thai

The flavors here in Thailand are a symphony compared to a song. It is not unusual to take a bite and have so many taste sensations going on at once that it can be staggering: sweet, sour, spicy, deep umami and texture.

On my first trip to Chaing Mai everything was a delight (ok, the beans on the ice cream I could have done without), but this trip I am learning more of the nuances and quality of Thai food. There are cooks and chefs, and it’s apparent that it’s not the ingredients that separates the two, it’s the finesse, the grace and the balance.

What I can tell you is that the comparable ingredients that are available to me in NYC are not exactly the same as here. The limes I find sweeter here, and the tamarind more sour than tart- but don’t let that dissuade you. Preparing Thai food is not difficult and the results are fantastic.

I love making this dish with the wasabi peas. The texture is fantastic and the bite of wasabi is not terrifically sharp when balanced with the chicken. My advice is the slice your chicken into thin pieces, or pound out thinly- otherwise the peas can burn before the chicken cooks through. An alternative is you can bake large pieces of chicken, such as breasts on the bone, and that would be fine.

The Thai dressing on the slaw will make you new friends. It’s so simple and so delicious that I invite you to make a batch and pour it over everything you can get your hands on. A great alternative on tomatoes and cucumbers out of the summer garden for instance.

I’ve never been a huge fan of mayonnaise rich cole slaw, nor of it’s picnic cousins potato and macaroni salad- but raw cabbage is delicious and tremendously healthy. I love this dressing on shredded cabbage. The red cabbage when mixed with the acid of the lemon juice draws out the color to a bright pretty pink. Both pretty and yummy- make more than you think- it goes fast.

Chicken Crusted with Wasabi Peas

serves 4

2# skinless chicken breasts sliced very thin

2c wasabi peas, roughly crushed

1c buttermilk

1 clove garlic crushed

grand pinch of salt

oil for frying pan

Note on frying: get our that honkin’ heavy cast iron frying pan and use it. As time goes by I am less and less a fan of nonstick pans. A well seasoned and loved cast iron pan can be a girl’s best friend. I used little oil for this recipe-less than I would in a nonstick- and my chicken cooked beautifully. Buffed biceps are a bonus.

combine garlic, salt and buttermilk in a bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to flavor the buttermilk.

Meanwhile prepare the peas and place on a flat plate or low shallow bowl.

Preheat cast iron pan over medium heat with just enough oil to cover the bottom.

slip all the chicken into the buttermilk to coat and soak.

Press each fillet into the peas, pressing hard to get good adherence.

Cook the chicken on each side about 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.

serve immediately.

Cabbage Slaw with Thai Peanut Dressing

serves 4

4-6c finely shredded cabbage

1T toasted sesame oil

2T sugar

2T brown sugar

2T fresh lemon juice

2T fresh lime juice

2T chopped fresh mint

1 small thai chili finely chopped, or 2t jalapeno (optional)

3/4 c roasted, chopped, unsalted peanuts

Combine dressing ingredients into large bowl and stir to combine and melt sugars.

Toss in the slaw and allow to sit for 15 mins before serving.

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My partner and I are planning on organizing Thai Food cooking trips in the future. We have connections to some of the best Thai chefs. My partner is fluent in Thai and lived here for many years. The next trip will probably be in January to Northern Thailand. I would love to know if there is interest. Drop me a note if you would like to be placed on the mailing list for more information.

Sawaadii Khaa!

Crunchy Spicy Minty Tangy Deliciousness

Spring rolls used to be too daunting for me to consider making. Those papery skins looked too fragile and tricky to work with. At the beginning of my cake career (ca. 1987) I shared a kitchen with a caterer who made the spring rolls regularly. One of the beauties of sharing that space was being able to peek over shoulders and learn about things I knew little about.

Their method for dampening the rice paper was to use a spray bottle with fresh water. There is a lot of control in the amount of moisture with this method, and they could really hustle through the piles of rolls that they needed to make. I’ve never been able to keep such a dedicated bottle in my house, and so afraid that some cleaner might have snuck in by one of my kitchen staff, so I revert to the “dip method”, which is to slide the sheet into a bowl of cool water and out immediately.

The sheet will still be stiff at first, but by the time I load it up, it’s soft enough to roll. I can work 2 at a time if I’m feeling swift, but I recommend not rushing it as torn rolls are frustrating and a sad sad thing….

For this recipe I make my own ground chicken. It’s super easy to do, and into the mix I put in chilies, garlic and onion. It takes two seconds in the cuisinart and I love the slight green tint the chilies give to the meat. Since I typically purchase chicken breasts in bulk and have them portioned out in the freezer, I can defrost and whip these up whenever the mood strikes. Actually, truth be told, it’s more like when I have mint and cilantro in the fridge that I get the inspiration to make these jewels.

You can serve these with any kind of Asian sauce, but I prefer my Soi 5 Chili Sauce. When my fiancee and I were in Chiang Mai last, my favorite place to eat was an outdoor Gai Yang place. You could spot the place a block away from the billowing fragrant smoke of the grilling chicken, which they did right on the sidewalk. You have to walk past the grill master to get into the rustic restaurant that is filled with locals all day long. With side the chicken is served this rocket hot and amazing chili sauce (and Som Tom and sticky rice, ohhhhh). Since they make it there themselves I tried to get the recipe, but I was Thai-politely told that regrettably they could not share it. After returning home I put to task recreating the sweet tangy and super spicy sauce. I will have to return to Soi 5 (Fifth Street) to compare, but I think my version is damn close.

Thai Spring Rolls with Fire-y Chicken

1# Chicken breast- feel free to substitute pork, shrimp or chicken thighs here, cut into small chunks

1 small white onion minced

3 cloves garlic, rough chopped

Thai chilies to taste is preferred, or jalepenos which I used here (1), rough chopped

rice paper wrappers

cucumber sliced thinly into long strips

red onion, french sliced thinly

fresh mint leaves

fresh cilantro leaves

fresh lime

Soi 5 Chili Sauce (recipe coming soon)

In a food processor place the onion, garlic and chilies and give a whir to mince more finely.

Add chicken and pulse until uniformly incorporated and chicken is thoroughly minced.

Heat frying pan to medium high. With a small amount of oil in the pan cook the chicken mixture until just cooked through, just a few minutes. You may add some S&P if you like here. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a bowl of cool water dip the rice paper wrapper and lay on cutting board. Working quickly, on the bottom half of the round first lay the mint leaves nicely, as they will show through the paper.

Then lay down a row of cucumber, cilantro, red onion and a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture, then spritz with a hit of lime.

With the finesse of a Thai master, roll up the same as you would an egg roll. Try to roll as tightly as you can without tearing the paper. The paper may be sticky. Dipping fingers into water will make it easier to handle. Carefully place the rolls onto a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. As they sit they will dry and become less tacky to the touch.

Serve and eat as soon as possible. They are the best fresh. Or cover in the fridge for up to a half a day. If the paper dries out you can refresh with a little cool water.

I have made these with several friends and family over the years. The first roll or two is typically pretty frightful looking- though just as delicious. It only takes a little practice to get tight pretty rolls. I say eat the first once right off while standing over the board. It will give you the sustenance and incentive to become Master roller.

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