how interesting that deborah started this thread today--thank you! there is a very small (and CRAMPED) oriental market not terribly far from us and we stopped there yesterday to look around and pick up a few things just unknown to us. it was fun! i'd never had any thai food until 2 years ago and there was a nice restaurant that had a very small buffet every day. pad thai and tom gai soup were always there and most of the other dishes changed daily. i LOVED that soup and when i spotted fresh lemon grass yesterday, decided i had to attempt making it. there are about a dozen recipes for it on the "food down under" website and they are pretty similar to the one deborah posted. having said that, i simply don't recall the taste of either something like ginger (as a sub for galangel) or chili peppers in it but guess i'd be wrong about that :) in any case, i have dried red pepper flakes, or sweet chili paste with garlic or chipotle peppers in adobe sauce that i can use (VERY sparingly in our household). anyone have any suggestions on which might work best in this recipe? and maureen--ex or no, those sound like really great memories to me! it must have been quite the adventure for all of you! Here is a link that might be useful: tom gai

Here's one...the leaner the ground beef the fewer calories..but I guess that's obvious. Cabbage Rolls from Sara Rosen Separate cabbage leaves by putting head of cabbage in a large pot of boining water and lettint ti sit for 20 minutes or so. Separate out individual leaves and fill with the following: Mix together.... 2 pounds lean ground beef 1 egg 1/2 cup beef broth....or water 1/4 cup uncooked long grain rice. 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed Pepper to taste Mix together and place about 1 1/2 Tablespoons full in each cabbage leaf, roll up and fasten with a tooth pick. Meanwhile....shred the rest of the cabbage, an onion, a couple stalke of celery finly sliced and a carrot chopped fine, and a 1 pound 12 0oz can of whole tomatoes. Place cabbage rolls in a Dutch oven alternatly with a mixture of the veggies in layers. Add water to almost cover the cabbage rolls and between 1/2 and 3/4 cups brown sugar, juice of a lemon and a crushed clove of garlic. Cover the rolls and sauce with a couple of whole cabbage leaves and top with a drizzle of catsup over all. And bake in a 250 degree oven for 4 hours......check often to see that it doesn't cook dry. Here's another....make this with turkey for less fat...good on a bun or with cooked brown rice. Danne's BBQ'd pork ( works well with turkey too) One Large onion,. chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped green pepper, chopped 1 1/2 cups broth 2 cloves garlic, mashed ( I like more) 1 T salt ( or to taste) 1 small bottle catsup ( or a bottle chili sauce) 2 T brown sugar 2 T vinegar 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp tobasco 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp paprika. Cook about a 5 pound pork roast, covered with some water until very tender. Cool and cut up, Simmer for about 3 hours with the sauce ingredients. Serve on a bun. This is from Sharon CB..and can be cooked frozen and reheated in the micro. Fresh Salmon Cakes 2 cloves garlic; minced 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 dashes Tabasco (or 1 teaspoon Old Bay) 1 egg yolk (or egg white) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons real mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (less if table salt) fresh ground pepper to taste 2/3 cup coarse white bread crumbs 1 pound fresh salmon 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion, Tabasco, egg, parsley, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; set aside. Remove skin and bones from salmon and cut into small cubes (about 1/2-inch); place in a medium bowl and gently stir in bread crumbs. Gently fold egg mixture into salmon and bread and refrigerate at least 2 hours before shaping into 4 patties. Carefully coat the outside of each patty with Panko crumbs. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and add salmon cakes. Fry the cakes until brown, about 4 minutes on each side turning only once. Serve with lemon wedges or your favorite tarter sauce. *May substitute cracker crumbs or bread crumbs for the Panko. And this, chill and remove fat before freezing. Gypsy Stew..Pink Adobe, Santa Fe 1 large frying chicken cut into pieces 3 yellow onions peeled and quartered 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved ( I chop!) 2 cups dry sherry 1 cup chicken stock 12 medium hot chilis like poblano, roasted, peeled and seeded (or use canned) 6 large ripe tomatoesÂAgain I use whole canned plum tomatoesÂ.cut in 4thsÂpull apart using 2 forks) Salt to taste and ½ pound grated jack cheese Put chicken, onions, garlic 1 cup of sherry and the broth in a large heave kettle ( add more broth to cover if neededÂ..simmer one hourÂ.cool somewhat and remove skin and bonesÂ.I also cool the pan juices somewhat and skim the fat.. Put chicken tomatoes, chilis and rest of the sherry back in the pot and simmer about 45 minutes. To serveÂplace cheese cubes in the bottom of bowl and ladle hot soup over the top. Good made ahead and reheated. Linda C

