Say Goodbye to Your Waist

Can I just say that I am shocked and appalled that I have never posted about curry? I mean, curry is my claim to fame! Curry was the first dish I could make well! Curry makes life worth living! How have I not posted about CURRY?

I know there are some people out there who don't like curry, and let me just state for the record, I don't understand you. Curry is all we will eat in heaven (plus ice cream), and in the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam and all the animals ate only curry. That is a fact, friends. A fact.

Like I said, curry is the first dish I mastered. When I was 16, I lived with my sister Amy for a couple months, and she became my inspiration. Green curry was a staple on her menu, so we ate it often. I had never eaten curry, and was a little afraid of the unknown, but it was love at first bite. She liked to make it a touch spicy, so I would guzzle glass after glass of water, and then curse my stomach for not being able to hold more curry. Late in the night, after my stomach had acquired more room, I would steal into the fridge, like a thief in the night, to gobble up the leftovers. This should adequately illustrate that I take curry very seriously.

Amy and I have tinkered with the green curry recipe together and on our own, and we've worked things out quite well. The lovely thing about cooking, though, is it doesn't have to be exact. Curry is great because you can modify it to be as sweet, spicy, or creamy as you choose. I like green curry because it has a fairly mild taste-- not when it comes to spiciness (because you can make it super spicy), but it's not the boldest flavor of all the curries. To me it is a soothing, comforting, warm, and wholesome taste. But if green curry isn't your thing, don't worry, I promise to neglect curry on this blog no longer. More curry recipes are coming your way. (But, really, how could you not love green curry?)

Green Curry a la Courtney and Amy

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
about 1-2 inches ginger, grated
1-2 T green curry paste (Asian aisle in the grocery store. I've used Thai Kitchen and World Foods brands and they both work well.)
8 chicken tenderloins, raw, cubed
1 can coconut milk (I prefer Chaokoh brand, full-fat. Light coconut milk only results in sadness.)
1/2 c water
2 T brown sugar
3 T fish sauce (Asian aisle-- this is not an optional ingredient, btw, no matter how much it grosses you out.)
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
Peas
Red bell pepper, sliced thin

Saute garlic, ginger, and curry paste in a medium sized pot for a couple minutes to release the flavors. Pour in the coconut milk and let this simmer/heat for a couple minutes. Stir in chicken, water, sugar, and fish sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Taste the curry and add more sugar, curry paste, water, as needed. Add bamboo shoots, peas, and bell pepper, then reheat all the way through. Serve over jasmine rice. The flavors continue to meld together when they sit for a while, so be sure to enjoy the curry as leftovers the next day.