Hibachi for pimps, 1970s style, with some flung noodles for good measure.
The Mack (Michael Campus, 1973)
Hibachi for pimps, 1970s style, with some flung noodles for good measure.
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In 1968 China received the gift of a case of mangoes from visiting Pakistani foreign minister Mian Arshad Hussain. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. Gift-giving is endemic to Chinese guest culture, and while the fruit was unfamiliar to many Beijing residents, it’s also native to the southern part of the country, which is the world’s second-largest producer of mangoes. Yet, as described in this article by Ben Marks, Mao’s decision to send off the mangoes as a gift to his rabid student supporters sparked a nationwide sensation. Emblazoned on plates, pencil boxes and countless other mementos, the famous fruits usurped the peach as the national symbol for vitality and life, wax-cast replicas circulating as symbolic tokens. Now, two years after first opening in Zurich, this exhibit has rolled around to New York, where it’s being exhibited at the China Institute on 65th street, allowing visitors to feast their eyes on another historical instance of mango madness. Below, for complementary listening material, you'll find Claude Channes' "Mao Mao," as featured in Jean-Luc Godard's La Chinoise. Few foods are as perfect for fusion as sandwiches, which whether in Dagwood monumental style or miniature snack size allow for a variety of differing ingredients to share one bready meeting place. Over the span of one week I consumed four fusion-oriented sandwiches, prepared with varying degrees of success: 1 - Paneer Achari Tikki / Polenta / Orange Tomatoes / Cilantro / Tamarind & Date Chutney: A leftover serving of these delectable cheese kebabs paved the way for a vaguely Indian-themed sandwich, using the ubiquitous tamarind date chutney (familiar as part of the omnipresent trio of condiments offered at Indian restaurants), also available in bottle form. A previous attempt at haphazardly pairing lamb shami kebab with polenta having proven successful, I embarked on the larger scale effort of mixing mild corn pap with Subcontinental flavors, fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes. The result was possibly the most successful of these four sandwiches, and also the only photograph taken under ideal circumstances. Fair warning that the backdrop will only grow more rumpled, and the staging more haphazard, as we continue.
Three snack snapshots from a recent visit to this Jackson Heights supermarket: My best guess here is that the rabbit and child combo is intended to communicate the healthful properties of these veggie-spiked dried papads, but something has clearly gone wrong. The rabbit is terrifying and the child looks morose. I have in the past purchased the green-chili variety of this brand, which fry up nicely and are free from any bug-eyed bunny monsters on the packaging.
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The coded language of snacks, sandwiches and seasonings, in NYC and beyond.
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