It's been a little hard coming home from China. I feel like half of me is still there, cheering on the fighters.
This photo of women Lego boxers is courtesy of Coach Christy Halbert. She constructed the red boxer by combining the torso portion of the Lego flamenco dancer with the legs and arms of the male amateur boxer. The blue-green boxer was built using the torso of the Lego weightlifter. There's also some hand painting. Christy is truly devoted to our sport.
It seemed to me like the red corner fought orthodox and the blue was a southpaw, but Christy said the blue fighter actually switch hits, which really comes in handy. At the moment when the photo was taken, blue was up on points, but you never know with Legos. One punch can end it.
The USA Boxing Board votes tonight on whether to oust their floridly creepy President, Hal Adonis. Huge props to Ariel Levy, who captured Hal mouthing off about women boxers, rape, and lesbians for her New Yorker profile, hastening his demise.
What happens inside a boxing ring is so pure. Why is the atmosphere around it so perniciously corrupt? It makes the porn industry seem wholesome.
All I've been doing since I got back from China is nap and eat. Here's a favorite recipe. This is so good. It's like homemade fast food, because once the paste is made, you can have a fabulous dinner ready in 15 minutes.
This makes about 2 cups, enough for two big curry dinners. Freezes well.
GREEN CURRY PASTE (From True Thai by Victor Sodsook)
Roast together in a dry skillet until fragrant and golden:
1/2 Tablespoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon aniseed
Grind them up along with
12 white peppercorns.
Wrap
1 1/2 Tablespoons shrimp paste
neatly in a double layer of aluminum foil. Roast it in the dry skillet, flipping every once in a while, until fragrant and sizzling. Scrape into food processor along with the ground spices.
Add:
1/2 cup seeded, chopped jalepenos or serranos
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/3 cup chopped ginger (galangal if you can get it)
1 cup chopped shallots
1/3 cup chopped cilantro stems
two stalks of lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed and bottom 3 inches finely chopped
shredded zest of two limes
6 large leaves of romanine lettuce
(optional, a few spoons of vegetable stock to facilitate pureeing)
Process for a long time, scraping down the sides periodically, until it's as smooth as you can get it.
CURRY DINNER
Mix half of the above recipe (about one cup) with:
Two cans of coconut milk
1/4 cup of fish sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
Heat to simmering and add mixed vegetables, shrimp, tofu, whatever you feel like. Stagger the addition of items so the ones that take a long time to cook go in first. I like a mixture of broccoli and pumpkin with deep-fried tofu added at the end.
Don't add too many things; it should be brothy. Right before serving, swirl in a cup of basil leaves.
Serve over rice or noodles. You could garnsh with chopped peanuts and lime wedges if you want.