THAI BEEF CURRY
1 1/2 c. coconut milk
2 tsp. to 1 Tbs. red curry paste (depending on how much heat you can handle)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. cheap steak for braising
3 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. dried curry leaves, crumbled
2 Tbs. fish sauce
1/4 green bell pepper or a small hot pepper, chopped fine (depending, again, on how much heat you can handle)
1 baby eggplant, cut into half-moons
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
rice to serve it with

Pour the coconut milk into a large skillet or a wok pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes to reduce it somewhat. Stir in the red curry paste and garlic and simmer 5 more minutes.
Cut the beef into 3/4-inch chunks and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil again, stirring. Lower the heat and add the lime juice, curry leaves, fish sauce, green bell pepper, eggplant, turmeric, and salt. Cover and simmer briskly 20 to 25 minutes, until the meat is tender.
Stir in the basil and cilantro, and serve over rice.

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After dinner I went on a cookie-baking bender. The chocolate shortbread cookies are good but not spectacular; they'd be very nice with tea or coffee, though. The oatmeal-cinnamon chip cookies are beyond good. They are everything an oatmeal cookie should be. I am usually wary of gimmicky baking ingredients such as cinnamon chips, but I will make an exception for them.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(adapted from the Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. shortening*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixer bowl, beat sugar, butter, and shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and mix well. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten into thick discs with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake 10 to 13 minutes, or until firmly set.. Cool one minute and remove to paper towels.
Makes 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies.


OATMEAL-CINNAMON CHIP COOKIES
(adapted from the Hershey's Cinnamon Chips package; I cut the recipe in half and used old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats)
1/2 c. salted butter
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/6 c. sugar (use half a 1/3-c. measure)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 c. old-fashioned oats
5 oz. (half a package) cinnamon chips
1/4 to 1/2 c. raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour and baking soda and beat well.
Stir in oats, cinnamon chips, and raisins. Batter will be stiff.
Drop by spoonfuls (whatever size you like--I wanted mine fairly large) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned (10 or 11 minutes).


*This, by the way, was my first attempt at using the new "No Trans Fat" Crisco. But these cookies didn't prove anything one way or the other. Only a pie crust can tell me what I need to know, which is whether it works exactly like regular Crisco when it really counts.