Melodious Malady

For the last few months, I have been so enamored by this particular song that I can’t quite fall asleep peacefully without having listened to it at least once during the course of each day. Call this an obsession if you will, but the need to listen to it so compulsively isn’t a conscious decision on my part! This is particularly unusual for me, since I never really pick favorites – there is far too much good music out there to limit yourself to a handful of bands and genres – and yet, this one song manages to outshine the rest, so much so that it practically demands to be heard daily!

When it comes to a new band or a new song, we go through the usual phases – the eagerness of  curiosity upon initial discovery, the content familiarity of recent recognition, the ebbing enthusiasm upon maturing (not the same as boredom!), and finally,  unquestioned obscurity. However, this particular song did not go through the same waxing and waning as any other ‘flavor of the month’ or ‘chart-buster.’ Frankly, I’m glad this song isn’t nearly as popular – or it really wouldn’t have had the same appeal when I first chanced upon it.

Before I get to the song itself, here’s a little bit about the people that I ought to blame for my incumbent insomnia. This particularly talented Turkish band is called ‘maNga,’ as a tribute to the art form of its namesake. I happened to discover them a few years back, way before Eurovision 2010 propelled them into world-wide (err… Europe-wide?) popularity… and in my opinion, coming in second in that competition was the greatest act of injustice! Then again, in comparison to other brilliant songs in their repertoire, they chose to go with a fairly weak number, and that too, in English! For the record, their Turkish songs are much, much better! Even though I don’t speak a lick of that language (while I CAN recognize some words occasionally – Indo-European roots = linguistic similarities), their lyrics sound that much better in Turkish… almost as if it comes to them naturally!

I like them for a variety of reasons:

1) They are very original, and their music is diverse, straddling many genres – but a simple distinction would be ‘Rock.’

2) Their songwriting, musical arrangement and album production is quite polished, without being overly studio enhanced – their live performances speak for themselves!

3) They blend in Turkish influences smoothly, without making this juxtaposition of eastern elements sound contrived, like many other artists’ formulaic ‘fusion.’

4) Their lyrics (transliterated, of course) are poignant and poetic without being pretentious – also a rarity among many newer artistes.

5) The band members are all well educated people – despite fulfilling their academic ambitions, they have the time and the energy to write great music, record, and tour!

Just when I was thinking that they would get better and better, I found out that their next album would feature songs in English – and immediately, my hopes crashed just a little bit. I guess it makes sense that they are trying to widen their fan-base, and why shouldn’t they? But truly, most of their allure lay in the fact that their Turkish songs sounded much more genuine than the one English song they wrote for Eurovision 😦

And finally, the song that has been positively plaguing me for the last little while – “Cevapsız Sorular” (Unanswered Questions), from their 2009 album, Sehr-i Hüzün (City of Sadness). I know I could go on and on, but words alone would not suffice to describe just how hauntingly good this song is – musically, as well as lyrically. This is one of those songs which you can truly appreciate by simply listening to it, getting lost in the melody, the multiple meanings… etc. Despite having heard this so many times by now, I still manage to discover something new each time, be it a new subtle layer of instruments or a previously overlooked interpretation.

Nonetheless, there is a particular part of the verse and the chorus that really stands out:

“… Sustu bu gece, karardı yine ay
Kaldı geriye cevapsız sorular
Uyandığında onu ilk kim görecek
Bıraktığım düşü kim büyütecek?

Her sabah kaybolup giden
Bir rüya gibi oldun artık geceleri beni bekleyen;
Gündüzlerimi zehir eden…”

Which, after some loose translation and modification, means:

“… The moon turned its back on me, not replying to me in the darkness,
Leaving behind only unanswered questions
Who will see her first when she awakens
Who will nurture the dream that I have left unfulfilled?

You have become a dream that disappears every morning
That haunts me every night
That poisons all my days …”

Whatever or whoever Ferman seems to be talking about here, this song certainly has been haunting me for the longest time… but in the good way. Listening to this song and many others by them would be my antidote against anything Microbiology can do to poison my days… but not for long anymore!

"...Sustu bu gece, karardı yine ay..."

