2 tablespoons Tom Yum paste (a spicy Thai paste)
1 quart water
One stalk lemon grass, cut into small pieces, and flattened with the back of a knife
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 pieces of Thai ginger, shaved
1/2 pound chopped skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Four to five lemon leaves
1 cup button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (more or less, depending on how hot you want it)
Dissolve Tom Yum paste in water and bring to a boil. Add salt, lemon grass,
ginger and chicken. Let the soup boil until chicken is done.
Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, lemon leaves, chili powder and roughly
chopped mushrooms. Cook about 2 minutes. Before serving, add some fresh
cilantro.
Makes 4-6 servings.
1 tsp sugar
sprig of sweet mint
juice of ½ lime
a glass filled with ice cubes
one shot white rum
Remember to drink the first glass for pleasure, the second glass to spite the teetotallers
and the third glass to spite the devil.
2 lemons
2 oranges
1 - 750 ml bottle of medium, to full, bodied red wine Nutmeg (to taste)
Cloves (to taste)
1 oz brandy or Cognac (or to taste)
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar (optional)
Herbal or citrus influenced tea (optional but excellent)
Water (optional softener instead of tea)
4 large cinnamon sticks
4 candy canes
Instructions for making four large portions
-Cut lemons and oranges into slices.
-Pour the red wine into saucepan and gradually heat.
-Never let the wine reach boiling point.
-Add fruit slices, nutmeg, cloves and brandy.
-Keep an eye on the mixture and wait until it becomes hot to the touch.
-At this point you could blend in sugar or water (if desired).
-Pour into glasses/mugs and add tea (to taste).
-Garnish with cinnamon stick and candy cane.