I'm a fan of curries. Thai green curry is my favorite. I tried to make it several times and was always disappointed until my little sister wrote this recipe for me. It's easy, and I'm sure you could substitute chicken for the shrimp, or leave either out and just do the veggies. (The stove, fluorescently lit, was the only thing I could get a photo of yesterday.)
Susie's Green-Curry Shrimp
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 large shallot, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced (no ribbing please! — red parts only)
1 head broccoli florets
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Japanese eggplant, sliced then cut into quarters
2 cans light coconut milk
1 T. green curry paste
1 c. frozen peas
1 small can bamboo shoots (julienned)
Saute shallot and onion in equal parts butter and oil (enough to coat bottom of your pan) until translucent. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add about a teaspoon of salt and enough pepper so that you can see it freckling the onion-y stuff. Add broccoli florets and saute until almost tender. Add shrimp and eggplant and cook until shrimp turns pink. Add curry paste and stir until everything is coated, then add coconut milk and stir until combined. Don't boil, just simmer until shrimp are fully cooked (just a couple of minutes at most). Add peas and bamboo shoots and heat through. Serve over hot jasmine rice.
Susie gave me an enormous cookbook called Hot Sour Salty Sweet for Christmas. It's kind of like a coffee-table book more than something you'd want to splatter with curry sauce on the kitchen counter — I'm very intimidated by it. The authors have a complicated web site that my computer doesn't like very much, but the book is really beautiful. I aim to learn some things about Asian cooking this year. It's the type of cooking I just automatically assume I cannot do well. For Christmas I got Andy a first edition of The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook I mentioned last fall. We've made egg rolls, fried rice, and chicken with leeks and peanuts and I'll tell you, it was exciting. It totally worked. I couldn't believe it. It takes patience, and preparation. It's a good lesson for me, as I tend to rush through things most of the time. It takes some effort to make egg rolls from scratch, for instance. But the results were worth every little bowl I dirtied (and oh, there were many, many dirty little bowls, to hold all the little chopped up things, so many little bowls I actually ran out). It was sort of like Christmas: lots of preparation (fun), a lot of fun at the event itself, and then some serious clean-up, when you least feel like it. Oh well. That's life.
Anyhoo, where are we here. January 3? Time to start putting together a plan for 2007. Except that I don't plan. Except that I feel a serious need for one currently. Except that I personally find January rather challenging and overwhelming with all its expectations; I'm slow to sort out my "fresh start" stuff. However, I don't think it's too much to ask to do sit-ups every day, and it certainly is called for. I think I'll start with that.
The weather has been sooooo gloomy here I can't get a good photo of anything, but I've made a ton of new stuff I would show off if I could. Incessant movie-watching and an apparent inability to leave the property has resulted in a lot of crafting. But never mind. There are so many beautiful things to peruse at the Kim Family Benefit Art + Craft Auction, which started on Ebay today. I checked it out this morning and my heart just inflated with gratitude; there are so many bids on everything already I can't even believe it. Sob! Thank you to everyone who is out there supporting all of us artists as well as the Kim family, and an very heartfelt thank-you to Lisa and Stephanie and Gerrie, who have doubtless put in more hours on this than we'll ever know. Elodie-Anne and I are honored to be a part of it, and so grateful to those of you who have already bid, and those who, doubtless, will. Thank you. I do love this community so much.
In the phot of Elodie-Anne, I just noticed the beaded flowers in the Arizona ice tea bottle. I've always thought it was so beautiful with its delicate pink flowers and minty background, but then felt nuts because, I mean, it's an ice tea bottle. It's nice to find beauty in ordinary things, no?
So much good stuff at the auction, I'm still trying to decide what to bid on. Decisions, decisions.
What better way to start a new year than helping, in such a real way, to effect the lives of others. Elodie-Anne and all the other artwork at the Kim Family site warm the world.
That's so funny you mention the ice tea bottle b/c it's the first thing I noticed in that pict! Really, the design on that one has lovely colors (esp the pink cherry blossoms!) and I've saved a couple myself! Nice to know I'm not alone.
For those of you who are lazy like me, and who live near a Trader Joe's, they have a really good Thai Green Curry sauce in a a jar that you can just add to fresh or frozen veggies.
Love the beaded flowers, too!
I'm late on the plan as well but enjoying reading everyone elses. Happy happy.
oh gosh alicia, i dont think you could have hit the nail on the head any closer with this recipe than if you were actually able to read my mind. that probably doesnt make any sense, but thanks for sharing, i am so making this!! could i link to this over at the recipe box?
I was so excited to see all the bids too!! What a huge success already. It will feel so good to see the Kim family get a really fat check!!
I say you make one of those recipes from Andy's new cook book and eat it while watching Postmen in the Mountains. It's the perfect set-up :)
Oh..I AM going to make that curry!! Thank you!
