A few weeks ago the folks at Curry Simple sent us a care package containing several of their curry sauces. At first glance, I was a bit skeptical. Unlike most food packaging, there are no luscious shiny food photographs staring back at you; instead it's simply packaged in all white with plain writing. In fact, they actually reminded me of rations, or sample packaging. However, because I love Thai food, I decided to put my judgmental notions aside and give it a try. I'm really glad I did, because it made dinner a snap. Thai food at home in less than 30 minutes without complicated ingredients?! To find out how it is, read more

I personally tried both the Tom Kha (coconut soup) as well as the Red Curry. I found the instructions to be wonderfully simple - sauté meat, add veggies, pour in the sauce, heat it all up and serve! - and the flavor to be aromatic and authentic. I can't say that it was my favorite Red Curry ever, but I must say it was definitely on par with and even better than several restaurants I've been to. However, given that the meal was whipped up in less than 30 minutes - with most of the time spent on the rice - it was definitely worth it. I've made Thai food at home before, and there's always a worry that you've either forgotten the curry paste, or the coconut milk, or any number of other ingredients needed - with Curry Simple it's all in there and ready for you to add.

The Tom Kha was also simple and easy. However, since it was lacking all the actual bits and pieces that a tom kha has (lemon grass stalks, etc.) - it seemed odd from a texture point of view. However the flavor was there, and again I almost felt bad by how simple it was. Also, it says to add equal amounts of the sauce and water, but mine was just too watery. In fact, that's the one complaint I had about both packets: The sauces come out a bit thin. To work around this, I'd say drain the juices off of the meat and veggies and then add in the sauce. Either way it's a simple way to get dinner on the table.

They're available online starting at $5.95 per packet and have recently been placed in the Atlanta Whole Foods.