Reflecting on 2024, I thought it was one of the toughest years I could remember. However, 2025 has already proven to be even more challenging, with events that have pushed me to my limits and affected both me and my loved ones deeply. Life can be cruel, and deeply unfair. To my dear folks – as if battling Dementia wasn’t challenging enough, my mother breaking her hip and having to recover for several weeks in an overstretched NHS ward has made this period incredibly testing. 2025 has been incredibly stressful, painful (both physically and emotionally), heart-wrenching, and utterly exhausting. I never thought I could get an infection at the dentist, which resulted in three weeks of severe pain, inflammation, and the concerning necessity of opioids for relief.
If I could identify the one true nugget of joy this year (aside from Marlini, of course!) – it is having brought brothers Aslan and Max (our Siberian cats) into our lives. They have injected so much fun, energy, entertainment, and unconditional love. We never need to wait for our alarm clock, either!
So, preamble over, time to focus on what this blog is intended to provide – really tasty dishes which are so simple to make at home, using the freshest of ingredients. My Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple has become one of our absolute favourites. Ideal for a weeknight dinner, as it takes just 45 minutes to prepare from scratch.
I’ve started making this Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple almost every week, and it’s always a delight to share it with Marlini. Each time I prepare it, the result varies a bit—often due to the heat—but the taste has never disappointed.
When I first made Thai curry a few years ago, I went as far as to make the paste from scratch, thinking this is the only way it should be done. I am still happy to recommend my Thai Green Curry with Prawn, Squid, and Butternut Squash – but have moved on. I really thought that buying a ready-made paste was both a cheat and inherently bad for you.
Two things steered me onto a different course. First, Marlini set me straight by educating me that it was normal to buy ready-made pastes. Secondly, We finally made it to Thailand (thankfully before Covid struck) and I got to experience some truly delicious food and learnt that buying pastes is a way of life in the Thai kitchen – either from supermarkets or more local offerings. This trip was also an opportunity for me to catch up with Kay (an old university friend) and for Marlini to meet up with her university friend, Thiraporn and family. I will never forget the kindness, hospitality, and food which was out of this world. Two things were confirmed on this trip – 1. I am terrible at acclimatising to humidity. 2. Where chilli and heat is concerned, my tongue (and sadly other body parts) are not flame resistant.
My tolerance to chilli has definitely improved over the years (I have Marlini to thank for being my oriental food Sensei) – even so, I know my limits. There is one certainty where hot and spicy food is concerned… If it hurts going in, it sure as hell hurts going out!’. That, I am afraid, will never change.
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