Another Green Curry Shrimp

Thank you, truly, for all of your very kind comments on the studio (and on the booklist, and everything else around here [or lack thereof — I've been so busy!] lately). I read all of them, of course (and so does Andy), and I never fail to be amazed at how your words, individually or collectively, change and enrich the experience I am having. The things you say always show me things about myself that I didn't know (I have cried [and busted out laughing, of course] many, many times while reading comments). But I'm also so very moved by how . . . tender . . . kind . . . generous . . . people can be. Every day. It humbles me completely. I don't know — I don't have words today. I just want to say thank you.

I should also thank air conditioning on Monday, the new season of Psych ("Spencer, we don't have time to watch you make a snowman out of mashed potatoes!"), The Avett Brothers, and Thai food, who have all been my constant companions this week, as I continue to wade through ten years of old paperwork: binders full of invoices from the boutique (I used to co-own a boutique), fourteen notebooks with half-written-on pages interspersed throughout, piles of copies of several years' worth of Paypal receipts from when I used to print out a copy of every order for my own records (not anymore), a Hefty bag filled with ribbon (apparently I've kept every single one that's come into this house in the past ten years), enormous boxes full of old sewing patterns, various half-completed and totally abandoned projects. Agh. I am overjoyed about the studio (and, for those you have asked, I will give you the details about it as soon as it is all fixed back up and I can think again) in part because it is forcing me to pare down; several times while going through the stuff that has to go back into it I have suspected that there is a part of me that also would've been happy living in an igloo, with nothing but a bearskin and a tin-can chimney. Andy is the opposite. He is a Keeper. I think he still owns bookmarks from 7th grade. (?) (I don't know where that came from.)

But anyway, as I clean, I listen to all 111 songs by Scotty and Seth (and Bob, and sometimes Joe) on the iPod (and then I start them again), and occasionally I go out and check my TiVo queue and see if another episode of Tommy Tang's Easy Thai Cooking has been recorded. It's not the best cooking show — he doesn't give any measurements, the recipes are not available on-line (as far as I can tell), and, most-importantly, the camera stays maddeningly level with the table he is cooking at, and rarely shows you how it looks in the pot at each stage. I need to see into the pot. Seeing into the pot is the only . . . nevermind. But I watch anyway, since cooking shows are totally relaxing to me (I am also loving French Food at Home). TTETC is the only dedicated Thai cooking show I've ever heard of, and Tommy is really friendly and smiley and fun to hang out with. After the show I try to go over to the Asian market and get whatever stuff Tommy just told me to get (like palm sugar). And then I try to make something for dinner. Like, once again, green curry shrimp.

Megan, my love, this one is for you:

Simplified Green Curry Shrimp (Version 3.0)
Serves 2-4

2 14-oz cans light coconut milk
1 tablespoon green curry paste
3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves, if you have them (my Asian grocery store sells these frozen, and I keep them in the freezer until I use them)
A squirt of lemongrass paste, if you have it
1 red bell pepper, julienned then diced (no ribbing)
1/2 eggplant (Japanese, if you can get it), cut into 1" pieces
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets (I didn't have any broccoli in this photo, but it's really good in here)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined and cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1-2 tablespoons of palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 cup frozen green peas
A handful of ripped up basil leaves

In a wok, simmer the creamy part of one can of coconut milk and the curry for a few minutes, until the curry is fragrant and releasing its oil. Add about 1/2 of the rest of that can of coconut milk. Add kaffir lime leaves (keep them whole so you can fish them out when the curry is finished), red pepper, eggplant, and broccoli. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt here (I do, at least). Add 1/2 of the second can of coconut milk. Simmer for about ten minutes. Add the rest of the coconut milk, then add the shrimp and peas just simmer until shrimp are fully cooked (just a couple of minutes at most). Add basil, stir, and serve over hot jasmine rice.

I don't know how authentically Thai this is, since I really just made it up from looking at several recipes, watching Tommy T.,  and trying about 400 times to make this taste like it does in the restaurants. It's still not totally there, but it was pretty darn good, if I do say.

Comments

[greenrabbitdesigns]

You keep all ribbons too, thank goodness for that, I thought it was just me!! lol :)
Vivienne x

[Julie]

That looks so yummy!

[Elaine]

I really enjoy your blog. Sometimes I want to leave a comment and then I see there are 50 of them, so I don't. After all, are you really going to read it? But I see you do, so maybe I won't hesitate so much.
By the way, the shrimp curry looks great. I love curry and that's what I always get when we go out for Thai food. I haven't tried much at home, but I could give this one a try.

[Ren]

Oh your curry looks yummy- I posted about how we make Thai Curry quickly on a week night.

Here is the link if you are interested:

http://ladyofthearts.blogspot.com/2010/06/thai-curry-paste.html

Glad to hear you are having a good summer.

[Kerrypez]

It's ok Andy, I still have an Oscar the Grouch bookmark that I got when I was five. It is my favorite bookmark.

