Real Anarchists Eat Fried Rice
We often assign gender to food as well; the petite cupcake- beautiful and dainty - is ascribed feminine virtues, while the massive, oily burger, perhaps reminiscent of a greasy, hairy man, is somehow appointed the male species rep. The classification of gender to things which are otherwise asexual can, and do cause dilemma to the innocent bystander. Many times I have felt self-conscious when ordering salad, at the risk of being given dirty looks by female friends, as if there’s something unmanly about eating a bowl of raw vegetables. Do all men have to go through life chomping down on lasagna or a quarter pounder just to prove our masculinity? The qualities we assign to food are not restricted to gender. Deep fried junk food, such as cheese sticks, Mars bars, and more recently deep-fried coke, are seen as trashy, while plain, simple dishes such as chicken soup are ascribed virtues of wholesomeness and purity. In these times of disorder and chaos, it is useful to seek out the food that fuels rebellion. One worthy contender is the humble nasi goreng (fried rice), which was born, like many a rebel, out of accident rather than a carefully planned conception. This dish started out as an economical and ingenious way of making good use of leftover rice and its side dishes of meat and vegetables. The other day we were left with a huge pile of rice, rendang (Malay dry chicken curry) and leftover stir-fried veggies. The situation presented a timely opportunity to indulge in a simple, yet festive feast of fried rice for the whole family. And so into a hot wok wafting with the irresistible aroma of sautéed shallots, ginger and garlic, we dump in the pile of rice, throw in the veggies and chicken, with the curry paste forming the base seasoning of the fried rice. This no-rules, free-form and unstructured way of cooking appeals most to people who otherwise despise cooking, and those needing a break from the measure-or-perish school of cookery that is essential to cake-making and haute cuisine. Like the equally unruly and chaotic omelette, it is quite difficult to screw up fried rice. Follow no rules, break with convention, and your efforts will reward you. Anarchy never tasted so delicious.