----- Original Message ----- From: "Spring" Thai food combines the best of many the Eastern cuisine: the stir-fired dishes from China, the Muslim coconut sauces from Malaysia, sticky rice and rustic, bitter flavours from Laos. Thai cooks add a lot of fresh ingredients, for example coriander , lemon grass, basil leave, chillies, etc., and create our own unique cuisine. We use small portions of lean meat, poultry and seafood, and a lot of fresh vegetables which are quickly cooked so they are crispy, colourful, sharply flavoured and nutrition. ~*~ Cook with your tongue!! Thai cooking is very different than modern western cooking. Where in western cooking (particularly baking) ingredients are measured exactly, Thai cooking is much more lenient. While this flexibility makes recipes more forgiving, internalizing "the system" can be challenging. This site provides measurements, but you should look at these recipes as the starting point for your exploration. ~*~ 4 Flavors + Heat - In Thai cooking there are four flavors: sour, sweet, creamy and salty. Heat sits on top of the four flavors. The secret of a good dish is the right balance of the flavors -- you will find that there are "sweet spots" where the flavor just tastes right. ~*~ No Measuring - I remember that I had such a hard time learning to make a cake. Following the Thai tradition, I refused to kneel to Betty Crocker's specifications. Nobody uses measuring cups in Thailand. You learn to cook by watching and helping in the kitchen. After throwing away 8 cakes, I broke down and used measuring cups. It worked. ~*~ Personal Taste - You don't need add exactly what the recipe calls for. Rather, the recipe is a guideline - once you develop your personal taste, do not be afraid to deviate. Because the intensity of an ingredient's flavor can vary from one time to the next and everyone prefers a different point along the flavor spectrums, only your tongue can tell you how much more of something you need to add. Also, if you don't like something, omit it. Simple as that! ~*~ How to Eat The basic food is meat and vegetable over rice. Just like the five food groups with carbohydrate is on the bottom of the pyramid, you consume more rice than meat. You take a little bit of meat or vegetable and more of the rice and scoop them on your spoon. In the old days, people ate with their fingers. It is kind of funny that scooping rice with your fingers takes practice. With the western influence, Thais started eating with forks and spoons. Now, you use your fork to push food onto your spoon and eat off the spoon. When you are done, put your fork and spoon together on the plate. ~*~ Types of Dishes Many aspects of a Thai meal differ significantly from western meals. Appetizers: similar to western appetizers Main Courses: Dishes eaten with rice. Unlike with western food, there is actually no 1 "main course" in a meal. You will frequently have 1-3 different dishes per person that everyone shares. The main course can be subdivided into types of cooking: Yum: literally means to mix. Meat with herbs and spices, vegetable with spices, meat and vegetables with spices mix with sauce. Some sauces are sour and spicy, some are spicy and sweet. Gang Jeude: clear broth soup with vegetable or meat or both. Gang Ped or Gang: spicy broth with or without coconut milk. The majority of gangs use curry paste and coconut milk. Pud: vegetable or meat stir fried. Tod: pan fried or deep fried, (i.e. Tod Mun is fried fish cakes). Yang: grilled (i.e. Gai Yang is grilled chicken) Dessert: Majority of desserts are made of coconut milk, flour and sugar. There are three parts in making dessert. The first is the flavor of the dessert which could range from different types of flour to fruits. The second is the syrup which is sugar and water. The third part is coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Now, you can assemble you dessert. Some are served with crush ice and made a wonderful summertime dessert. ~*~ The basic cooking utensils in the Thai kitchen are the wok, saucepan and steamer. A Chinese-style wok can be certainly used for Thai stir-fried dishes and deep-fried ones. Most of households in Thailand use gas cooking, but it is out of the question in the West. An electric stove is accepted, however, the important point is to heat up oil in a wok for a minute until a light haze appears. Use medium heat when you begin adding up ingredients specified in a recipe. For boiled dishes such as Noodles soup, Kuai Tiao Nam, a deep saucepan is useful. For adding or removing ingredients, you can use a net spoon, or slotted spoon or sieve. A steamer is used for fish dishes, for example, steamed fish with ginger and steamed seafood curry, Haw Mok Talay. Thai traditional steaming method is wrapped food in leaves parcels. Banana leaves are standard for main dishes and desserts. Artichokes can be used for banana leaf cups, Kratong, as a substitute, when you cook steamed curry, Haw Mok. Preparation is one of most important features of Thai cooking, all ingredients should be cut small before cooking begins. Basic equipment for this stage includes a chopping board, small, medium and large kitchen knife, and a mortar and pestle. There are two kinds of mortar and pestle. One is made from rough stoneware mortar and wooden pestle. This type is for light work, for example making fresh papaya salad, Som Tam, or garlic mixture for marinating. Nowadays there is wooden mortar and pestle which is ensure of a break resistance, however, its price is considerably high. The second one is heavy-duty kind, both the mortar and pestle are made from granite, for pounding wet ingredients, such as curry pastes. Fortunately there are widely available of ready-made curry pastes which save you a lot of time and