NUE GRA PAO: STIR-FRIED BEEF WITH MINT

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(Serves 4 to 6)

This is a rich, hearty dish with plenty of typical Thai flavors. Any
kind of beef may be used, but flank steak works particularly well
because it is easy to cut it across the grain, which helps keep the meat
from falling apart during stir-frying and produces a tender result. Be
sure to serve plenty of rice, because it helps moderate the hot chilies
without detracting from the flavor. You may reduce the number of
chilies by up to one half, but traditionally this dish should have a
rich, hot chili flavor.

Ingredients:
------------
1 pound flank steak
14 (2 ounces) finely chopped Serrano chilies
1/4 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup + 2 tblsp vegetable oil
3 tblsp fish sauce
1 tblsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup water (more if needed in Step 5)
1/2 cup loosely packed mint or basil leaves
Green lettuce leaves

1. Slice the beef across the grain into strips 1/4 inch thick and 2 to
3 inches long. Set aside.

2. Pound or grind the chilies, garlic, and onion to a coarse paste in a
mortar or blender. If you use a blender you may need to add the oil to
aid in grinding.

3. Heat a wok, add the oil, and swirl it over the surface of the pan.
(Do not add more oil if you have ground the chilies, onion, and garlic
in oil.) Add the paste from Step 2 and stir-fry until it is light
golden.

4. Add the beef and stir-fry until it is a uniform tan color, but do
not overcook it.

5. Add the fish sauce, sugar, water, and mint (or basil) leaves. More
water may be added if the sauce is too dry. There should be about 1/2
to 3/4 cup sauce, depending on how much water you added.

Ahead of time note: The dish may be prepared a day in advance to this
point. To do so, proceed through Step 5, omitting the mint or basil
leaves. When you are ready to serve, heat the mixture and add the
leaves. If the meat has absorbed the liquid, add just enough warm water
to bring it back to the original consistency.

6. Arrange a single layer of lettuce leaves in a serving bowl and put
the beef mixture over them. Serve the beef immediately or keep it warm
while preparing other dishes.

7. Serve with rice.

MY PAD THAI

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Ingredients:
------------
3 1/2 tblsp distilled white vinegar
2 tblsp water
2 1/2 tblsp fish sauce
3 tblsp tomato paste
2 1/2 tblsp sugar
1/2 tblsp dried shrimp, pounded to a powder
9 oz flat rice sticks, 1/8 inch wide
vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh thai or purple or sweet basil leaves
2 red Serrano chili peppers, seeded and very finely minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 large boned chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into
3/8 inch thick strips, or 1 lb lean pork, cut into thin
slices 3/8 inch by 2 inches
8 oz small, cooked shelled shrimp
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups fresh bean sprouts, beans removed
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely ground
cherry tomatoes, halved
lime wedges
mint sprigs or sliced green onions

Instructions:
-------------
Combine the vinegar, water, fish sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and dried
shrimp in a small bowl; mix until well blended and reserve. In a large
pot, soak the noodles in enough water to cover. In a small skillet or
pot, heat vegetable oil 3/4 to 1 inch deep to 350 degrees, or until a
dried rice noodle puffs instantly when dropped into the oil. Deep-fry
the basil leaves a few at a time, turning them once or twice until they
are crisp, or 40 seconds to a minute; drain on paper toweling.

Bring the noodles to a boil and cook them 2 minutes, or until they are
almost tender. Drain and rinse them well, then spread them on paper
toweling to dry slightly. Head a wok or large skillet and add about 2
1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Fry the Serrano peppers about 30
seconds, then add the garlic and stir-fry until it is soft. Add the
chicken or pork and stir-fry until the chicken is almost opaque
throughout or the pork is browned. Stir in the shrimp and the sauce and
mix completely. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in
the eggs. When they are almost set, scramble them evenly. Add half the
noodles, throughly incorporating them into the mixture; stir in the
remaining noodles and half the bean sprouts. Cook just until the bean
sprouts are nearly wilted.

Heap the meat and noodles onto a platter. Cover one half of them with
ground peanuts and the other half with uncooked bean sprouts. Ring the
noodles with lime wedges, cherry tomatoes, and mint sprigs and garnish
the top with the fried basil.

MEE KROB

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(Serves 6)

Ingredients:
------------
1 2-in piece of tamarind pulp
Peanut or corn oil (for deep-frying)
1/4 lb Dried rice stick noodles
6 oz Med shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Whole boned chicken breast, cut into slices
4 Shallots; minced
1 tblsp Minced garlic
2 small Serrano chiles, finely minced
1 Lime (zest only)
3 1/2 tblsp Tomato paste
4 tblsp Sugar
1/4 c Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 tblsp Fresh lime juice
4 Green onions; trimmed, cut into 1-in lengths, blanched
3 tblsp Fresh coriander leaves
1/2 lb Bean sprouts; tails removed (for garnish)

Crispy Egg Lace
---------------
Oi l for deep-frying
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Eggs; lightly beaten

