Quick starts with curry pastes

There's curry beyond curry powder. And it's not all Indian. You can create an interesting meal in a hurry with the help of prepared Thai curry pastes. The two most common types ― green and red ― share many of the same ingredients but have distinctive flavors. The green paste is most often used in poultry curries, the red paste with beef. Look for the pastes in well-stocked groceries and Asian markets.

QUICK TIPS FOR CURRY PASTES

• For a special soup, whisk a little of the curry paste into canned cream of chicken soup.
   
• For a spicy sandwich, season mayonnaise with curry paste. Spread on bread with sliced chicken or pork.