Hello there,
I stumbled across your site researching Basmati rice, and decided to join as I cannot live without spicy food. I am originally from Birmingham and lived just a short walk from what is now known as the Balti Triangle untill I was 22. Then the restaurants were very simple places with simple fayre. And rediculously cheap. How times were to change. Supplies were easy to find although I began growing chillies and peppers in my little greenhouse at least 20 years ago.
I now live in the South of France, and France being France if it isn't French you cant buy it so I have a food parcel sent over every few months to keep me stocked up with the essentials. I still grow chillies from the very mild to the incandescent. They are quite happy outdoors with my peppers and aubergines. This year I only have 52 chilli plants, its usually about 80 but I work in UK and China a lot and was very late starting them off this year and they not not well established when I went off on my voyages again so lost quite a few.
But how I miss okra and coriander! its just not obtainable down here. Every year I try to grow them and every year the seeds fail. I have put ginger in the garden for the first time this year. I hope it survives the drought.
I have a several reliable recipes that I fall back, on but am always on the look out for something new to try.
I have been toying with the idea of a tandoor and a bread oven on the terrace. They are on the back burner though until I have finally prevented my 280 year old hovel from falling down.
Anyroadup...thats a bit about me and looking forward to learning new ideas and perhaps passing a few on.
Allez ciao.
Quote from: anglais on July 17, 2015, 11:22 AM...But how I miss okra and coriander! its just not obtainable down here. Every year I try to grow them and every year the seeds fail...
You can always buy large bunches of coriander in Grand Frais for 1.99
Welcome anglais. For the first time ever I actually saw coriander in E.Leclerc this year whilst in France. Times are changing, I remember paying 6 euros for some chili powder after going to 5 supermarkets trying to find some not that many years ago. :-\
I even saw coriander in Lidl in Paris last week, so it depends on how far you are from a big town. I know when I visit friends in the south, the biggest difficulty is finding fresh green/ red chillis. Unless there's a significant African/ Arabic population, some stuff is difficult to find, okra is plentiful in Paris for example. Things are changing, but changing slowly.
Welcome, anglais.
Have you tried many FIR curries, and what are your thoughts?
I go on holiday to France almost every year, to a different city where possible, as I like exploring cities rather than lying on beaches/sitting by pools etc. I have had quite a few FIR curries and they are different. Not better, nor worse, just different.
One thing I have noticed is that you get smaller portions, but that may be something to do with the French culture of eating: lots of courses of smaller portions (correct me if I'm wrong). If you're a fat English bloke in a Sunderland football shirt, going in for a curry in a French Restaurant, you are more than likely to be heading for Quick as soon as you get out.
I suppose if you live in France, you will eventually yearn for a good old BIR curry.
Enjoy the mountains of information on here and please feel free to share your recipes/experience/knowledge with us.
Garp
Welcome to the forum anglais.
What chillies are you growing in the superhot range?
Bienvenue anglais, welcome to the forum and a great first post.
Thanks for the welcome everyone, sorry its took a while to respond but I am currently working in Sechuan Province in China. The things one has to do to earn a buck.
Thanks for the info about the coriander and okra. I have very occasionally come across coriander but its been very poor quality. I have never seen okra anywhere though. I am just a little too far north for the shops to be influenced by the wonderful North Africa cuisine. And living 60km from the nearest supermarket does not help. I tend to shop once a month so what I buy needs to keep and if it does not I need to grow it. I'm determined to have another go next year.
My stock Chilli is the Korean. Its very productive and dries well. I grow Aji Panca for salads, I also grow Thai, Thai Super Hot, Thai Dragon, Thai Demon and Lantern and Caribbean Habanero. I use them fresh and dry the surplus. I also grow Pusa Jawala which I use fresh and Naga Jalokia which are marvelous little things and freeze wonderfully well when green.
I start them off in individual 6cm pots of seed compost on a Beer Making mat. When they are through they get moved to an electric propagator then on to light boxes. Most years something fails but I harvest enough seeds to keep me going.