So there’s a photo of my first attempt at a batch of Tom Kha Gai soup. It's very pretty (LOVE the color even if I do say so myself), but not what I'd consider a raging success taste-wise.
It is missing a few key ingredients, namely Galanga root and Kaffir lime leaves. They do not carry these items at Kroger…surprise! I considered substituting ginger for galanga, but decided I would just do this batch without and see how it went. I’m happy to report mine and Monica’s trip to Wild Oats yielded a bunch of lemon grass which I peeled and bruised as directed.
I used low-fat, organic coconut milk, for which I believe I sacrificed a certain amount of creaminess in the soup compared to what I tasted at the restaurant. Also, I went hog wild on the lime juice. A little too wild. A whole extra lime wild. It’s a bit lime-y. It is also, of course, missing that musky note that the recipes I’ve consulted tell me is the galanga, but that can’t be helped.
Overall the flavor is somewhat off but still pretty tasty and, for me at least, edible. I’ll be adjusting the whole shebang on my next attempt.
In other news, the S-Man returned from a recent trip to Louisville today bearing a gift for me from stepson, Matt.
Oh, wait! First I have to tell you the big news about Matt: the “LEO” (Louisville Eccentric Observer) conducted a recent reader poll they titled “LEO’s Big List: 48-and-a-half things we love about Louisville”. Matt’s band, Vampire Squid, was voted the NUMBER ONE original Louisville band (Sept. 19th issue)! HOW cool is that!? Number ONE! GO MATT!
So, along with acting as lead singer for the hottest original band in Louisville, Matt found the time to pick up a copy of Amy Sedaris’ hysterical book for me entitled, “I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence”. The work is a kitschy tongue-in-cheek take off on all those wildly enthusiastic Stepford wifey “how to” entertainment guides of the 1950’s and comes with a handy dust jacket fold-out poster of a scantily clad Sedaris glistening with oil and covered in sprinkles (left). Don’t you love a girl who is JUST ALL OUT THERE?
Jam packed with bazaar vintage recipes (Whiskey Dick’s Baked Chicken Wings), practical recipes, and “helpful how-to’s” on just about everything ala Heloise on crack, the book at one point thoughtfully includes a step-by-step guide on the proper way to wash one’s hoo-ha (I won’t reproduce it here except to tell you the instructions include the phrase “spirited scrubbing”).
So, the next time you’re looking for a nice simple recipe for Marinara sauce AND wondering about the best method for removing vomit stains, I encourage you to look no further than this delightful work by Amy Sedaris.
It is missing a few key ingredients, namely Galanga root and Kaffir lime leaves. They do not carry these items at Kroger…surprise! I considered substituting ginger for galanga, but decided I would just do this batch without and see how it went. I’m happy to report mine and Monica’s trip to Wild Oats yielded a bunch of lemon grass which I peeled and bruised as directed.
I used low-fat, organic coconut milk, for which I believe I sacrificed a certain amount of creaminess in the soup compared to what I tasted at the restaurant. Also, I went hog wild on the lime juice. A little too wild. A whole extra lime wild. It’s a bit lime-y. It is also, of course, missing that musky note that the recipes I’ve consulted tell me is the galanga, but that can’t be helped.
Overall the flavor is somewhat off but still pretty tasty and, for me at least, edible. I’ll be adjusting the whole shebang on my next attempt.
In other news, the S-Man returned from a recent trip to Louisville today bearing a gift for me from stepson, Matt.
Oh, wait! First I have to tell you the big news about Matt: the “LEO” (Louisville Eccentric Observer) conducted a recent reader poll they titled “LEO’s Big List: 48-and-a-half things we love about Louisville”. Matt’s band, Vampire Squid, was voted the NUMBER ONE original Louisville band (Sept. 19th issue)! HOW cool is that!? Number ONE! GO MATT!
So, along with acting as lead singer for the hottest original band in Louisville, Matt found the time to pick up a copy of Amy Sedaris’ hysterical book for me entitled, “I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence”. The work is a kitschy tongue-in-cheek take off on all those wildly enthusiastic Stepford wifey “how to” entertainment guides of the 1950’s and comes with a handy dust jacket fold-out poster of a scantily clad Sedaris glistening with oil and covered in sprinkles (left). Don’t you love a girl who is JUST ALL OUT THERE?Jam packed with bazaar vintage recipes (Whiskey Dick’s Baked Chicken Wings), practical recipes, and “helpful how-to’s” on just about everything ala Heloise on crack, the book at one point thoughtfully includes a step-by-step guide on the proper way to wash one’s hoo-ha (I won’t reproduce it here except to tell you the instructions include the phrase “spirited scrubbing”).
So, the next time you’re looking for a nice simple recipe for Marinara sauce AND wondering about the best method for removing vomit stains, I encourage you to look no further than this delightful work by Amy Sedaris.
(Thanks, Matt!)
And, please, remember to resist the temptation to juice that extra lime in your Tom Kha Gai.
3 comments:
My first google search of the day.... for you
Wow, thanks! I wouldn't have thought one could get such a thing shipped!
Congratulations to Matt! That is BIG! Any idea where they will playing Oct. 3-5? Also, can't wait to read Amy's book. If she's anywhere NEAR as hilarious as her brother, I need to have it THIS MINUTE.
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