at it again
i am so happy with myself right now. i'm not sure how or why i was suddenly struck by a craving for lemongrass ginger soup of some kind, but i decided to try making it myself. really wasn't that hard to do, just time consuming--which is usually what happens when i cook. and i think it tastes absolutely fantastic given i just made this up. and seeing as how the weather has been cold and damp lately, soup was just the thing to warm me up.

as i had no clue how to make this beyond steeping chopped ginger and chunks of lemongrass in chicken broth, i did a bit of research on this kind of thing earlier today. i couldn't decide on an exact recipe as all either sounded too bland or had ingredients i didn't want to use/couldn't acquire on such short notice. probably the closest comparison, in terms of ingredients, i could find is an indonesian soup called "soto ayam". beyond kaffir leaves (which i have no clue where to get), turmeric (used for color), coriander seeds and cumin, mine has pretty much the same ingredients. and in terms of coriander seeds, i used fresh cilantro leaves (aka coriander) so i figure it's pretty darn close.

as i said before, it really wasn't hard to make--even guessing what to do the entire way. i brought a large pan of store-bought chicken broth and water to a boil and added the chopped ginger and lemongrass. just kept tasting it until it was flavored enough for me and pulled all the pieces out with a straining spoon...thing... threw in two chicken breasts and let them poach. while they did so, i got into my calming groove of washing and chopping up all the vegetables. by the time i was done with that, the chicken was done; pulled it out and went to work flavoring the broth further. added in my garlic, rice wine, and salt. once satisfied i tossed in the vegetables and shredded the chicken, which was also added. brought it all down to a simmer and added the lime juice and ground pepper. once everything had cooked down, i ladled it over a bowl of cold, leftover wheat fettuccine.

lemongrass ginger chicken soup
shredded poached chicken, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, bean sprouts and wheat pasta in a broth infused with lemongrass and ginger, garlic, lime juice, splash of rice wine, salt & pepper and cilantro.