effort in preparation. ~*~ The following ingredients are essential for Thai Cooking. Most of them are available at Asian grocery stores. Bamboo Shoots: These are the edible shoots of certain bamboo plants, more widely available in cans. Rinse them under cold water after opening the can and store leftover shoots in the refrigerator in water that is changed daily. Keeps about 2 weeks. Basil Leaves: There are many varieties of basil. The most common are sweet and hot basil. Hot basil is stronger in flavor and very popular for stir frying with meat. Sweet basil is used in curry dishes and is easy to find fresh all year-round in many supermarkets. Chili Peppers: Fresh chili peppers come in red, green, and yellow; available in various sizes. The hottest are the very small chilies, and the larger ones are usually milder. Mature chilies are always red. Dried chili and ground dried chili are also used in some recipes. All chilies, fresh or dried, need to be handled with care. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching them and do not touch any part of your delicate skin since it can cause a great deal of discomfort. Chilli, Capsium annuum (Phrik) There are several varieties are available in Thailand. Fresh chillies come in red, green, and yellow and in various sizes. The smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. Green chillies are hotter than red ones of the same size. The seeds are the hottest part of the chilli. What made them hot is capsaicin concentrated in the seeds and inside membrances,. Therapeutic properties: Capsaicin, a biologically actives ingredient, is benefical to the respiratory system, blood pressure and heart. Other therapeutic uses include being a stomachic, carminative, and antiflatulence agent, and digestant. Hot chillies (Phrik Klee Nu) They are the hottest and also the smallest, being only about one centimetre long. If they are unavailable, Mexican Jalapeno Pepper is a good substitute. Phrik Chee Fa They are in bigger sizes than the above hot chillies. They are used in milder dishes, as well as garnishing Bell chillies (Phrik Yuak) Bell chillies are in light green and mild in taste. They are used in spicy salads, chill paste and stir-fired meat dishes. Dried chillies ( Phrik Haeng) They are fully riped red chillies dried either in the sun or by smoking. They are prepared by removing the seeds, soaking in water, and then pounding in a mortar. Ground Chillies ( Phrik Pon) They are dried and pan roasted before being ground. You can buy ready made ground chillies at many Asian stores. Ground chillies are used in spicy soups and in sauces. Warning: Wash your hands and nails thoroughly after handling them, and keep your hand away from face and eyes. Roasted Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao or Thai chili in oil): is widely used in many recipes to enhance the spicy taste. It is made from dried chilies, dried shrimp, roasted shallots and garlic, tamarind juice, and vegetable oil. Available in small jars in Asian grocery stores. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a long time. Be sure that the spoon used to remove the paste is clean and dry. Chinese Leeks or Chives: are mainly used in Pad Thai and in some Chinese appetizers. Available in most Asian grocery stores and last only for 1 week in the refrigerator. Scallions can be substituted, if necessary. Chinese Parsley (also known as coriander or cilantro): The leaves, roots, and seeds are used, and each part has a unique flavor characteristic and use. The leaves are usually used for garnishing sauces, soups, and salads. The roots are simmered in clear soup broths and used in marinating meat by mixing with other spices. The seeds have a very strong taste and are usually mixed in curry pastes. Coconut: Coconut milk is used in curries and in seafood dishes, as well as in desserts and other sweet dishes. Available in cans, desiccated, powdered, and frozen. To make coconut from fresh coconut, crack the coconut into small pieces with a hammer, then remove the white meat with a small sharp knife. Place the pieces in a food processor with 1/2 cup of hot water. Blend well, then pour the mixture through a cheese cloth into a container. Gather up the corners of the cloth and squeeze out the remaining liquid. This is thick coconut milk and will usually be used first in many recipes. Repeat the same process by adding hot water over a given amount of coconut required by the particular recipe. This is the second coconut milk, which is less thick and creamy and is usually used after the thick coconut milk is used. The easy way out is to buy canned or frozen coconut milk at Asian food stores. Dried Black Mushrooms: available in small packets. The flavor of these mushrooms is distinctive. Before using, soak in warm or hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, then chop off the stems. Some dried mushrooms contain much sandy grit and need to be checked carefully after soaking. Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): This thin, translucent, salty brown sauce is a must in Thai cooking for which there is no substitute. Nam means water and pla means fish. It is made by salting down small fish that are packed in wooden barrels. The liquid that "runs off" is collected, cooked, and bottled as fish sauce. Although the odor is strong when uncooked, the flavor mellows upon cooking. Garlic: Thai garlic is smaller and more tender than in the West. It is usually peeled and finely chopped before use in most of Thai dishes. Chopped fried garlic can be purchased in Asian food stores. Jasmine Rice: supposed to be the most expensive rice in Thailand, it looks like long grain rice, has a sweeter taste and is more fluffy. To cook jasmine rice, rinse it, place in a pot, and fill with water to the top of the rice, plus one knuckle's length above (or 1 cup of rice with about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups of water). Boil over high heat (cover almost completely) until the water is level with the rice and little tunnels appear on the surface. Cover completely with a lid and turn the heat down low. The rice needs to be cooked 8 to 10 minutes more. Kha (also known as galangal or laos): looks similar to ginger, but has lighter, flesh and a different flavor than ginger. It is available fresh in selected Asian grocery stores. Fresh kha can be frozen to make it last longer. It is also available in dried slices and in powder. Dried kha should be soaked in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before using. Lemon Grass: has a distinctive lemony flavor. The usual preparation method is to bruise the lower parts of the stalk or finely chop it. Fresh stalks will last for 2 to 3 weeks in a refrigerator; they can also be frozen in a plastic bag. Chopped dried lemon grass is available in small packets. Magrood Leaves (also called Kaffir lime leaves): are roughly the same size and shape as the common lime, but have dark green, glossy leaves. They are used for flavor in soups and curry dishes. Fresh magrood leaves are not available in many markets, but dried leaves can be found in most of the Oriental grocery stores. Fresh leaves last for 2 to 3 weeks and can be put in a plastic bag in the freezer. Mung Bean Threads: Also commonly referred to as cellophane noodles, these are fine-dried noodles made from mung bean flour. They should be soaked for 15 to 20 minutes in warm water before using in a recipe. They have a transparent look after being soaked. Preserved Radish or Turnip: are often found whole or in slices in packages. They are salty and need to be rinsed before being finely chopped. Rice Noodles: in a variety of sizes, it is sometimes referred to as rice sticks. Before being used in a dish, rice noodles are usually pre-soaked in warm or hot water. Shallots: are a small, brown-skinned member of the onion family. They taste different from onions and should be used when recipes specify shallots. Straw Mushrooms: available in cans, they need to be rinsed in cold water before used. Look for "whole", not "broken", on the label. They need little cooking and can be cut in half if needed. Sticky Rice: Also called glutinous or sweet rice. A short grain rice, quite sticky when cooked, used in a number of Thai dessert recipes. This rice needs to be soaked in water overnight or for at least 3 hours, then cooked in a steamer. Tamarind: a tropical fruit which provides a subtle, sour flavor. Tamarind paste is available in small packages. To make tamarind juice, place the paste in a small bowl, then soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze by hand or a spoon and strain. Rice or white vinegars can be substituted in lesser amounts than ordinarily required for tamarind. Thai eggplants: vary in size and shape from a pea to a cucumber or grapefruit. Small ones are bitter and are used mainly in green curry dishes. Green peas can be substituted for these eggplants and may appeal more to Western taste. ~*~ The secret to great oriental dishes is ... the heat. Lets get cooking. Set your heat on med. - high to high. With a little oil in your wok, season and pre heat it. You'll know your ready to add your first ingredients when you just start to see the oil smoke. Do not wait until the local fire department shows up, start cooking as soon as you see the oil starting to smoke. Typically you will add meats first. You want the wok good and hot because it should sear the meats like a nice hot grill. This is what seals in the juices and keeps things tasty. A wok that is not hot enough will just "Boil" the meats causing tough tasteless food. Let the meats sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then begin to stir. Again you want a good sear on the meats. Within 1-2 minutes the meats should be cooked about half way through. Do not wait until your meats are cooked completely through. Add your vegetables and keep stirring. The wok should still be hot enough to get a good sizzle from the vegi's. Within the next minute the vegetables will change color slightly. You want them slightly seared on the outside, yet crisp on the inside. Add your sauces and spices, mix together well. If you add these to soon, you'll boil out their liquid contents and change the flavors dramatically. Plus, if you cook some super spicy foods, cooking the chili to soon will cause your kitchen to fill with the burning chili oils. This will empty out your house as you and your guest run for fresh air. De glaze you wok with some of you favorite stock. Usually 1/4 of a cup will do unless you like your foods real saucy. Serve it up! Notice how the whole process should not take more than 3 - 4 minutes. This is due to having everything ready and keeping the wok good and hot. Review: · Have all you will need, ready to go. · Season and Pre heat with a little oil. · add meats · add vegi's · add spices · de glaze · serve ~*~ Thai iced tea recipe Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Add 1-1/2 cups Thai tea to a large plastic pitcher and pour over the hot water. Stir well for about half a minute until the liquid is dark brown. Stain the tea into another pitcher using either a traditional Thai cloth tea strainer or a fine sieve. A large Melitta coffee filter would work also. Add sweetened condensed milk to taste. Stir well. Cool to room temperature. To serve, pour over a full glass of ice. Top with unsweetened condensed milk if desired. The resulting tea should be dull orange. A good site for Thai Recipes Links: http://www.belgourmet.com/cooking/links/thai.html