I think Asian cuisines are some of the easiest to master. I had never really made any Japanese food when I moved to Japan, but I found it so easy and I became so obsessed, I started a food blog about it. Basically, if you have a few key ingredients, you can make almost anything. Here are some of the recipes I make, if you want to give it a try!
http://www.deliciouscoma.com/archives/recipes/index.html
My favorite Asian cookbook is called Terrific Pacific by Anya von Bremzen. It's full of recipes from the entire Pacific rim with cuisines I knew nothing about before I read the book. There's one whole chapter on curries with notes on how to make your own curry powders and pastes. The recipes come from all kinds of sources as well - chefs, home cooks and street vendors so the skill levels are from basic to advanced. The book has recipes and travel essays with interesting cultural notes for all the countries. It's definitely one of those cookbooks you can read for pleasure.
I was going to suggest salmon as an alternative in the curry but maybe not in the Paulson house eh?
Oh yummy! The curry looks delicious. We're big fans of curry in our household, so I'll be trying the recipe this week!
One thing nice about most Asian cooking, you only need a few key ingredients in your pantry to whip up a dish. I find it much easier than cooking "American" food, but then again I'm Asian...ok, duh. Anyhoo...can't wait to see what else you cook up this year!
When I was in college, I lived with with a mixed asian couple. He was Indian, she was Chinese, both were vegetarian. Together they cooked the most amazing food. It was always an incredible production, and I have good memories of our little household gathered in the cozy kitchen on chilly winter evenings, the windows steamed up, the counters overflowing with bowls and vegetables, the sizzling sound of the wok, the most incredible smells, and the anticipation of yummy food. We had a good deal - they cooked, we cleaned up the mess afterward.
Alicia, you are truly my hero. Many years ago when I was newly married and yound and naive, I got the "Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook" as a wedding present. Not knowing any better, I sold it at a garage sale a few years later. After my best friend, who passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly and very sadly a few years ago, I realized that her egg roll recipe came from there. I was absolutely fornlorn that I had sold that book and have been looking for a first edition since. Thank you Thank you Thank you for giving it to Andy and posting a source to order it. You don't know what this means to me. And yes, we made those egg rolls by the dozen and used many many little bowls. How I miss that. But know thanks to you, I can rekindle those egg rolls!
Lauri
i was just beginning to get my pregnant cravings for egg rolls and fried rice under control. this did me in. take out for supper. (i don't have enough little bowls in my kitchen...is that a good excuse??!!)
Anyone tell you that Miss Elodie-Ann (oh that name makes my heart flutter it is so cute!) would make a lovely postcard? Her new mommy is going to be so lucky! I am so sorry that the weather is gloomy there, we are being blessed with amazing weather. So great I feel a little guilty telling you about it...Sadly its not good movie watching weather which is all I feel like doing right now. We are looking forward to your lovely pics that will come when the sun moves up north a bit!
I looked at the auction what a fantastic turn out. unfortunatley I know nothing about what its for other than the kim family. I hope the bids sky rocket
carol
Fascinated by your Asian cooking tales. I clicked over to the Kim Family Ebay Auction and it is so wonderful to see all of these people bidding and giving so much for this cause. Beautiful thing people. I saw more than a few things I would love to bid on. Thanks for the link there.
MMMMMmmmmmmmmm
Thanks for the recipe!!! I'll try it soon!!
Your doll for the auction is adorable. So wonderful to see how generous everyone is, from the artists to the bidders. Your curry looks great too, i will try the recipe. Thank you
Okay. The whole curry thing has always been a bit of turnoff for me. I think I had a bad experience that I've blocked from my mind (or my palate!) or something. This dish looks very tempting though. I just may try it! Thank you for sharing this and all of your musings and doings. Happy New Year Alicia!
Oh my, that looks so yum! I love curry - that is so going on the list this weekend! Thanks for the recipe! Happy New Year sweets! xo
thanks for the recipe..must try it.. and i think the whole new year, new you "expectations" are so over-rated..mind you of course we know the beginning of anything is the perfect time to start but it should not cause angst! its supposed to be life-affirming..not anxiety affirming.. i think we get too caught up in the hype..me, i am slowing thinking about it but not much.....as for daily sit-ups, what an excellent start for you..simple, no equipment necessary and if you really want to, you can do them in your bed..love it!
thanks for the recipe..must try it.. may even add a bit of tofu.. i think the whole new year, new you "expectations" are so over-rated..mind you of course we know the beginning of anything is the perfect time to start fresh but it should not cause angst! its supposed to be life-affirming..not anxiety affirming.. i think we get too caught up in the hype..me, i am slowing thinking about it but not much.....as for daily sit-ups, what an excellent start for you..simple, no equipment necessary and if you really want to, you can do them in your bed..love it!