Thai Food by SheSimmers

Creamy Tom Yam Kung (Tom Yam Kung Nam Khon ต้มยำกุ้งน้ำข้น)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:06:00 PST

After I'd made a passing reference to creamy Tom Yam Kung earlier, people have been asking me to talk more about this newer variation of Tom Yam which has taken Bangkok by storm in the last several years. Purists, as you may have guessed, are less than thrilled about it. (Dairy in a traditional savory Thai dish = anathema.) The late former prime minister of Thailand, Samak Sundaravej, recounted the time when he visited the kitchen of "a certain famous hotel by the Chao Phraya river" some...

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Young Green Peppercorns (Prik Thai On พริกไทยอ่อน)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:44:00 PST

One of the ingredients which I miss the most when living away from Thailand is fresh young green peppercorns. I also miss young tamarind leaves, water mimosa, lotus stems, and a few edible flowers. But at the top of the list is these little berries. Referred to as Prik Thai (literally "Thai pepper" or even "Thai chili") as a way of differentiating it from the other kinds of pepper/chili that were not part of our cuisine until the arrival of European visitors, this type of pepper has been part...

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Durian Yogurt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:20:00 PST

Have you had durian? No, not a durian smoothie or durian ice cream. Not previously-frozen-then-thawed-out-to-make-you-think-it's-fresh durian from your local grocery store in the US either. I mean real durian -- fresh as nature means it to be. Anything but raw, fresh, never-been-frozen durian should never be considered a true representative of the king of fruits, if you ask me. I believe it’s the tasteless, mushy, previously-frozen durian that is largely responsible for turning off many who...

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Thai Spicy Crispy Catfish (ผัดเผ็ดปลาดุกทอดกรอบ) from Ganda, Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:30:00 PST

The dish as served at Ganda “Let’s just get right to it,” writes James Oseland. “Ganda, a restaurant in the heart of Hollywood's Thai Town, serves the most authentic Thai food in America.” Coming from someone else, this bold declaration would probably cause any Thai – and I mean those weaned on rice and nam prik – to cock their head to one side and squint while inevitably and involuntarily entering the initial stage of knee-jerk skepticism. But it so happens that this comes from someone who...

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My Favorite Food Items of 2011 from A to Z and Giveaways

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:46:00 PST

The following is the list of my favorite food items of 2011 -- from A to Z. There are a few giveaways at the end of the post. Thank you for hanging out here with me this past year. Happy New Year, everyone! A: Apples Growing up in a place where apples are imported, heavily waxed, and irradiated, I've never for a moment taken for granted the superior apples that are available every autumn in my host country. I've recently used apples in some classic Thai dishes that normally require...

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Bûche de Noël with Eggnog Ice Cream Cake, Chocolate Streusel, and Butterscotch Sauce by Pastry Chef Patrick Fahy

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:53:00 PST

The day I met Pastry Chef Patrick Fahy, I was allowed to have much more fun than I deserved. We spent an afternoon making beet ice cream. He also let me wander around the kitchen playing with things I wasn’t supposed to, and answered many questions, including dumb ones. He even let me capture with my crummy point-n-shoot camera an impromptu demo on how to form an ice cream quenelle. It’s been two years since then, and much has changed. Back then, Fahy had just finished a year-long stint at...

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Thai Tea Fudge

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:57:00 PST

You know how when you're really smitten with someone, you can't hide it from your friends even though you want to, because they see right through how you stammer like a fool when talking about that person, right? Well, this, er, Thai tea fudge, is, um, like, good, like, really, really good -- like the actual tea with condensed milk, except it isn't, you know, liquid and it, well, doesn't come with ice. What I'm, uh, trying to say, is, if you love Thai tea, you'll love this. And, yeah, please...

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Pad Thai Recipe (ผัดไทย) - Part Five: Making Pad Thai

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:00:00 PST

In order for this final post in the Pad Thai recipe series to make sense (or become clear as to why it is sketchy or seems to leave out important details), it is assumed that all of the earlier posts have been read in their entirety. Therefore, if you have not done so, may I please invite you to visit the following posts before continuing? Pad Thai Recipe Part One: The Pan - In this post, I discuss the importance of choosing the right type and size of Pad Thai pan to create the closest replica...

