and well-balanced flavours. Thumbs up for him! I had prepared and marinated sateh ayam and serundeng [fried coconut with spices and fried onion, used to sprinkle over a dish] at home. I prepared sayur asem, a sidedish of spicy green beans. The two of us prepared the main dish: Bami Goreng [Indonesian Stir Fried Noodles], kroepoek and a fried egg [sunny side up]. It was a feast!

I had a lovely evening and I was glad I made them dinner because it made me realise the fun of preparing Indonesian food the traditional way. I actually have missed it. It might sound odd but I never really felt like doing it because it's so much work and I've done it too often on request of friends most of the time. So I ended up slaving in the kitchen for hours. This time it was much fun though, also because Maurice helped me cooking. It was a mixture of cooking, chatting, drinking wine and having a good time amongst the three of us. I'm happy I didn't go to that BBQ party, this was much much much more fun!

I was home at 04.00 in the morning, and guess what: I behaved this time and was not drunk at all; not even tipsy... Thanks guys for a great evening!

Next time I will make some yummy rempejeh too and who knows a ricetable some day in the future... I'm off to call my friend in Scotland... Later!

------------------------------
Some Indonesian/Dutch history and an excellent explanation of a rice table:
The Indonesian cuisine is a rich and complex blend of many cultures. Chinese, Indian, Arab, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and British influences have influenced the development of the country's present-day foods. Above all, the cooking of South East Asia has had a profound impact on the cuisine of the country. In the larger cities of the Indonesian Archipelago one can enjoy the chili peppers, peanut sauces and stewed curries of Thailand; the lemon grass and fish sauce of Vietnam; the intricate spice combinations of India and the endless foods which are a combination of these dishes. This culinary world of succulent delights reaches its epitome in the Rijsttafel - the crown jewel of the Indonesian kitchen.

The Dutch ruled Indonesia, once the richest agricultural region in the world for 320 years. The Moluccas, a part of the Indonesian archipelago, were the original Spice Islands, suppling the entire world with black pepper, nutmeg, mace and cloves. These centuries of Dutch rule left an indelible mark on the country's cuisine.

They are responsible for the Rijsttafel (rice table) which originated with Dutch plantation owners who liked to sample selectively from Indonesian cuisine. It became a kind of tradition, and the Dutch because of their fondness for Rijsttafel, introduced it into the Netherlands. Today, in both Holland and Indonesia, the Rijsttafel is a real culinary pleasure.

Called a forerunner of the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, Rijsttafels, at times featuring more than a 100 dishes, are a great way to sample numerous Indonesian dishes in one meal.

From among the many dishes served are nasi kuning; loempia (egg rolls); sateh; perkedel (meatballs); sateh lilit; gado-gado; daging smoor (beef with soy sauce); babi ketjap (meat in soy sauce); kroepoek (shrimp toast), serundeng (fried coconut); roedjak manis (fruit in sweet sauce); and pisang goreng (fried banana); along with a number of sauces.

Rijsttafel is eaten by first placing a little of the hot rice in a soup bowl, then surrounding it with a little of the side dishes, as well as a small quantity of sambal on the edge of the plate to season the food. Each side dish has a special flavor of its own and, hence, one should not mix the side dishes with the rice because the fine taste of the side dishes will be lost.

© 2003 Habeeb Salloum
------------------------------