[PosyLinda]

How liberating (and exasperating) it is to weed through things. If nothing else, items you hadn't thought about recently can hang out in the spotlight for awhile. Alternatively, getting rid of things does open that door for something "new" to take its place....

[Kristen]

I know what you are going through! Cleaning out and clearing out the artist studio is not easy. Tossing/donating all the saved bits and pieces is heart wrenching. Not long ago I donated a large haul to my church, what the sewing ladies didn't want, the Sunday school did. Yay! New life to my old treasures and now I have room for more! I cannot wait to see your finished studio. P.S.You write my favorite blog.

[Lori]

Ah...sorting through stuff. Something I sooo need to do and sooo hate to do. LOL It does make me feel liberated, truly, to clear out and get rid of stuff I don't need...but it's the deciding what to keep and what not to that I'm so miserable at. I think "Oh, I might need that...you know, if I EVER get caught up with the oh, about 1,000 things I have lined up to do one day. LOL But your pretty craft room (sorry, studio) is so inspiring. Maybe I'll get mine finished one day soon. :) Thanks.

[Susie Sears Taylor]

Cleaning out! A challenge for all of us who sew/craft etc. Every time I try my whole sewing/guest room gives me the hairy eyeball so I end up sitting in there with the TV on watching the "Hoarders" show and wondering what the heck am I thinking and will I end up like these folks!!! Horrors! I think I am a Jr. Hoarder now. I must do as you are and let it go. Good luck to you and to me.

[katilady]

sounds soooo delicious, thank you!

[Angela]

Tommy Tang! He is super-awesome. I wonder if he is the one singing during the opening credits. Decluttering-something I have the worst time doing but need to do so much! Thank you for sharing your heap of stuff with us!

[Heather]

This looks soo yummy! I tried my hand at a recipe like this years ago, but can't find what I did with it. I'll give yours a try! I was surprised at 2 things though: no garlic and no skinny hot peppers (I've got them growing nicely in the garden-yay me but still have oodles of dried from last year's crop). I recall adding both as well as a good squirt of citrus juice at the end.
Hmm, this might be dinner tonight :)

[Sue]

I'm going to have to try that curry dish, it looks so yummy! I've never used green curry, just red curry. Is there a difference in flavor?

[Loreen]

Your curry recipe sounds great and I have most of the ingredients since I went to the Asian Market just yesterday. I found a coconut milk in the Asian market that only has 70 calories per serving....I am interested to see if it taste any different from the one I usually use.

[Megan]

Alicia you rock. How did you know I was excited that you posted another curry recipe?! Thank you.

[Delilah]

Who doesn't keep bookmarks from the seventh grade? I keep everything. I have shoes older that you and Andy both. But, I am now after years of keeping . . . finally letting go. It's time and your blog is so inspirational. I love your new studio, the colors of the flooring and walls and the storage is just perfect, you deserve it.

[brigid]

so glad that you are lovin' up the avett brothers too! i love, love, love them!

[Patty]

Getting caught up on your blog--your studio space looks beautiful--so open, light and full of organization opportunities! How very fun for you!

[Katie]

I am SO glad I am not the only one that goes on Scotty and Seth binges! I listen to every song (even the ones that aren't 'songs' just their dad talking to them and recording it when they were kids) over and over. I saw them for New Year's Eve this past year and Langhorn Slim opened for them. I suggest you check him out too... good, but not AS good... then again, who is?

[cindy]

i don't know if you've hit that place where everything is all spread out and you don't have a clue where to put it and the whole thing seemed like a terrible idea, but if you have, keep going it will all be well and good before you know it. and, i've been on the fence with the avett brothers, but you've brainwashed me to give them a more serious listen. well, it's between them and avenged sevenfold (metal band) ;).

[Bethany]

Just sending a hug xo!!!

[littlecottonbluebirds]

I am always amazed at what I keep. Oh dear me, this reminds one to do some cleaning of the closets. Wonder what I may find. Hmmm! I stash a bit of crafts everywhere. So wish I had my own crafty room. I wonder does anyone else stash under there couch?

So smitten with your dinnerware, where does it come from?

[Kiki]

Green curry is my absolute most favorite food in the world! There is a restaurant near us that serves it with pillows of deep fried tofu-- terrible, yet so terribly delicious!

I read somewhere that the secret to an authentic-tasting Thai curry is to fry the curry paste in oil before adding the coconut crea until it gets dark-- like you would with a roux. We like ours with fresh green beans, green pepper, and chunks of zucchini. I'm also growing Siam Holy Basil and Thai bird chiles this year expressly for the purpose of putting them into Thai green curry. Maybe that's a little weird? :)

[Jessica]

Isn't Psych the funniest? They're just so silly! There's too little silliness on television... :) Congratulations on your lovely, mostly-new studio, and as always, thank you for sharing - my husband and I have an always-in-progress house, and it was nice to be reminded how lovely each new bit of it seemed as it was done. Also, I have several bookmarks from seventh grade, or earlier...hee hee.

[Jessica]

Isn't Psych the BEST?! It's so indescribable. The running jokes kill me. Yay to Psych season!