Re Ketjap pizza [Was: Re[2]: MDDM Ch. 23 Summary, Notes]

[Michael Baum]

> on 13/12/01 6:17 AM, Mark Wright AIA at mwaia at yahoo.com wrote:

>> A while back y'all were debating the base vegetable of ketjap. This
>> episode makes it clear, to me anywhay, that P is indeed expecting the
>> reader to make the ketjap/catsup/ketchup connection, and that ketjap is
>> tomato based. Just like the stuff labeled "Heinz 57".
>> 
>> I smiled rather broadly for several minutes, if I didn't quite laff out
>> ...

jb> Actually, I'd disagree. The description of the pizza ingredients - a fresh
jb> "brown Batchloaf", spicy Malay "*ketjap*" from the Cape, brine-pickled
jb> anchovies, and Stilton cheese - and the manner in which it is cooked (236)
jb> make it seem an absolute delight. As such, it fits right in with the other
jb> reversals of expectations which Pynchon typically indulges in (in these
jb> chapters, for example, the friendship/alliance between Maire and Emerson,
jb> the unexpected intellectuality and well-informedness of the pub rustics, and
jb> the werewolf bit). Yum.

jb> best


I must have missed the debate? I thought "ketjap" was just a generic
term for table sauce, which _could_ be tomato-based, but certainly
ketjap manis is more a soy sauce kind of sauce.

But that isn't actually my point, what I wanted to say was that I
think jbor is on to something. With a little tidying up this recipe
sounds like a pretty good hors d'oeuvre. I think we ought to kitchen
test it.

maab