6.28.2006
Londonstani (Summer Fiction)
Title
Malakani, Gautam. Londonstani. New York: Penguin, 2006.
I got my hands on an advanced copy of Londonstani and have been making my way through it for the past few weeks. It is actually out now, so you can get it in your hot little hands if you so desire. I am trying to keep up with the new Asian Diaspora Shit. Shit, we'll get to that (don't we always...) Londonstani is being billed as Trainspotting for Desis. It's written in rudeboy SMS-speak stream of conscious and fancies itself funny. It's not that funny. I think it's actually closer to Better Luck Tomorrow for Desis, making it a different kind of meta asian can you believe those nerds swear and beat the crap out of people jaw dropper.
It is a stagnation of a bildungroman in that we have Jas, a former self-proclaimed coconut with gangsta dreams who falls in with a group of small time thugs. The first part of the book is probably the best (although it falls into the same shit that I'll get to later). This group of four friends make their cash in Hounslow's grey cellphone market and while trying to live a rudeboy lifestyle of bling, girls and bashing, they debate Big C Culture, gender, family, race and economics. But still, even if we are seeing through Jas' eyes, reading through his first person voice, which is supposed to be marginal (afterall, Jas is still working out his new, non-batty, non-gorafied lifestyle) and conflicted, Malakani isn't letting us soak into the story, pulling us from identification, which fine, whatever, we can never be one with narrative, blah blah, but on some level, if we are talking about indentity and youth grappling with it, it seems a cop out to hold onto irony of voice, that author peeking out and sneering, undercutting so he never really has to committ. Anyway, that is my big problem with the book. Jas also has problems. He falls for a Muslim girl. He gets involved in more big time crime after being introduced to suave Oxford grad Sanjay, a mysterious fellow with a huge flat downtown, a Porche, and the keys to the most fabulous, illicit, underground lifestyle London can offer. The book kinda goes downhill from there. I mean, same old, same old, although then there is the shit. See, as I have mused about Asian lit / culture in general (Indians in particular) there is an obsession with shit in this book. You'd be suprised by the number of ways Malakani can use diarrhea as a metaphor for intergenerational conflict.
Then there is the most insane twist at the end. I have to admit, I never saw it coming and it played on all my assumptions. I felt a little used. But you know, like the Sixth Sense, it was sort of worth it for that alone, but you know, don't think it's gonna change your life.
Malakani, Gautam. Londonstani. New York: Penguin, 2006.
I got my hands on an advanced copy of Londonstani and have been making my way through it for the past few weeks. It is actually out now, so you can get it in your hot little hands if you so desire. I am trying to keep up with the new Asian Diaspora Shit. Shit, we'll get to that (don't we always...) Londonstani is being billed as Trainspotting for Desis. It's written in rudeboy SMS-speak stream of conscious and fancies itself funny. It's not that funny. I think it's actually closer to Better Luck Tomorrow for Desis, making it a different kind of meta asian can you believe those nerds swear and beat the crap out of people jaw dropper.
It is a stagnation of a bildungroman in that we have Jas, a former self-proclaimed coconut with gangsta dreams who falls in with a group of small time thugs. The first part of the book is probably the best (although it falls into the same shit that I'll get to later). This group of four friends make their cash in Hounslow's grey cellphone market and while trying to live a rudeboy lifestyle of bling, girls and bashing, they debate Big C Culture, gender, family, race and economics. But still, even if we are seeing through Jas' eyes, reading through his first person voice, which is supposed to be marginal (afterall, Jas is still working out his new, non-batty, non-gorafied lifestyle) and conflicted, Malakani isn't letting us soak into the story, pulling us from identification, which fine, whatever, we can never be one with narrative, blah blah, but on some level, if we are talking about indentity and youth grappling with it, it seems a cop out to hold onto irony of voice, that author peeking out and sneering, undercutting so he never really has to committ. Anyway, that is my big problem with the book. Jas also has problems. He falls for a Muslim girl. He gets involved in more big time crime after being introduced to suave Oxford grad Sanjay, a mysterious fellow with a huge flat downtown, a Porche, and the keys to the most fabulous, illicit, underground lifestyle London can offer. The book kinda goes downhill from there. I mean, same old, same old, although then there is the shit. See, as I have mused about Asian lit / culture in general (Indians in particular) there is an obsession with shit in this book. You'd be suprised by the number of ways Malakani can use diarrhea as a metaphor for intergenerational conflict.
