Serves 4

6 cups good-quality chicken or fish stock
2-3 small to medium fillets of sole, snapper, or any "white" fish, cut into bite-size pieces (thawed if using frozen)
8-10 medium shrimp, thawed if using frozen
juice of 2 oranges, OR about 1 cup prepared orange juice
2 tsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/Indian food stores)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
4 Tbsp. fish sauce (available at Asian/Chinese food stores)
baby bok choy or other Chinese cabbage greens, chopped into smaller "squares" if leaves are large
handful of cherry tomatoes
handful of green beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 small zuchini, cut lenthwise into thick matchstick-like pieces
3-4 fresh orange slices, cut in half
generous handful of fresh coriander

Paste
1 shallot OR 1/4 cup cooking onion
1-2 fresh red chilies (depending on how hot you can take it!)
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger
3 cloves garlic
3 kaffir lime leaves, central stem removed
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian/Chinese food stores)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)

First, make the soup paste, either by mincing and stirring all paste ingredients together by hand, OR by placing the paste ingredients in a food processor and processing well. Set aside.

Place stock in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the orange juice, tamarind paste, sugar, fish sauce (4 Tbsp.), plus the paste you just made. Stir well. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium.

Add the firmer of the vegetables first: the beans and the "whiter" parts of the baby bok choy (if you have cut it) or the Chinese cabbage. Allow to simmer to 3 minutes, or until beans have softened.

Add all remaining vegetables, plus the fish and shrimp. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, or until shrimp are pink and plump and fish has turned an opaque-white. Tip: Don't over-stir at this point, as this will cause the fish pieces to break up.

Remove the soup from the heat and do a taste-test.

Taste-test Tips: This soup should be spicy, salty, and sour but with overtones of sweetness. I usually adjust the taste by adding more fish sauce first (if it requires more salt) - 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. - then work on adjusting the sour-sweetness balance.

Exactly how sour or sweet your soup tastes will depend on the sweetness/sourness of your oranges or orange juice, and the strength of your tamarind paste (which is very sour). Add 2-3 tsp. more brown sugar, as needed, OR up to 1/2 cup more orange juice (if the juice is sweet). If the soup is too spicy, you can remedy it by adding up to 1/2 cup coconut milk (or, if you don't have coconut milk, 1/2 cup more stock). If you'd like more spice and flavor, add a dollop or two of either store-bought or my own homemade Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Add several half-slices of orange to each bowl, then sprinkle over the fresh coriander. Note that cooked noodles or rice can also be added if you are serving this soup as the main entree.

1 pound conch, trimmed, tenderized
3 tablespoons strained lime juice
5 tablespoons tomato paste
4 strips bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 chile pepper, seeded, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup rum
1 pound potatoes, peeled, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt, pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the conch into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the lime juice and tomato sauce and mix well; set aside to marinate.

Meanwhile, in a large stew pot, cook the bacon until browned. Pour off the fat. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, green pepper, and chile pepper. cook over medium-low heat until very lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add the rum, potatoes, conch mixture, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1 hour. Potatoes should be tender.

Discard bay leaf. Stir in the Tabasco sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

1 lb whole wheat penne
10 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 small sweet potato, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
˝ onion, diced
1/3 yellow pepper, diced
1/3 green pepper, diced
1/3 red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
˝ cup white wine
Salt and pepper, peperoncino

In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms and the onions for about 7 minutes until golden. Add the sweet potatoes, a touch of peperoncino, and some salt. Give a quick stir. Add the celery, the green, yellow and red pepper, and an additional tablespoon of butter. After a couple of minutes, add the white wine. Stir. Let the alcohol evaporate and then, covering the saucepan with a lid, let the soffritto cook. Set the heat to medium low. Boil the penne in salted water until al dente. When the pasta is ready, drain it and toss it over the soffritto. Add the last tablespoon of butter and some black pepper. Give a quick little stir and serve.

This is a Thai chile vinegar sauce that often serves as a condiment but also goes very well with many Thai noodle dishes.

1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 mild chile pepper

Put the vinegar in a small bowl and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Add the chile rings. Serve with a small spoon so guests can spoon a little onto their noodles.

Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator; this will keep 4 to 5 days.

Makes about 1/2 cup sauce.

Serves 4

2 pounds lean lamb or beef, or boneless, skinless chicken, sliced very thinly
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. Drain and discard any excess marinade.

2. To Broil: Heat an oven broiler to high. Spread the meat evenly in a single layer on an ovenproof pan. Set 4-6 inches under the broiler flame and broil until cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Stir halfway through to cook evenly.

3. To Grill: Heat coals or set gas to high heat. Spread the meat in a grill basket and grill until cooked through, 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally.

4. Serve inside folded pita bread with your choice of garnishes.