Tom Pepinsky

Author: tompepinsky

  • Laziness and Telephones

    We have a little bit of a problem at MACEE.  When trying to convince students that the US really is a great place to go to college, we have to overcome several obstacles.  The first is that America is "so far away" compared to the UK.  It’s only about 3 hours longer to LA than London, and once you’re past 12 hours on a plane, adding a little bit more doesn’t seem like such a big deal.  Another problem is the, "I went to the UK for college, so I’m sending my son/daughter to the UK for college" excuse.  That plus the, "what if they get married, stay there and never come back" arguments seem kind of weak to me, but what can you say?  That they’re just as likely to get married to a Brit and never return?  They’ve usually stopped listening by then.

    But I think that the biggest problem we face is that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to apply to and get into college in the US.  It’s a big process for Americans, and there are even more obstacles for international students.  The education system here leads nicely to the UK and Australian systems, and the kids are all familiar with those colleges and applications.  For both of those countries,  there are common applications (none of this each school has their own separate application) and there are more services that just match up kids and schools.  We of course can’t do that though, so when they come in expecting to get everything done in  30 minutes flat we have a problem.  On numerous occasions, I’ve had parents on the phone or in person asking me for THE list of scholarships, and then getting really mad at me when I tell them there is no list and they have to look around on their own.  Another problem is the visa process- granted the forms are a little bit complicated,  but never in my life would I expect to call somebody up on the phone and go through every single question on three forms with them.  But I’ve spent much of the past month talking people through the forms question by question when I can hardly understand them because they are in a car and have bad reception.  It’s like they can’t do anything by themselves at all sometimes.  One of the advisors from our other office has been doing this for years and has given up.  She just tells them that they better figure it out on their own and deal with it, and that they better get used to doing things on their own because nobody is going to hold their hand in America. 

    Don’t get me wrong, this is not the case with everyone I meet. I do also get to talk with some delightful, highly motivated students of all levels.  And one thing that Malaysians are very nice about is thanking you for your time.  No matter whether they are arguing with me or listening and asking very good questions, they always thank me for my time. 

    While spending all this time on the phone, I’ve slowly realized that phone etiquette is somewhat different here than at home.  I always answer "Good afternoon, MACEE" and then pause.  Almost every person will introduce themselves, and say where they are calling from (often where they work, their position, and the city that they are in).  Then they stop.  This is part where I get confused.  Sometimes they expect me to know them because they’ve called before.  Sometimes I think they are waiting for me to introduce myself, but they invariably start talking before I’m done with that.  Sometimes I just say hello, and they say hello back, and we go around in circles for a while until they decide to ask me a question.  It’s highly entertaining.

  • Karipap

    If you say the word karipap aloud, you might be able to figure out what it means.  That’s right, curry puff.  This is a classic example of food with Indian and Portuguese influences that has become a staple part of the Malaysian cuisine.  In Indonesia, the guys on the street selling fried things (gorengan) usually have bananas, tempe, tofu, and sweet potato.  In Malaysia, the gorengan sellers have bananas, sweet potato, taro, and karipap, and sometimes other unidentifiable–but tasty–treats.

    Basically, a karipap has dough that is not unlike a pie crust, wrapped around a curried potato mixture, and deep fried to deliciousness.  When cooking, be sure to work quickly.  After stuffing the curry puffs and folding them, fry them as soon as possible rather than waiting.  If you wait, they are liable to become unstuck when you fry them.  Here’s a picture of a gorengan stall, and here’s a picture of our own efforts.

    Dough
    2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    1 tsp. salt
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1 egg
    5 T water

    Filling
    1 lb. baking potatoes, peeled and diced
    1 onion
    4 cloves garlic
    4 shallots
    2 inches ginger, peeled
    1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, toasted
    2 cinnamon sticks
    1 heaping Tbsp. meat curry powder
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. palm sugar
    1/4 cup water
    4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
    oil for deep frying

    First, make the filling.  In a blender or food processor (or with your trusty mortar and pestle), grind the fennel seeds into a coarse powder.  Add the onions, garlic, shallots, and ginger, and process into a smooth paste, adding a bit of oil if necessary.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and then add the cinnamon sticks.  Cook until they are very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, and then add the paste.  Saute gently, making sure that the mixture does not brown, for about 3 minutes.  Add the curry powder and saute for three minutes more until the mixture is very fragrant.  Add the salt, sugar, and water and bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is very dry, about 20-30 minutes.  If the mixture gets too dry before the potatoes are very soft, add a bit more water.  When done, let the filling cool.

    While the filling is cooking, make the dough.  Combine the flour, salt, and oil to make a mixture like bread crumbs.  Beat the egg together with water and add to the dry ingredients, mixing constantly to form a dough not unlike something for a pie crust.  Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes to make sure it is very smooth, and then cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

    Heat a skillet or wok with about 3 inches of oil in it over low heat until quite hot.  Divide the dough in half and roll very thin.  Using an overturned bowl or a cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough with a diameter of three inches.  Place one teaspoon of filling in the middle, rub a bit of water over the edge of the circle, and fold over to form a half moon.  Crimp the edges to make it look pretty.  You can re-roll the scraps to make additional puffs.  Gently lower the curry puff into the hot oil and deep fry just until it reaches a dark golden brown.  Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.