Thread 14 - TalkLair: “What The Hell Are We Supposed To Use, Man? Harsh Language?”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 13).

Summer should be well under way, but the chilly wind, grey clouds and pouring rain beg to differ. Looks like 2024 continues to be a washout - on the bright side, the Tories got washed out too! In the TalkLair, we remain hunkered down keeping cosy and warm. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I think in that case, @weaseleyes , if you're happy it's not oil pressure (which would be more serious), then I'd check the radiator and top up if necessary, and maybe try to go for another trial run. But the cooling system shouldn't leak, and you had to put more than a small amount of water in it, I'd be concerned.

I was also ferrying my son yesterday though thankfully with no warning lights despite the car being 13 years old.

He and a friend were moving to a flat in Islington so I had to go places I've never been before like Hackney and Dalston, and his bit of Islington which is close to Dalston. I'm easily distracted by interesting buildings which is a bit dangerous - MrPSB normally does all the driving so I can look at things to my heart's content but he's not well so I had to do the driving. I was impressed by how quiet his part of Islington is and then I realised it's because almost all the roads are closed off.

As the sat nav is ancient it was no help so it took me a while to find a way out.

I had to go to his previous flat too, in Finchley and I do like the 20Mph speed limit everywhere. It just makes driving so much less frenetic - and you can look at buildings...

Sago gula melaka?

That's the stuff! I never knew what it was called.

@Gonners, what a treat to find out after all these years. Are you going to make some?

I'm certainly hoping to! I'd like to find some "real" sago and ideally also some palm sugar - neither available locally, but perhaps the Thai shop in Canterbury may oblige. It's about as Thai as I am and they may well be Singaporean.

I could send you a care package?

That does sound nice. I can get most of the ingredients, but I've no idea where I'd find pandan leaves. Would it work without, or is there a reasonable substitute?

The little oriental shop down the road from us sells fresh pandan leaves. They give a hard-to-describe freshness to dishes. I wonder if you can find it online.

Here's some: https://www.thai-food-online.co.uk/products/fresh-thai-pandan-leaves

The carbon footprint! 😇

You can buy pandan essence in most Asian supermarkets. Obviously not as lovely as real leaves, but a workable substitute.

Forgot to add, the pandan isn't strictly necessary. It adds a characteristic "perfume" which is one of my Proustian triggers as we always had a big clump of it growing in our garden but you can leave it out or substitute with vanilla extract.

BTW, all this discussion about sago gula melaka has caused me to raid my cupboards for the ingredients and DDs will be making it for dessert tonight!

True, but where else are you going to get it?

I'm not really the sort of fun-sucking person who bangs on about carbon footprints like it's some merit competition, but we do send herbs, and flowers, all round the world. I imagine these days most things could be grown in any country, but that would be down to demand. I'm not that unfamiliar with Asian food, but I'd never even heard of pandan leaf until this morning.

You can make a sort of pandan version of lemon curd with it - a Malaysian Chinese friend does and it's delicious.

Kaya! It’s like coconut egg jam. My grandmother taught me how to make it when I was a little girl. To my shame, I rarely bother.

Looking at the growing conditions needed for pandan, you'd really need a heated greenhouse for it to keep over winter, so that could become expensive. In the past I've grown lemongrass successfully, but no longer have the space to over winter it.

A pandan version of lemon curd sounds interesting!

Pandan leaves in Dublin, bint

https://www.asiamarket.ie/fresh-pandan-leaves-200g.html

though you'll probably find a source at your end. They also do the gula melaka and many other good things.

Not being sure where the stresses fall in that, I'm now going round with a 'Mele Kelikimaka is the thing to say . . . .' earworm

I think I'll try first with vanilla, and see if I can hunt down some essence next time I'm in the city.

@PoppySeedBagelRedux I can almost picture where you were driving. Born in Islington moved to Hackney at the age of five or six, used to spend time between Dalston and Islington, the Balls Pond Road, etc and blah. Anyway, thanks for a little drive down memory lane.

I got home today from another stay in hospital. I had to go there - Royal Surrey in Guildford - last Monday (19th) and I got discharged today. Basically a lung infection that was quite bad. I hated having to go back but realised when I got there (or we got there because yet again Snoop was there to help) that I was in the right place. They were intent on sending me home and having me come back today to have an outpatient/day patient endoscopy but gentle pushing of the point saw it happen yesterday and after nearly two months on clear fluids only, I'm on free fluids! I was too late for any food when I got back from the endoscopy yesterday night so I snuck down to M&S (shouldn't have because general anaesthetic but I was a bit desperate) and got myself some orange juice and a M&S own west country vanilla yoghurt that was heavenly. Today I've had pink lady apple juice and so far some M&S lobster bisque which was beyond heavenly. I only had a third of the jar so I've got two more helpings! Free fluid means all fluids but not orange juice with pulp which is fine, including milkshakes, smoothies etc and non-fluidy things that are fluidy but ... ice-cream, sorbet, CUSTARD, and thick soup. I am so happy!

I'm seeing one of my consultants next week and the chances are high that I'll move on to Pureed food after our appointment. That will last for hopefully only a couple of weeks or so before I'm on to soft foods and oh my days the sky's the limit!

Oh that's brilliant, Mouse! Hooray for free fluids!

Great news, Mouse! And CUSTARD!

Excellent news mouse.

Slightly surprised to find there's a lobster bisque gif, but hurrah for free fluids! And being back out of hospital.

Onward and custward!

Amazing news @MouseMinge! Three cheers for free fluids!