Everyday Thai Cooking. Katie Chin
turns off or switches to warm when this happens which results in fluffy, perfect rice every time. This means you don’t have watch it or worry about it burning. We could all use one less thing to have to think about! they take up little space on are easy to clean, especially if you purchase one with non-stick bowl.
There are several models available from $10 up to $500+. The higher priced models have fuzzy logic technology which is a like a rice cooker with a brain able to calibrate the temperature and water quantity for a superior end product. Fuzzy logic machines really do make the best rice i’ve ever had in my life. I recommend Zojurishi and Cuisinart fuzzy logic rice cooker brands. For the recipes in this book, you can use any method to cook rice, but I recommend getting a rice cooker because you’ll use it all of the time especially the jasmine rice.
STRAINER OR SLOTTE D SPOON I recommend a traditional Chinese style strainer (spider strainer) with a long bamboo handle. It’s made out of wire mesh and is great for removing deep-fried foods from oil as well as removing blanched foods from boiling water. You can find this type of strainer at an Asian market or specialty gourmet stores. It's an indispensable tool in my kitchen. You can also use a wide, western-style slotted spoon in place of a Chinese style strainer.
SPATULA When using a wok, I recommend using a Chinese steel spatula, wooden spatula or a heavy duty plastic, non-stick spatula. You want a heavy duty tool when stir-frying because you will be tossing and flipping ingredients quickly and you want to ensure even cooking.
If you’re using a non-stick frying pan, stick with a wooden or non-stick plastic spatula. It’s a good idea to have your tools laid out before you start cooking. If you’re cooking a multi-course meal, make sure you have a spatula ready for each stir-fry dish.
LEMON/LIME SQUEEZER Many Thai recipes call for freshly squeezed lime juice so it’s a good idea to have a manual or electric lemon/ lime squeezer. In a pinch, you can buy store-bought lime juice, but nothing beats the real thing. My mother taught me to press and roll limes on a counter with your hand a few times before juicing to get the most juice.
LATEX SURGICAL GLOVES Capsaicin, is the compound in the hot chilies responsible for the heat. It’s important to wear latex, surgical gloves while handling or cutting hot chilies or else the capsaicin residue while burn your skin and is especially painful if you touch your eyes, nostrils, or mouth. It’s even more important if you have small children in your home as you don’t want to accidentally touch their eyes or skin after handling hot chilies without wearing gloves. I buy a large box and keep them in my pantry so they’re always on hand (pun intended).
FOOD PROCESSOR I say, keep life simple. A food processor makes life a lot easier for blending salad dressings, blending pastes such as roasted red chili paste, grating papaya, chopping lemongrass—oh, I could go on and on. As with lemongrass, I like to mince large quantities of ginger in advance and freeze it for later use.
There are many models available at affordable price points. I recommend buying a standard model and as well as a small food processor to blend pastes. Get the attachment blades so you can grate carrots, papaya, and other veggies in a snap.
Understanding Thai Ingredients
Thai cooking is all about creating contrasts from the hot and sour to the sweet and pungent to the spicy and fragrant using a combination of core ingredients. When I asked my Minneapolis-based sister, Laura, to test one of the recipes for this book, I was delighted to hear that she could find everything she needed for the recipe at her local grocery store. Times have really changed since the days when we couldn’t even find fresh ginger at our neighborhood supermarket growing up in the Midwest. With the soaring popularity of Asian cooking, many grocery stores or specialty stores carry the basic Thai ingredients you will need to cook everyday Thai food. In some cases, you may need to make a trip your local Asian market (bring the kids because it is always a fun adventure). If you don’t live in an area with an Asian market, there are several on-line ethnic specialty food resources (page 140). Once again, simplicity is the key theme in Thai cooking so it isn’t difficult to keep main pantry items on hand with your dishes ultimately coming alive with fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and proteins.
Bamboo shoots are the part of a bamboo plant that is harvested before it matures. The edible part is the tender cream-colored meat inside the shoot. Large shoots are often sliced and added to curries. Smaller shoots can be eaten whole as a dish onto themselves, either cooked or pickled. Available fresh, canned or bottled, bamboo shoots are found in Asian markets and many grocery stores.
Banana leaves make a beautiful and aromatic wrap for foods like rice, fish, and meat. The long, waxy leaves transfer some of their subtle grassy aroma to any food wrapped within them. Before using banana leaves, they should be placed in hot water or carefully held over a flame for a few seconds to make them more pliable. if you can’t find banana leaves, use lotus or large cabbage leaves, or, the old stand-by, aluminum foil. The leaves are often sold frozen in Asian and Latin markets. I buy a few packs at a time to have on hand in my freezer. They’re great for dressing up platters when entertaining.
Basil (Thai and holy) is an essential ingredient in Thai cooking and is used throughout this book. Thai basil and holy basil are the two most commonly used varieties of basil in Thai cooking. Thai, or Asian, is a tropical variety with a strong peppery, anise flavor that stands up really well to cooking. It has purple flowers, red-tinged stems, and pointy green leaves. Holy basil is so named because it is held sacred in the hindu culture. It is revered in Thai cooking for its subtle, minty flavor that comes alive when heated. When buying either variety, choose bunches that are fresh, fragrant, and show no signs of wilting. Separate the leaves from the stems and wash and dry them well before use. A substitute for either variety is fresh italian basil (the kind found in most supermarkets). Italian basil isn’t quite as fragrant or flavorful as Thai or holy basil so you may want to add a bit more.
Black mushrooms Also known as dried shiitakes or fragrant mushrooms, black mushrooms are incredibly versatile. When dried black mushrooms are presoaked in water they plump up and have a deliciously meaty taste and texture. Strain the water used to soak the mushrooms and add it to dishes to add even more flavor to stir-fries, soups, rice dishes, and curries.
Coconut milk Slightly sweet and creamy with a light jasmine aroma, coconut milk is a popular ingredient in Thai cooking. It adds richness and flavor to curries, sauces, soups, desserts, and drinks. Made by pressing fresh coconut flesh, the first pressing produces thick, creamy coconut cream, and subsequent pressings produce thinner, yet still creamy, coconut milk. It is widely available in cans. Choose an un-sweetened variety and shake it well because it will have separated in the can. Coconut milk is widely available and available at most grocery stores. It’s also great for lactose-free diets.
Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) Also known as Chinese parsley, coriander leaves are one of the most popular fresh herbs in the world and are used throughout the recipes in this book. Its refreshingly spicy, citrusy flavor tempers the heat in many Thai dishes. Whether chopped to release its maximum flavor or left whole, coriander leaves are best enjoyed raw and added just before serving a cooked dish. Fresh coriander leaves, seeds, and stems are also important ingredients in Thai cuisine. The seeds are coriander, a spice that is an ingredient in some Thai dishes. The stems have a strong peppery aroma, which makes them a popular addition to curry paste and homemade stocks.
Curry pastes The most common ingredients in curry pastes include chilies, garlic, galangal, and lemongrass, which are ground together