Caribbean Coconut Chicken Stew

Before I ever had the chance to truly experience Caribbean Cuisine, the only things I could relate to were Jamaican Jerk Chicken, which is amazing if the the marinade is made just right, Rice and Peas, and derivatives of Indo-African ‘curries.’ Fortunately, I increased my otherwise rather limited exposure because of two major events:

1) I surreptitiously stumbled upon Tyler Florence’s recipe for Jamaican Corn Porridge.  Do not take the name at face value! Despite the simplicity of its ingredients, this ‘porridge’ is sumptuous! Whoever thought hominy corn and coconut milk would go so well together! When I’m old and toothless, I wouldn’t mind being sloppy over such a scrumptious meal!

2) Of the many noteworthy ethnic cuisine based restaurants in Vancouver, ‘The Reef‘ continues to make it to the top of my list. Initially, I used to fill up on their amazing appetizers and their complimentary Johnny Cakes, which, together with their coconut and orange butter and their truly out-of-this-world in-house hot sauce, would be enough to overwhelm even the most robust of appetites, and not in a bad way! Nonetheless, the one time I decided to forgo the appetizers to try something new, I ended up trying their “Island Thyme Chicken” – which was spectacular! Nothing too complicated – tender chicken breast, marinated in coconut milk with Jamaican thyme and other herbs and spices – but it was this particular combination of flavors that truly makes you go “mmmmmmmmm…” wanting more and more with each bite…

Having thus developed a craving for such tastiness, while realizing the impracticality of frequenting ‘The Reef’ and looking for hominy corn in the markets close by, I decided to combine the best of both influences by creating my own Caribbean influenced Coconut Chicken Stew, as given below. Once again, my recipe does not use precise proportions for any ingredient, so feel free to make your own approximations based on your own preferences.

Ingredients (To serve 4):

– 4 Large boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or 8 – 10 chicken thighs), cut into bite size pieces

– 2 cans of coconut milk

– 1 large Spanish onion (or regular yellow onion), diced

– 1 piece of ginger (4-5 inches), finely grated

– 2-3 celery stalks, finely sliced

– 2-3 tbsp cumin powder

– 2-3 bay leaves

– 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 2-3 tbsp dried thyme)

– 1-2 tsp allspice

– 2 cups frozen Golden / sweet Corn (or peas, if you prefer)

– 2 cups pre-soaked Black beans (optional – I use these here, so it becomes a one-pot meal. You can serve the stew with rice instead)

– LOTS of freshly ground black pepper

– Salt

– Oil (Olive oil is not recommended, since the flavor would be lost / overwhelmed)

Directions:

1) In a large pot, add just enough oil to coat all the onions and celery, and cook on medium, till onions have softened.

2) Add bay leaves, ginger and cumin powder. Continue cooking and stirring for a couple more minutes on medium.

3) Add thyme, allspice and coconut milk, and continue cooking for another minute, stirring constantly. Add plenty of pepper, and salt to taste (This step is crucial, since most of the ‘tropical’ flavor here depends on the freshness and quantity of herbs/spices being used… but feel free to add more/less as you please)

4) Add chicken, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until it is almost fully cooked, but still tender.

5) Remove lid and continue cooking on low, to let the stew thicken. Add the corn (or peas) and beans at this point (the salt content would cause the beans to harden, if added earlier), and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6) By this time, the coconut milk should have reduced down to a thick, rich stew. Garnish with more fresh thyme and pepper, and serve (with cooked rice on the side).

I came up with this recipe somewhat accidentally, since I did not have everything on hand to make a proper Thai Red Curry with chicken… but remembering my previous cravings, I combined together the Caribbean flavors I was most familiar with. In my opinion, the onions and celery, along with cumin, lend an almost Cajun influenced mirepoix (you could consider adding some green peppers and carrots to this mix to complete the experience) like flavor. The slight pungency of ginger and allspice, along with the neutral notes of thyme and bay leaf balance the subtle sweetness of coconut milk. Seasoning this creamy base with plenty of pepper spices up the stew, while the salt allows all other flavors to come to the surface. As if comforting aroma of the cooked chicken, pepper and coconut milk is not enough, the juicy sweetness of the corn and the earthy mouthfeel of the black beans makes this meal truly appealing for all the senses – taste, aroma, texture and colors! Try this out, and I’m sure you’ll be sinking into a satisfied food coma with every spoonful 🙂