Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down

Just about every time I eat Thai food, I look for this soup. Places spell it differently, but it's called (something like) Tom Ka Gai, and it hits all those hot, sour, sweet, salty notes that make Thai food as good as it is, in perfect balance.

Also, I don't think I mentioned, it seems like the missus and I (well, mostly her) have been fighting off colds or the flu or at the very least stuffed-up-edness for most of the last couple months. Because it's winter, soup sounds good; because the cold and flu make it so we can't taste anything, something spicy is in order.

So: first, the aromatics, mostly shallots and lemongrass, just cooked til soft.


Slice up a bunch of mushrooms. White button mushrooms are fine; there's so much flavor in the soup, you don't need any sorts of fancy mushrooms at all.


The soup itself has all sorts of great stuff - coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, lime juice. After it simmers for a bit, add in the mushrooms, just until softened.


At the end, add in some red curry paste (to taste - a few tablespoons is plenty), and some thinly sliced chicken, and some shrimp (any protein is fine, preferably if it'll cook in just 2 or 3 minutes).

Garnish with some fresh chiles, cilantro, scallions, lime, and enjoy! Clear up your sinuses.