NATTER: DEBT

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea. It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times - everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit.

Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town.


He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to choose one.


The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower.

The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel.

The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit.

The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.

The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves town.

No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism.....

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States Government (most governments, actually) is doing business today!

RECIPE: CHICKEN IN CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE

It is safe to say that this is one dish that you will find in most Chinese restaurant menus (minus the chillies). However, if you are anything like me, it is usually the one dish I do avoid when ordering as I always find it either too salty or gluggy and it makes me feel really thirsty after I have eaten it (maybe it is the added msg – though none of the restaurants would ever admit that they actually use it in their cooking!). Therefore, I prefer to make this at home and in my opinion, the addition of the sliced chillies actually gives it the extra edge. Don’t just take my word for it….try it for yourselves!


Ingredients

600g boneless chicken breast or thigh – sliced

Cooking oil such as peanut or canola oil
Thumb size ginger – sliced into matchsticks or minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 fresh red chillies such as serrano – sliced (you may also use dried chillies – use extra in this instance and tear into a few pieces each)
1 large onion - quartered
1 large carrots - sliced
1 medium capsicum – cut into cubes
2 tbsp CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS (coarsely chopped or mashed using the back of a spoon) or 2 to 3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee’s black bean sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS)
1 tbsp (or to taste) light soy sauce
100 to 150ml chicken stock – I used 1/2 tsp of chicken stock powder diluted in water
Few drops sesame oil

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour


Method

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the marinade and leave to marinade for 15 mins.

Heat a wok over high heat until it is hot. Add in the oil and when slightly smoking, add in half the chicken and cook, stirring continuously until nearly done (2 to 3 minutes). Lift onto a plate and repeat the process with the next batch.

Next, in the same wok (add some oil if required) add the ginger, garlic, chillies and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Then add in the capsicum and black beans/sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken. Add in the soy sauce. Mix well.Add in the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and add in the onions.

Cook for 1 minute, stir in a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve hot with rice.

Note

You can substitute the chicken with beef, prawns, squid or any firm white fish fillets. Make sure you adjust the cooking times to suit your meat/seafood.

You may also add vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn and cauliflower to the dish.

VG’s Rating: 4 stars

GLOSSARY: CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS OR DOUCHI

Chinese fermented black beans or Douchi is a popular Chinese flavouring that is used in cooking and to make black bean sauce.

Douchi is made by salting and fermenting soybeans. The process turns the beans black, soft and quite dry. It has a spicy smell, with a taste that is salty and somewhat bitter and sweet.

Douchi should not be confused with black turtle beans, that are commonly used in Central American, South American and Caribbean cuisines.

Douchi is usually used to flavour fish or stir-fried vegetables (particularly bitter melon and leafy vegetables). Unlike some other fermented soybean-based foods such as natto (a Japanese speciality made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis) or tempeh (Javanese fermented soybean cake), douchi is used only as a seasoning, and is not meant to be consumed in large quantities, being typically much more salty.

Small packets of douchi are available wherever Chinese groceries are sold. Use according to packet or recipe instructions.

BLACK BEAN SAUCE/PASTE


In Chinese cuisine, condiments such as black bean paste, black bean sauce or black bean garlic sauce is made from douchi, with garlic and soy sauce usually added to the beans. This paste is commercially available in glass jars from companies such as Lee Kum Kee. Use as a marinade, stir-fry seasoning or sauce over rice, noodles and all kinds of dishes such as my CHICKEN AND CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE.

NATTER: LESSONS IN LOGIC

If your father is a poor man, it is your fate.

But if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity!

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I was born intelligent - education ruined me.

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Practice makes perfect.....

But nobody's perfect.....

So why practice?

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If it's true that we are here to help others....

Then what exactly are the others here for?

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Since light travels faster than sound...

People appear bright until you hear them speak.

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How come 'abbreviated' is such a long word?

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Money is not everything.

There's MasterCard & Visa.

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One should love animals.

They are so tasty.

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Behind every successful man, there is a woman.

And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.

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Every man should marry.....

After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.

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The wise never marry.

And when they marry they become otherwise.

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Success is a relative term.

It brings so many relatives.

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Never put off the work till tomorrow....

What you can put off today.

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'Your future depends on your dreams'....

So go to sleep!

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There should be a better way to start a day...

Than waking up every morning

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'Hard work never killed anybody'

But why take the risk?

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'Work fascinates me'......

I can look at it for hours

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God made relatives;

Thank God we can choose our friends.

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The more you learn, the more you know.

The more you know, the more you forget.

The more you forget, the less you know.

So.. why learn???

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A bus station is where a bus stops.

A train station is where a train stops.

On my desk, I have a work station....

what more can I say!?