Then there is the most insane twist at the end. I have to admit, I never saw it coming and it played on all my assumptions. I felt a little used. But you know, like the Sixth Sense, it was sort of worth it for that alone, but you know, don't think it's gonna change your life.
6.19.2006
Fava Beans with Garlic and Lime
I've been reading a lot about Fava Beans in my schmancy foodie magazines so when I saw them at the Korean market here in Yardley, PA while home for Father's Day, I decided to pick some up. They are glossy beans that come in plush, succulent pods with a really nice sweet taste. Very yummy. I modified a recipe I found on the Food Network website, leaving out weird cheese and substituting lemon with lime, so really, this isn't much of a recipe. But it is mighty tasty!
4 c shucked fava beans
1/4 c lime juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper
1. prepare an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and water) large enough to hold fava beans.
2. boil water in a saucepan and boil fava beans for 3-4 minutes.
3. drain fava beans and dunk into ice bath.
4. drain fava beans again and peel and discard the waxy, outer shell.
5. combine lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to emulsify.
6. put fava beans in a pretty bowl and pour lime mixture over them.
serves two parents, one boyfriend and one small girl as a lunchtime veggie side dish.
4 c shucked fava beans
1/4 c lime juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper
1. prepare an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and water) large enough to hold fava beans.
2. boil water in a saucepan and boil fava beans for 3-4 minutes.
3. drain fava beans and dunk into ice bath.
4. drain fava beans again and peel and discard the waxy, outer shell.
5. combine lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to emulsify.
6. put fava beans in a pretty bowl and pour lime mixture over them.
serves two parents, one boyfriend and one small girl as a lunchtime veggie side dish.
6.11.2006
Tomato Coconut Fish Curry
Tom and I went to Chinatown after work last week and bought some lovely king fish (8 bucks for two lovely whole fishies!). As I was taught by my mother, I asked the fish monger to cut them up into thin slices - key if you want your king fish to be nice and tender. You could use other kinds of firm fleshed, flavorful fish, like mackerel, snapper, porgy, or croaker. You could also easily substitute in tofu, eggplant, squash, potatoes, or any other combination of non-meats that makes you happy. We had a jolly early summer dinner here at the house with Noam and Kirubel. Tom contributed a delicious jicama, mango and spinach salad that perhaps I will ask him to post about later.
2 medium king fish, head off, tail off and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
salt
1. wash and dry fish. sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. heat oil in large saucepan. add onions and cook until deeply carmelized, about 10 - 15 minutes, maybe more. this is where most people screw up curry - you must let the onions brown and begin to break down because they are the base of the curry. if you do not, your curry will not be nice and thick.
3. add garlic and ginger. cook one minute.
4. add dry spices. cook one minute.
5. add coconut milk and tomatoes. cook 15 - 20 minutes, until curry is a nicely thick and smelling very good.
6. add fish and simmer 6 - 8 minutes, until fish cooked through.
7. serve over basmati rice (basmati rice is best cooked on the stove with a bay leaf thrown into the water to add nice flavor).
feeds three hungry boys and one small girl with plenty to spare for lunch the next day.
2 medium king fish, head off, tail off and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
salt
1. wash and dry fish. sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. heat oil in large saucepan. add onions and cook until deeply carmelized, about 10 - 15 minutes, maybe more. this is where most people screw up curry - you must let the onions brown and begin to break down because they are the base of the curry. if you do not, your curry will not be nice and thick.
3. add garlic and ginger. cook one minute.
4. add dry spices. cook one minute.
5. add coconut milk and tomatoes. cook 15 - 20 minutes, until curry is a nicely thick and smelling very good.
6. add fish and simmer 6 - 8 minutes, until fish cooked through.
7. serve over basmati rice (basmati rice is best cooked on the stove with a bay leaf thrown into the water to add nice flavor).
feeds three hungry boys and one small girl with plenty to spare for lunch the next day.