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Pad Thai Recipe (ผัดไทย) - Part Four: Pad Thai Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:20:00 PST

In this good news-bad news scenario, I've already given you the bad news in Pad Thai Recipe - Part Two in which I opine that it's not the way Pad Thai is seasoned that makes or breaks it; it is how well or how badly the noodles are cooked. And what makes this bad news is that getting the noodles right happens to be the hardest part about Pad Thai. There are too many variables and too many scenarios generated by the combinations of these variables. The key – and this will be addressed more...

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Steamed Pumpkin Cake in the Style of Thai Khanom Tan (ขนมตาล)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:50:00 PST

In the midst of all the uncertainties in my childhood, there was one thing I was sure of: every Saturday at 10:00 am, on the dot, our doorbell would ring. And, unfailingly, the opened front gate would reveal a tiny old lady hawker, Pa ("Auntie") On, who always had on her face a huge grin that unveiled betel-stained teeth speckled with gold fillings and on her shoulder a bamboo stick on which two baskets full of traditional Thai desserts hung.[1] With its inhabitants always fully committed to...

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Century Egg Salad with Pork and Fresh Ginger (ยำไข่เยี่ยวม้า) -- with Video

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:59:00 PDT

This salad shows how some poverty and a lot of unpreparedness can result in something so great it's worth making again and again. There is a point I'd like to make, no, reiterate through the making of this quick main dish salad, but I will save that for a future post on the basic Thai salad dressing. For now, let's just make this aesthetically-challenged dish that happens to be one of the most delicious things I have ever improvised. My friend Jan and I made this when I showed up...

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Kluay Buat Chi (กล้วยบวชชี): Bananas Who Have Entered Nunhood

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:57:00 PDT

Kluay Buat Chi made with red bananas turns out more yellow than off-white One would be hard-pressed to find anything among all the traditional, old-fashioned Thai desserts more "friendly" than Kluay Buat Chi [1] (กล้วยบวชชี). It's starchy; it's sweet; it's creamy; it contains no unfamiliar ingredients; it's great hot off the stove or lukewarm or cold right out of the fridge; it's liked by people of all ages and socio-economic strata; it's the ultimate comfort food. Its name, literally...

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Tom Yam Kung (ต้มยำกุ้ง) with Video

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:34:00 PDT

Isn't it great that one of the dishes that have pretty much put Thai cuisine on the world map is so easy to make? Tom Yum Goong [1] is a main course soup made by simply cooking whole shrimp gently in simmering infused broth and seasoning it to taste. If you can make a good cup of tea, chances are you'd be good at making Thai hot and sour soup as well. For the sake of simplicity and practicality, let's not talk about the version of Tom Yam I had growing up or the version you had growing up for...

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Apple Fritters in the Style of Thai Fried Bananas

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:13:00 PDT

This was done out of curiosity, in response to a hypothetical question which I posed to myself one day: had apples been as easy to find and inexpensive as bananas in Thailand, would we batter-fry them like we do bananas? After this experiment, I would say yes. To make these, you can follow either one of these recipes: Thai fried bananas (กล้วยทอด) or Thai fried sweet potatoes (มันทอด), replacing the bananas and sweet potatoes respectively with the same amount of apples (cored and sliced 1/4...

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Naem Khao Tod (แหนมข้าวทอด) by Spoon Thai Restaurant, Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:56:00 PDT

When I was talking to Khun Wanna, owner of Spoon Thai restaurant in Chicago, my main objective was to get from her the recipe for (Yam) Naem Khao Tod [1] which apparently is a favorite among hard-core Thai food lovers in Chicago many of whom gather virtually to express their love for this restaurant and this dish on LTHForum. Well, that objective was achieved. But my conversation with Khun Wanna also touched on many issues pertinent to Thai food as found in the US, how a restaurant must walk...

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Turmeric-Roasted Red Snapper (ปลากะพงอบขมิ้น)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:03:00 PDT

A friend called to tell me he'd come by to deliver something. Seeing as it was close to dinner time, I asked if he'd care to stay for some food. The invitation was bashfully and promptly declined. He didn't want to impose. He would, I was assured, drop off a package and, having an important event to attend right after, skedaddle. Moments later, the door bell rang as dinner was nearing completion. As it turned out, a few whiffs of an herb-laced fish roasting in the oven were all it took to...

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Pick Your Own Apples at Kuipers Family Farm (and a Recipe for Apple Butter Bars)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:58:00 PDT

“Do you know what your problem is? ” Steve Martin’s Ohioan character in the 1999 remake of The Out-of-Towners asks a group of advertising executives in New York City struggling to come up with a slogan for tourism. Then he answers his own question, “You live here – you’re jaded.” Yes, jadedness happens. After years of living in the United States, I can attest to that kind of apathy. What once made me go wild with excitement doesn't do that so much anymore. And while love and gratitude for my...

