Week 166: Thai Laksa Soup
Hello!
Last week on our culinary tour of the world we visited the coasts of France and Britain. Chowder, which comes from the French word chaudron, was brought to New England as a shipboard dish from early immigrants and seafarers. This week we are traveling to the Southeast Asian region for Laska, a mouth watering soup with such a rich taste and texture that legendary chef Anthony Bourdain lauded it as among the best food he's ever had.
Laska is a soup born out of love ... When Chinese traders first began visiting and trading in the Malay archipelago, the men and women found themselves falling in love. The marriages between the Chinese and the locals created a unique and diverse community. The wives of these traders began adding their own spice and flavoring into traditional Chinese soups, giving birth to the Laksa. My version of Laksa has a strong Thai influence and is filled with many great flavors ---- lots of ginger, a little soy sauce, coconut milk and creamy peanut butter.
On the menu for TUESDAY, MAY 11th is THAI LAKSA SOUP with MULTI-SEED BREAD. This tasty soup begins with sautéing garlic, ginger, a little jalapeno pepper and green onions in sesame oil. Once softened, cubed butternut squash and homemade chicken stock are added. Next, creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, diced broccoli and coconut milk are mixed in. The soup is finished with vermicelli noodles, fresh mint & cilantro, pomegranate arils and crunchy chickpeas.
The bread companion this week has become my new favorite ... the MULTI-SEED BREAD. This delicious bread is dark, slightly sweet and has a satisfying crunch from the multi-seed topping. The light sweetness from this bread will be a perfect compliment to this tasty soup.
On the menu for dessert are CARAMEL PEAR COOKIES. I am SO excited to offer these for the first time! I’ve been working on perfecting these cookies, with the unique pear and caramel combination of flavors, for awhile now and they are awesome. These are baked with browned butter and loaded with caramel bits and pears. They have a slight crunch on the outside, but super soft inside. Be sure to check out a flavor combination that will leave you grabbing for two cookies instead of one! - Jenny from Jenny Sue Delights