Look closely in the picture below. Can you spot a camouflage of something that perhaps is not supposed to be in there?
Did you see it?
First thing first, this canal is filthy! It probably is the most toxic canal I have ever encountered. The water is murky and greasy. It stinks to high heavens and also acts as some sort of a sewerage system that is not being managed like it should. The entire canal runs behind my office that stretches for a good 2-3 kilometers in length with no side barriers. If you fall into it, that’s that. I happen to believe that if you were to throw a lighted cigarette butt in it, the entire canal will explode – that’s how rancid the water is.
In the most bizarre of situation, mobile food carts and food stalls surround the entire area for the lunch crowd. We eat around there some times. Go figure.
In that picture is actually a massive monitor lizard. It was easily about 3-4 meters in length, and was happily swimming around the filthy canal. I didn’t even see it until a colleague pointed it out to me while we were walking towards a nearby food market. It was a fascinating sight and I couldn’t help but wonder if the monitor lizard is suicidal or just the fact that it was probably just as toxic.
Either way, I did not want to find out. I was just amazed that to find any living thing in there at all, and one that was really massive.Wonder where the fella was headed to.
No, you wouldn’t want to fall into that canal. Covering your nose while you pass by this canal to make your way to the nearest food corner is highly recommended. Welcome to Thailand!
When I saw this, the first thing that caught my attention was the phone. The dial-up phone. Pretty antique! Anybody remember that? Better yet, do you or do you know anyone who still has that phone? No, I’m not THAT old, but I remember that dial-up phone. I remember using one too; probably when I was about 3 years old. One of my earliest memory.
How simple things were then. And this image captures it all!
Here’s to a week of memories of when things were simpler!
Fancy making some home-made hot chilli sauce from scratch? If yes, look no further because this week, I’m sharing my tried and tested recipe with you.
It’s fuss-free and easy to make. All you need is lots and lots of dried chillies and let it simmer in a pot for a couple of hours. It’s always tricky with dried chillies as it is hard to gauge their spiciness. Usually, the only way I gauge if my sauce is going to turn out to be VERY spicy is when my throat gets irritated the moment I start cutting the chillies and soak them in hot water. Then I know I’ll have a mean batch to deal with.
To counter the spiciness, use both lemon juice and sugar. That’s all you need really. From then on, you’ll have to adjust and play it by ear; in this case, tongue and add in more water while simmering it under low fire.
3-5 tbsp brown sugar (adjust sweetness to your liking)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Instructions
Cut up the dried chillies to remove the seeds and soak in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain
Blend the chillies with some water so that it'll blend up easily
Heat up a deep pan with 1 teaspoonful of oil. When the pan is hot enough, add in the blended chillies
Stir occasionally to prevent the chillies from drying out or burnt. Let it simmer for at least half an hour
Add some water if it becomes too dry
Squeeze lime juice and add into the liquid.
Occasionally stir until the chilli gives out a very deep red colour
Add sugar and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add more sugar if you prefer it to be sweeter to tone down the spiciness of the chillies
Feel free to add more water to adjust thin the sauce to your preference
Let it simmer and turn off the heat when it's ready
Transfer to a container when cooled
Notes
The longer you cook, the less spicy it becomes and adding lemon will help reduce the spiciness as well. This sauce can be kept in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
