Thai at Home

I adore Thai food - the aromas, the complex flavors, the colors. We have a favorite Thai restaurant in the area, Bangkok Place. It's not much to look at, with it's 70s former-bar yellow leaded glass windows and cracked burgundy pleather booths, 80s pastel floral wallpaper and shocking pink wood trim. But the food is consistently delicious, and they prepare the best red curry I've eaten anywhere. (Lots of places tend to make their red curry a bit too sweet for my tastes.) Our favorite dishes are found on the Special Appetizer Platter A: fishcakes, or Tod Mun Pla, served with a tart and sweet cucumber salad; chicken sate, with peanut sauce; and a crisp, noodle-filled spring roll with a sweet dipping sauce less cloying than some others.

I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. Good then that I have leftover Thai-inspired soup for lunch.

Our local Giant supermarket has expanded its International foods section to include Indian and Thai groceries. Neal picked up a can of Tom Yum soup and a jar of sate sauce, plus some fresh cilantro. With this, plus some pantry staples, fresh cucumber and carrots, and leftover linguine, he prepared a Thai feast.

To the soup, he added a Knorr fish bouillion cube and two cups of water. He also added some chopped onion, fresh mushrooms, and three tablespoons of powdered coconut milk.

The linguine got coated with the satay sauce and were garnished with chopped cilantro and a handful of crushed peanuts.

Sliced cucumber and julienned carrot, with a little honey, sesame oil, chopped red onion, and rice wine vinegar became a refreshing salad.

Together, everything was wonderful. Cooking ethnic food at home doesn't have to be complicated!