Here's one of my favourite Spanish dishes - Although I have been making it for years the way a Spanish cook once showed me, this time I followed the preparation seen recently on a Spanish Cooking TV channel. Their ingredients included a small piece of or pork fat and a stewing chorizo (chorizo para guisar). If choosing a chorizo for this dish, be sure it is the right type which has the red pimiento colour. The small piece of tocino can be seen just to the right of the sprig of rosemary. Stewed Lentils (Lentejas Estofadas) 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of small dark lentils - put them to soak the night before in water to cover 100 grams (3.5 oz) red stewing chorizo sausage - lightly pricked over with tines of a fork 50 grams (1.7 oz) salted tocino pork fat - cut into large diced pieces 1 TBSP flour 2 carrots diced fine 2 medium leeks, using only white stems sliced finely in rounds 1 lg clove garlic (this was optional but I wouldn't leave it out) - pass through garlic press 2 cups beef broth (I used 2 Knorr cubes) 1 bay leaf fresh rosemary - small sprig olive oil - about 1/4 cup 2 cups extra water to add after 1st hour 1. Soak lentils the NIGHT BEFORE in water to cover. * Note this if now often unnecessary with newer fast cooking lentils. 2. Next day drain and rinse lentils, put aside. 3. Heat olive oil in heavy cooking pot. When sizzling, add carrots, garlic and leeks. Lightly brown while stirring. 4. Add 1 TBSP flour and keep stirring for about a minute. 5. Add lentils, beef broth, whole chorizo, tocino, laurel and rosemary 6. Put on lid and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Check after 1st hour and add up to 2 more cups water as needed. 7. Adjust seasoning and serve. ***************************************** Lentil & Potato Potaje (Potaje de Lentejas y Patatas) 3 cups of presoaked lentils 4 medium potatoes - cut into large dice 2 slices of stale bread 3 cloves garlic vinegar salt Put lentils in large pot, cover with water and begin to boil. As soon as lentils have begun to cook do the following: In a frying pan with 1/2 inch of oil brown the garlic and then add the bread and fry until brown. Remove garlic before it's too dark. Put browned bread and garlic into a mortar and grind to a paste. During the early part of cooking the lentils add the paste from the mortar to the lentils together with the oil that's left in the pan After about half an hour and before lentils are tender, add the diced or quartered potatoes, salt and finish cooking until all is tender. Check and correct salt and a dash of vinegar before serving. Source: A cook friend from Mallorca. *************************************** LENTIL & VEGETABLE SOUP Ingredients: lentils - 250 grams (slightly over 1 cup) garlic - one whole head onion - 1 large - quartered Kasseler smoked pork chop - 1 large (or 250 grams other smoked pork or bacon) ham or pork bone as for making stock 4 medium carrots - sliced into coins 2 stalks celery - diced 5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into 8ths 6 flowerettes of cauliflower green beans - handful sliced tomato puré - small 4 oz tin olive oil - 4 TBS fresh garden herbs: 1 bay leaf, several sprigs thyme, Italian flatleaf parsley 2 or 3 sprigs chicken stock 1 liter (4 cups) or water and 3 Knorr chicken stock cubes salt & fesh ground pepper water to cook lentils vinegar - 1 teasp garlic croutons - optional garnish Method: 1) Turn on oven to 350F. Put lentils in large heavy bottomed stew pot with water to cover plus about 2 inches, bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Check water level and add more as needed. 2) Meanwhile put whole head of garlic into shallow baking pan together with quartered onion, Kasseler or smoked pork and ham or pork bone, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven at medium heat about 45 minutes. 3) Remove baking tray from oven when all is nicely browned and cut meat into small dice and add to lentil pot along with onion. Squeeze garlic from skin into lentil pot, adding ham/pork bone along with oil and juices scraped from roasting pan. 4) Add rest of vegetables to lentils, chicken stock (or water and stock cubes), tomato puré, fresh herbs and bay leaf, parsley - reserving one sprig, fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and simmer about 1 hour until vegetables are done, adding more water if needed. 5) When vegetables are tender, remove ham/pork bones and any bare thyme stems from pot, check for flavour and add salt as needed. Add vinegar and stir. 6) Serve with a bit of chopped parsley and more fresh ground pepper. Homemade garlic croutons are also nice as a garnish. Source: Recipe as I learned from a Mallorquin housewife years ago. ******************************* Lentil Purée Convert leftover stewed lentils into a delicious purée by putting them into a food processor and adding the following: 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth 2 lg cloves of garlic crushed and browned in 1/4 cup oil in small frypan 2 slices brown bread broken in small pieces and fried in the garlicky oil until brown Processed the above until smooth and then heat it gently. Dice more pieces of brown bread and toasted them in the frying pan with oil and garlic salt for the croutons. SharonCb

This recipe is tried and true. I've served it at a number of dinner parties. I made it recently but since it was just for the two us I made a few adjustments. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Paella A La Valenciana ====================== From:Penelope Casas: The Foods and Wines of Spain. Chicken and Seafood Paella 6 cups very strong chicken broth, preferably homemade 1/2 teaspoon saffron 1 small onion peeled 2 small chicken or chicken pieces salt 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 pound Chorizo sauces cut into 1/4 inch slices 1 large pork chop, boned and diced 1/4 pound piece of cured ham, diced 1 medium onion chopped 4 green onions chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 pimientos, homemade or bottled, diced 1 pound small or medium shrimp shelled 2 small lobsters, divided into tail sections and claws or 4 lobster tails, split lengthwise, or 8 king crab claws or 8 jumbo shrimp in their shells 3 cups short-grain rice 5 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 bay leaves, crumbled 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 pound fresh or frozen peas 18 clams, cleaned 18 mussels, scrubbed Lemon Wedges for garnish Chopped Parsley for Garnish . Heat the broth with the saffron and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove onion from broth - you need exactly 5 1/2 cups of broth. Cut chicken into small serving pieces - whole breasts cut into 4 parts and each thigh into 2 parts, the bony tip of the leg chopped off, the wing tip discarded and the rest of the wings separated into two parts. Dry pieces well and sprinkle with salt. In a metal paella pan, with about a 15 inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry over high heat until golden. Remove to a warm platter. Add the chorizo, pork and ham to the pan and stir fry about 10 minutes. Add the chopped onion, green onions, garlic and pimientos and saute until the onion is wilted. Add the shrimp and the lobster and saute about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the lobsters will cook more in the oven). Remove the shrimp and the lobster to the platter with the chicken. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoons chopped parsley and the crumbled bay leaves. (Make in advance up to this point). Stir in the chicken broth, boiling hot, the wine, lemon juice and peas. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice. Add the clams and the mussels, pushing them into the rice with the edge that will open facing up. Decorate the paella with the lobster pieces, then bake at 325F uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil for about 10 minutes. To serve , decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.