Thai Red Curry with Pumpkin and Artichoke Hearts at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Thai Red Curry with Pumpkin and Artichoke Hearts at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

One of the benefits of living in Salinas, California is that it is easy to eat organic produce in any cuisine, especially Thai dishes at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California on South Main Street. 

I love pumpkin and artichoke hearts and ordered these in a Thai red curry to go with jasmine rice. Both vegetables in this dish were simmered with the red curry to become silken. 

The red curry usually is made with coconut milk, ginger and garlic paste, lime leaves, Thai basil, brown sugar, and red chile peppers according to the BBC Good Food website. 

Ginger Thai allows you to choose the spice level in your dish. There are 4 levels with level 4 being numbing. I choose level 3 for my meals, because I like the tingling sensation that goes with the flavor. Level 3 I think is still too hot for people who like mild food. If you love the flavor of pumpkin, the milder spice levels might be more to your liking.  

At all spice levels, the red curry has Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The orange pumpkin has Vitamin A. Artichokes have Vitamin K. This great tasting dish obviously has a lot of vitamin power, too. 

Diners looking to vary their vegetable routine might be interested in Thai red curry with pumpkin and artichoke hearts at Ginger Thai in Salinas, California on South Main Street. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Modern Mexican Fare at Alvarado on Main in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Modern Mexican Fare at Alvarado on Main in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

I tried two modern Mexican dishes at Alvarado on Main in downtown Salinas, California recently that might interest adventurous diners. 

The first dish I tried was a street corn salad. Street corn is roasted and called esquites in Spanish. The roasted kernels in this salad were mixed with creamy cotija cheese from Mexico. Then, the esquites was mixed with baby salad greens that Salinas is famous for. 

The corn was sweet and full of vitamin C while the cotija cheese had protein and calcium. All good things to go with the fresh salad as a vegetarian delight. 

I order salads, so I do not feel bad about the calories if I get in dessert. I decided to order dessert at Alvarado on Main and had a Mexican hot chocolate pot de crème pudding made with Ibarra chocolate. 

Whipped cream topped off the pot de crème with a liberal dusting on sugar, cinnamon, and powdered hot chile pepper. 

Powdered hot chile peppers are an acquired taste, but the peppers, chocolate, and cinnamon are all good antioxidants made sweet with sugar. 

These dishes can be served pretty quickly for lunch customers and are good take-out items. Both are more winning dishes from Alvarado on Main in downtown Salinas, California. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Scottish Cold Reliever by Ruth Paget

 Scottish Cold Reliever by Ruth Paget

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup whiskey

-Juice of 1 lemon

-2 tablespoons honey

Steps:

Heat until honey melts in the whiskey and lemon juice.

Drink while warm.

Be prepared to use the bathroom.

Source: McFarland Family - Arena, Wisconsin - Elizabeth McFarland - my great-great-grandmother

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France