Thai Food

Some of my favorite food is Thai food. I can attribute my open-mindedness towards food to my mother. She did not raise me on typical American food. Her delicious food always had more of an Asian and Mediterranean theme. The first dish I even cooked was a Thai Coconut Curry dish, so Thai food will always have a place in my heart. My mother is also responsible for my strong affection for inviting others into my house and sharing food. So make my mother proud and share your food!

I did a little research on Thailand and conflict. Thailand has recently has experienced violence on its Southern border due to a separatist movement. There have been over 4,000 deaths reported in this region. For more information http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/thailand/

It is cold outside!! So here is a recipe for delicious Thai Coconut Chicken Soup that I recently tried. I highly recommend it. It is actually quite easy to do. This dish is perfect to share with others. Think about inviting someone new over and learning something about them over a bowl of Thai Chicken Soup.

Tom Kha Gai Recipe (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Ingredients:
8 oz boneless and skinless chicken (breast or thighs, cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 stalk lemongrass (cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded)
6 kaffir lime leaves (lightly bruised to release the flavor)
6 slices galangal (ginger)
1 large red thai bird’s eye chili (lightly pounded)
3 tablespoon fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoon lime juice (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon of lime zest
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 half of a red pepper (thinly sliced)
1 carrot (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon of red curry paste
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Method:
Add coconut milk, water, lemongrass, galangal (ginger), chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and lime zest into a pot and bring it to boil. Add chicken, peppers, carrots and boil it on medium heat for a few minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Add chopped cilantro before serving.

If you cannot find kaffir lime leaves you can skip using them. I did because I couldn't find them at the time. I added the pepper and carrots to the recipe so they are optional. Also you may cut up the large bird's eye chili if you like it spicy. Another option is to cook rice noodles and add them to the soup when you are ready to serve. If you have not cooked with lemongrass before, I recommend watching a youtube video to learn how to use it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exe3Aa1d7Ro

Bon Appetit!!