Obsession with Gai Tom Ka (or is it Tom Kha Gai?)

Ok, I'm back from a vacation out in the woods at Chehalis Thousand Trails. This campground is where the Thousand Trail camp membership all began 40 years ago. This is also where my phone didn't work, radio didn't work and in order to watch TV or have a WiFi internet connection you had to walk to one of the two lodges.But most of all it was the quiet I coveted. No airplanes flying over...just stillness...REALLY nice.  Even though the weather wasn't perfect (it was only sunny the day we arrived and the day we left), we still had a lovely campfire every night, thanks to the dry alder and cedar wood I bought a couple of months ago. That, alone,  provided a pleasant ambience for conversation while roasting hot dogs, twinkies or marshmellows for s'mores each night.  Also, we watched DVDs we had forgotten we even had, I got a lot of crocheting done and we cleaned out some cabinets in the motorhome that had been forgotten about for the last 7 years! All in all, it was a very nice, relaxing time...especially when the highlight of the day was looking for teeny weeny pine cones and identifying wildflowers.

But now that I"m back in civilization doing the normal routine,  I also feel the desire to get back on track with a lot of things to get things accomplished...one being writing (must be the Full Moon)! And...having been gone for so many days I stopped after work to get some of my most favorite soup EVER at the deli of a QFC grocery store:  Chicken Curry Coconut Soup.  QFC (Quality Food Center) is known as Kroger in other states and Ralph's in still others. Anyway, this soup is SO scrumptious that if I'm not careful I could almost indulge in it every single day. It is so chock full of Thai flavor & spices, as well as, nutritional goodness that it's rather difficult to describe without putting it directly on your tongue to taste for yourself. The QFC version contains at least all of these ingredients: curry, lemongrass, ginger, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, red bell pepper, tomato, carrot, onion, spinach, celery, chicken, chicken stock and basil. Trust me, this concoction blended together is absolute pure magical alchemy.

Here is a link to a recipe that comes about as close as I've been able to find on the internet to the delicious QFC version, adding cilantro and a few other goodies:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-hot-and-sour-coconut-chicken-soup

If your palate has a love for flavor, I highly recommend this soup.

Bon appetit!

©2012 Debbie Ballard (text only, not the link or photograph)