Something Spicy Please!

I need a break from Spanish food.  If you read this blog even irregularly, you know that I have jumped into Spanish food and cooking with both feet, submerged myself in pork and paprika, cabrales and tetilla.  But about a week ago, I realized quite suddenly that I needed a change.  My mouth wanted lime, chile, salt, a good lasagne.  I have always gravitated to hit-you-over-the-head flavors.  Subtlety is lost on me when it comes to food.  It is a common misperception that Spanish food is spicy.  It’s not.

Fortunately, a friend had just told me about Supermarket Extremo Oriente, an Asian market, and I happened to be in the neighborhood last Thursday.  The market carries pretty much everything you might need to cook any kind of Asian food—Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese.  I bought as much as I could carry—lemongrass and Thai basil, mint, coconut milk, chili garlic paste, sriracha, fish sauce….  I went a little crazy, but my heart was filled with joy.  I always feel better when my cupboards and fridge are full.  And somehow having these Asian ingredients, which I usually have on hand in Brooklyn, helped fill a culinary hole in my life here.

What with all of the fresh herbs and chilies I had bought—mint, basil, cilantro, lemongrass—I had to get busy.  Friday night I made a terrific curry noodle soup with sweet potatoes and chicken.  And Sunday I cooked a flank steak that had been marinated in a paste of lemongrass, lime, garlic, and chilies, and sliced it atop a noodle salad full of the fresh herbs.  On Saturday and Monday I ate Mexican food, and tonight I’m cooking lemon pepper chicken, and roasted cauliflower with curry, lemon and cilantro.

I have fragrant lemongrass, and the most beautiful little red chilies in my freezer now, and all is right with the world.