The January Chilli Update

Wow, what a response. Thankyou to everybody that trusted me enough to purchase the chillies-down-under.com recipe collection.

The feedback I've received from a number of people has been extremely complimentary, particularly from those that have already tried the BBQ Pork Spare-Ribs recipe Thankyou again.

OK, let's get into it;

Chilli Competition

Now, you may remember in the January Newsletter that I mentioned that I have the had the website hosting company add the capacity for you all to upload your favourite chilli photos and/or stories to the site.

To date, there have been no submissions! I'm assuming this is because many people still fondly remember the Christmas/New Year break and are trying to get back into the work routine.

So, to kick off 2008 I thought I'd start a competition for the best chilli related photo or story.

The prize? Your own copy of the recently released chillies-down-under.com recipe collection (if the winner has already purchased the package, I'll refund the purchase price).

So let's get those photos and stories up there, by clicking here.

Whether or not you are uploading an item, please get in there and rate those photos and stories. The winner will be decided, by me, based on the ratings received.

The competition opens when this email goes out and will close at midnight in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday 29th February. For a complete listing of the rules, click here.

I have submitted an example photo of my first chilli harvest for 2008, so I can reliably say the process is very easy to use, and believe me, I don't come from a strong computing background.

Chilli Shoes ?

As I understand they're only available in the UK and the US.

A Great Balinese Recipe

• 2 red birds-eye chillies, de-seeded
• 4 red cayenne chillies (or similar), de-seeded
• 1/4 teasp grated nutmeg (read, freshly grated)
• 12 shallots, peeled (the small red onion type of shallot)
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 candle nuts (or substitute 3-4 almonds)
• 2 teasp tamarind paste (make sure you take any seeds out)
• 5 cm piece galangal, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 5cm piece turmeric, peeled and coarsely chopped (2 teasp powdered)
• 5 cm piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 teasp palm sugar
• 1 teasp belacan (shrimp paste)(all asian stores carry this)
• 2 stalks lemon grass4 tablsp vegetable oil
• 300ml water

OK, first wrap the piece of belacan in some aluminium foil and heat it on high in a dry frying pan for 5 minutes and then take it off and let it cool.

Lightly crush the lemon grass stalks with the back of a strong knife.

Now add all the ingredients (except the water, oil and lemon grass) into a mortar and pestle and grind it to a paste. If you take the easy way out with a food processor, do not grind it for too long into a texture-less gloop. A bot of texture to it is how it is meant to be as that's how it comes out of the mortar and pestle and is desirable.

Add the resulting spice paste into a frying pan or sauce pan with the oil and gently heat it for 3-4 minutes until it becomes aromatic.

Then put in the lemon grass stalks and the water. The simmer until the water has evaporated and you have returned to a thick paste in the pan.

Take out the lemon grass and you have a beautiful, mulit-purpose Balinese sauce.

Put it in stir frys; cook chicken or beef in it; throw it into soem noodles along with some steamed veges......

Enjoy

OK, that's it for this month.

I truly look forward to travelling through the food and flavours of 2008 with you.

Wishing you a life full of flavour

Nigel