Friday, December 19, 2008

Goodbye to romance

Well, it's official. I am over massaman curry. Not over in the sense that I hate it or even that I'll never order it again. I only mean that it is not my favorite Thai dish any longer. It was my first favorite and I feel a little torn about seeing it go, but moving on with things is rarely bad. I'd been wondering if I was for a while. It's been over a year since I've had one that I really loved and everytime I try it I find it too sweet. I love potatoes (OMG THE TEXTURE OF THEM IN THIS CURRY IS SOOO GOOD, AND THEY ALWAYS ABSORB SO MUCH FLAVOR MMMMMMMMMM. bUT SERIOUSLY, THAT TEXTURE, THE WAY IN YOUR MOUTH IT BREAKS FROM A HUGE PIECE TO SEVERAL SMALL PIECES TO THIS ALMOST PASTEY THING); I love onions; I LOVE the idea of those being the main thing going into my curry, but in the end I always think "It wasn't as good as (x)". This isn't an incongrues transition for me. I am no longer the fan of highland scotches that I once was on account of their sweetness as well. I think sweet and I are on the outs a little.

Still, I think I ought to explain the death of the love. It certainly did not go gentle into that good night. I was making it at home with the canned stuff by the same people that make the panang paste that has been used in two sweet potato curries since the start of SPF (good lord!). We couldn't do chicken so I got some tofu. After several attempts now I have a tremendous ammount of respect for places and people that can do their tofu right. I am just miserable at it. No matter how long I fry it the result is the same: too soft and falling-aparty. In any case, I did the usual garlic, ginger, tofu, curry paste, fry fry fry, potatoe, milk, potato, milk, potato, milk, onion, peppers, fry, fry, fry, and then, I have no idea what came over me, i decided it would be good if it was a massaman paneer. This was a mistake, though not quite an abortion. (To be perfectly honest, I kind of liked it, but I can tell you for certain I was wrong to. Do not try this at home, or anywhere else, ever.) I quickly chopped up some mozzarella and threw the cubes in after it was done frying. I didn't stir them in hopes that they wouldn't melt. That failed. It became awfullly melty and made scooping the curry onto the plate difficult. There will be no pictures of this monstrosity. Still, it was enough like Massaman for me to know that it's time on center stage of my thai menu had passed.

Any candidates for new favorite thai dish?

6 comments:

eLs said...

This is really insightful, mwr. I'm one of those people who tends to order the same thing in restaurants all the time, and I get really upset and confused when my tastes inexplicably change. Well done.

k said...

i think we should go have many many taste tests at awesome thai so that you can figure it out in an informed and scientific way.

mwr said...

Sounds good k, but only in the name of science.

Also: a curry update! The left overs were delicious! I still think Massaman is one of the better cold curries.

Oh NO! K when you you leave?!?!? we have to go to AT BEFORE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eLs said...

GUYS, can we have an Awesome Thai date in 2009? Actually, can we go on January 1 so Awesome Thai can be our first meal of the new year? I really want it.

CaseyMustPie said...

hey guys, i have never been to awesome thai.

k said...

i leave on tuesday :(