Hey Jakey,

You and I went around the world and back today. Starbux, Raleys, 7-Eleven in G'ville, then headed up to Reno to go to Tower Records, Best Buy and Trader Joe's.

Tower is a trip with a baby. I spent so much time there when I was a wee lass in high school, always on the lookout for a new Duran Duran 12-inch single, or standing in line for, ahem, Duran Duran tickets, or just generally hanging out and trying to look cool. How somehow circular to revisit Tower 20-some years later, with a child in a stroller, no dilly-dallying, just trying to get in and get out. Easy, cuz they didn't have what I was looking for.

Best Buy did, though: "X: The Unheard Music" on DVD. We loaded up on frozen chicken-rice-bean burritos, steel-cut oatmeal and even more pumpkin butter at Trader Joe's. Since the wine thingy yesterday, I have port running through my veins, and so I also sprung for a nice bottle of Renwood Port, which I'm enjoying a tiny glass of right now. And oh yeah, I had four glasses with dinner.

Dinner... spectacular. I actually had all the ingredients on hand (except for galangal, I have no idea what that is or where to get it. I figger if they don't have it where I get my Kaffir Lime Leaves, ferchrissakes, it's probably something that I don't need) and used peppers and lemongrass from my very own garden. Daddy even liked it. Here's the recipe, from "Asian Soups" by Suzie Smith:

Chicken Coconut Soup

* 1 tbl light olive oil
* 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 small red chili peppers, or to taste, finely chopped
* 4 cilantro (coriander) roots, finely chopped
* 5 scallions, green and white parts, trimmed and finely chopped
* 5 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and halved, if large
* 2-inch piece galangal, sliced
* 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom 3 inches only, cut into 2-inch lengths
* 3 tbl lime juice
* 1 tbl fish sauce
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 2 cups coconut milk
* 4 fresh or 8 dried kaffir lime leaves
* 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 6 oz each, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, chili peppers, cilantro roots and scallions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, galangal and lemongrass and cook for 3 minutes. Add lime juice, fish sauce, chicken stock, coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a steady simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken slices and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Remove lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass before serving. Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve sprinkled with cilantro leaves.

Yum! It tastes much better than the crappy photo would suggest (check out that circa-1981 stove!). You were asleep before I even finished cooking tonight, so you didn't get to taste yet. Well, I'm gonna gulp down the rest of my glass of wine and come snuggle with you. Love you lots!