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Nam-Pla Wan - Thai Sweet and Salty Fruit Dipping Sauce (น้ำปลาหวาน)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:15:00 PDT

When it comes to combining sweet and salty, the Thai people are second to none. We're just really good at it. Watermelon and dried fish? Check. Sweet custard with fried shallots? Check. Garlicky, shrimpy, spicy fruit salad? Yup. Mangoes -- apples in this case -- with a dipping sauce containing shrimp paste, fish sauce, and dried shrimp? A national favorite. This sticky fruit dip called nam-pla wan (น้ำปลาหวาน)[1] is most often served with tart green mangoes (sliced lengthwise and thinly to...

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Spicy Green Apple Salad (ยำแอปเปิ้ล)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:26:00 PDT

I made this impromptu salad the other day as the topping for a piece of pan-fried halibut. It was nothing special -- just a simple salad that is normally made with grated green mangoes. Actually, I think I've come to like this version made with tart and crisp Granny Smith apples much more. It's the crunch. I like the crunch. Spicy Green Apple Salad (ยำแอปเปิ้ล) Makes about 2 cups Printable Version One medium Granny Smith or very firm and tart apple One medium (50g) shallot Two small...

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Zucchini "Fish" Cakes with Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce (ทอดมันซูกินี)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:37:00 PDT

In terms of texture, these zucchini "fish" cakes aren't that much different from any zucchini cakes (or fritters or latkes) which you may have had before. What sets these little pancakes apart from the others is the flavors that are associated with traditional Thai fish cakes (Tod Man Pla). Naturally, these zucchini cakes would go well with the same sweet and sour cucumber relish that is served with Tod Man Pla. But since we already have zucchini in the cakes, I opt instead for just Thai...

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Strawberries in Spiced Red Wine Syrup

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:17:00 PDT

Apple season is about to begin in North America. And you know what that means: we've officially entered a period in which strawberries become mediocre. I wouldn't recommend that you do anything to strawberries when they're at their peak, but at a time like this, I think this kind of intervention is appropriate. This makes a great topping for ice cream, pancakes and waffles, cake, plain panna cotta, etc. The mixture keeps for a week, refrigerated and in an airtight container. Strawberries...

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Thai Food for Low-Carbers

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:54:00 PDT

Disclaimer: The intention of this post is not to offer advice on what diet is optimal for your health. I am not a medical or nutrition professional. And though this post focuses on a certain way of eating, it does not in any way imply endorsement of it; the post simply acknowledges that there are those who need or wish to adopt a low-carbohydrate way of eating for whatever reason and that they could benefit from the information contained herein. I feel that I need to gather in one place all...

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Fermented Beef Short Ribs (แหนมซี่โครงเนื้อ)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:11:00 PDT

This dish could have been relegated to one of the posts in the remix category. But that seems unfair to these tender, crispy, fatty, sour, garlicky short ribs. Something this good deserves its own post. Preparing beef short ribs this way isn't common in Thai cooking, and I kind of surprised myself as I picked up some beautiful beef short ribs from the butcher when the first thought that came to me was that I should ferment them. But with the experiment ending up so well, this has officially...

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Thai Spicy Mixed Vegetable Soup - Kaeng Liang (แกงเลียง)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:30:00 PDT

1940 was unkind to many around the globe. It was the year Italy declared war on France, Germany invaded the Low Countries, and the Battle of Britain began. Things weren’t entirely calm and normal in their neck of the woods either. But having heard of what happened to Jews across Europe and how much of the world was starting to live under food rationing, the young newlyweds were thankful for what they had. There was still a thriving vegetable garden in their little yard. The chickens still...

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Lemon Basil - Bai Maeng-lak (ใบแมงลัก)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:22:00 PDT

I know I just complained to you in a recent post on Thai spicy basil stir-fry about the scarcity of holy basil (Bai Ka-prao ใบกะเพรา) outside Asia (which has led to all the faux Pad Ka-Praos on the menus of several Thai restaurants in Europe and North America). But may I please have your permission to whine a little more? It's so hard to find lemon basil. And nothing can be used in its place. Nothing. To make matters worse, lemon basil has ridiculously short shelf life. By the time, you...

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