I crave Tom Yum Goong, which is a delicious spicy, tart shrimp soup that's offered at most Thai restaurants. It seems complicated to make and has a lot going on, but it's really quite easy. Here's a quick and tasty version of the soup that uses duck instead of shrimp. When I'm really in a hurry I make the broth from Oriental-flavor Ramen packets (they're not bad in a pinch). I either buy Peking duck already cooked from the Oriental market, or I use frozen confit (duck legs) left over from my twice-yearly cassoulet extravaganzas. You can also use chicken, scallops or shrimp, or just vegetables instead of duck—it's all good.

Evan Moore

It's all here

We are fortunate to have a very nice selection of good quality Thai restaurants to choose from in Albuquerque. For several months, I kept hearing about this new one, so when a friend who lived in Thailand for several years said that Krung Thai was his favorite, I went there. I'm happy to report that now I also have a new favorite Thai restaurant.