I was making carrot and ginger soup one morning when I felt the urge to go beyond my standard recipe. I craved something that had the flavor of a faraway place. That’s when I took out my yellow curry powder, coconut milk, and other ingredients that evoked Indonesia, and got to work. The result was an intensely spicy yet sweet, golden-hued puree. One afternoon, when I was able to sneak away to have my hair done, a woman who worked at the salon came running over to me. She told me that she had eaten the Indonesian carrot soup earlier in the day, and couldn’t get over how much she liked its spiciness. Later, she planned to go back for more to bring home to her vegetarian daughter. I always get so excited when customers tell me how my soup brought them such happiness. It makes all those long hours of stirring the kettles worthwhile.
