Topic: Is CRO as a forum finished.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I will say that the only Curry Powder I ever use in Curried Sausages or Curried eggs is Clive of India. Nothing else works to recreate the flavour from my childhood.

May I ask where you spent your childhood, Livo ?  If it was (for example) Great Britain, then I could not regard that as a necessarily beneficial recommendation, but if you had the good fortune to be born and raised in a country that traditionally understands curry, then it would be a great recommendation indeed ...

** Phil.

[George]

I actually know several forum members personally and the reason they stopped using the site was because they were more satisfied with the similarly themed Facebook pages instead.  .

I don't know much about Facebook but can it possibly act as a platform for so many different discussions across a wide range of useful categories as on this forum and similar places? If so, how does it work?

[livo]

P' Phil. There was no great understanding of curry in 1960's Australia.  Curried sausages and curried egg sandwiches are a long way away from anything related to traditional curry countries.  I say I only use Clive of India powder in these instances because it is the powder that my mother used to use and the flavour is still consistent with my early memory.

George. I'm not a Facebook user either so I can't help you there.  All I do know is that it has completely replaced  some online forums.

[DalPuri]

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/death-of-the-forum-1783246052

[George]

it is the powder that my mother used to use and the flavour is still consistent with my early memory.

Interesting point. I wonder if some of our first taste experiences become our sort of 'best ever' reference points, I still make a cake which my Mum used to bake for birthdays. I've never tasted anything better. Then, in my late teens I tasted my first BIR curries and KFC, We all talk about declining taste standards over the past few decades. Maybe it's simply that the first taste experiences are unbeatable.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Maybe it's simply that the first taste experiences are unbeatable.

I think that is very probably true.  When I first discovered tandoori chicken (in the Agra, Whitfield Street, London), Kirsty (my girl friend at the time) and I just went back week after week after week, it was so good.  I cannot imagine doing the same today.

** Phil.

[George]

After looking at the link provided by DalPuri, I did a google search using the words 'forum decline'. It seems we;'re not alone in fearing facebook may take over. But, like me, at least some people can't see how the structure and way of working of facebook is any substitute for a forum like this,

So I suggest we all put in enough effort to keep the curry-recipes forum alive and worthwhile.

I know of at least three other forums which have closed down in recent years, with the loss of a mass of worthwhile contributions and photos. The first should be familiar to many people - friendsreunited. So worthwhile - how can that have failed? The owner of the second one actually mentioned facebook and twitter as a reason for shutting down the forum. Not good,

[Garp]

You are right, George, in that the way Facebook is structured is useless for the type of discussions and recipe sharing that goes on here.

I do think though, that there comes a point where you feel you have reached 'peak curry discussion', and there isn't much else to say. I'm sure many people have reached a level where they can produce what is, for them, what they were originally striving for.

[foureyes1941]

Reading all these posts about the closure of this group I believe that  it would be such a pity if this mine of information disappeared from the internet. I always love to  look at the different posts that have been submitted over the years before I cook  various curries for other people and marvel at the choices of food on these pages. and the helpful advice that has been given over the years and it's all still there to delve into whenever the need arises. I must admit that I am not one of the chefs that submit to the pages but honestly, I would be devastated if I thought we were going to lose this great source of  curry information for good. Please don't go!

[chonk]

Hey Phil!

JB's mention of "mix powder" has piqued my interest.  Except when slavishly following someone else's recipe, I make no use of mix powder at all, preferring to use instead a blend of spices that is unique to each dish.  I would be interested to learn roughly what fraction of CR0 members habitually use mix powder, and what fraction prefer to use individual spices.

This deserves its own thread! You could add a survey there 

I believe a good mix to be more than just the sum of its parts, so I think you shouldn't compare these too directly. I think spice mixes are great in general and I like to use a few different ones - e.g. different regional-style Garam Masalas, some Chaat Masala, Dhaba Masala.

Normally, I use these to add some extra depth/"body" while striving for few well-composed flavors instead of something totally unrecognizable. Individual single spices on the other hand, will give you always this more freedom and the opportunity to add different accents more directly. So personally, I can't and don't want to limit myself to dry OR full OR single OR mix 



Cheers!