Coconut Soup Revisited

I've been craving Thai food but out East it is apparently extremely difficult (or expensive) to find Asian products besides the ubiquitous soy sauce and peanut dressing. For example, two little pieces of Lemongrass are $2.99 at Whole Foods! That's ridiculous. Ginger, too, is excessively expensive when it's actually a cheap product to grow (I just found it reasonably priced at Trader Joe's, thank goodness!). Forget about Kaffir limes or Thai chilis. Most groceries have never even heard of the stuff. So this recipe is basically me throwing everything Thai in my house into a pot.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, chopped or crushed
1 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
2 tsp chili sauce (or to taste)
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 can coconut milk
1 small package mushrooms, sliced in half or quarters
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Dash of lemon juice or lime juice

Directions
1. Mix everything together in a pot
2. Bring to a boil and simmer until mushrooms are slightly cooked (You don't want to overcook them because the flavor starts to dissipate and then they become very chewy. You want them to be tender)
3. Pour into a bowl, add the citrus juice and enjoy! (Lightly chopped cilantro is also a good garnish)


Note on Coconut milk: get a Thai brand!! I've been using Whole Foods brand but I bought a case of a Thai brand at Costco (I got my first Costco Card, yay!) and it is amazing! There is a noticeable different in taste and quality. And don't ever get low-fat coconut milk. If you're going to make something with coconut milk, a huge part of the flavor comes from the coconut fat. If you want low-calorie food, make something else.