Instructions:
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COVER TAMARIND WITH 3/4 CUP hot water. Crush and break up pulp with a
fork and let it stand for 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer
and press it through. Collect 1/2 cup tamarind liquid. Pour oil into a
wok or deep saucepan to a depth of about 2-inches. Heat oil to 375F.
In a large paper bag pull rice stick noodles apart into small batches.
Add 1 batch to the oil. If the temperature is correct, noodles should
puff up within seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer and
drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining noodles. If you are making
the Crispy Egg Lace, prepare it at this time (See below). When the rice
stick noodles and egg lace are done, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of
oil from wok. Reheat wok and oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add
shrimp and chicken; stir-fry for 1 minute or until shrimp are bright
orange and chicken is white. Remove and set aside. Add shallots,
garlic, minced chiles and half the lime zest to the hot wok; stir-fry
until soft, but not browned (about 1 minute). Add tomato paste and
sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes a dark crimson
red with a sticky consistency. It should pull away from the wok into a
thick mass. This is just short of the caramelized state (about 3 to 4
minutes). Be careful not to burn the mixture. Immediately add the
reserved tamarind liquid and fish sauce, reduce to low heat and simmer
together for 1 minute. Add lime juice, reserved chicken-shrimp mixture,
green onion and remaining lime zest; toss just enough to heat through.
Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of fried rice stick noodles to the sauce.
Gently crush noodles and toss with sauce to coat. Repeat with another
third of noodles. Add last third of noodles only if there is enough
sauce to coat. Toss in the coriander leaves. Mound noodles on a
platter, Crispy Egg Lace (broken into smaller pieces) and bean sprouts.

CRISPY EGG LACE: After frying noodles, skim leftover bits from wok.
Keep oil hot. Beat eggs with salt in bowl. When oil is 375F, hold a
medium-fine-mesh skimmer over oil; gently pour half the eggs through.
Let eggs drip into oil in circular fashion. Deep-fry for 30 seconds or
until lightly brown and crisp. Turn over to brown. It should have an
irregular lacy shape. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep in a warm
oven. Break into smaller pieces. Makes 2 crispy egg laces.

KWITIAOW PAD THAI

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(Serves 6)

Ingredients:
------------
1/2 cup peanut or corn oil
1 oz raw prawns, shelled
4 oz firm bean curd (tofu), diced
3 tblsp preserved sweet white radish, chopped
3 tblsp sliced shallots
4 eggs
11 oz rice or cellophane noodles (sen kel or woon sen),
soaked in cold water for 7-10 minutes, if dried
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 tblsp dried shrimps, chopped
1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
4 spring onions, sliced
15 oz bean sprouts

Sauce:
------
1 cup water
1/2 cup tamarind juice
1/3 cup palm sugar
1 tblsp white soya sauce

Instructions:
-------------
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a pan and boil until reduced
to about 2/3 cup. Set aside to cool.

Heat the oil in a wok or pan until very hot, then add the prawns and
bean curd and stir-fry lightly for 1 minute. Add the preserved radish
and shallot, fry for 1 minute, and break in the eggs. Stir-fry for a
minute, then add the noodles and chicken stock. When the noodles are
soft (about 2 minutes), add the dried shrimps, peanuts, spring onions
and bean sprouts. Add the sauce, fry for a couple of minutes and serve.

Serve accompanied by chopped peanuts, chopped dry chillies, sugar, lime
wedges, spring onions, and fresh bean sprouts, all in small containers.

HOT AND SOUR SHRIMP SOUP (THAI)

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Ingredients:
------------
1 lb. medium shrimp
2 sticks fresh or 2 tablespoon. dried lemongrass
4 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves
or 1 tblsp finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 qt chicken stock
1 tblsp fish sauce or salt to taste
3 tblsp fresh lime juice or to taste
1 tsp Thai chili paste(nam prik pow) or
substitute 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp oil
15 oz. can straw mushrooms or 12 med. fresh mushrooms
3 fresh hot green chilies
3 tblsp cilantro

Instructions:
-------------
Wash, peel, de-vein shrimp. Save shells. Wash shrimp again, drain, pat
dry, cover and refrigerate. If using fresh lemongrass, cut each stick
into three 2 inch pieces--starting from rounded bottom end. Discard
straw-like top. Lightly crush the 6 pieces.

In a pan, combine lemongrass, lime leaves, stock, and shrimp shells.
Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain
stock, then add fish sauce, lime juice, and chili paste. Adjust fish
sauce and lime juice to taste. *Add more chili paste for more heat.

Drain straw mushrooms and add to stock. (If using fresh mushrooms,
quarter them and drop in lightly salted boiling water. Boil 1 minute.
Drain and add to stock.) **The soup can be prepared to this point
several hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.**

Prepare garnish shortly before serving. Cut green chilies into fine
rounds. Wash and dry cilantro. Just before serving, heat the soup,
when it begins to boil, drop in peeled shrimp. Cook on medium heat for
2 minutes or just until shrimp turn opaque. Garnish with chilies and
cilantro leaves. Serve hot.

GALLOPING HORSES (THAI APPETIZER)

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(servings: 8-10)

1 t. oil
1 lb. ground pork
4-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 green onions, white part, chopped
3/4 c. roasted salted peanuts
1 fresh pineapple, or
5 tangerines, or
4 oranges
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
lettuce leaves
mint or coriander leaves
chopped chilis

Preparation:
------------
Grind peanuts. Heat oil in a frying pan, add pork, garlic and onions.
Cook until pink color disappears. Drain off most of the fat. Add sugar
and pepper, cook 1-2 minutes. Add peanuts, mix in well, then remove
from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare platter, lining with lettuce leaves. Peel and segment the
citrus fruit if used, cutting each segment down to the back and fanning
open to form a circle. If using pineapple, cut off top leaves and outer
skin, as thinly as possible, from top down. Look at the "eye" pattern,
as it forms a spiral down the pineapple. Cut the spirals with a sharp
knife held at about a 45 degree angle. Cut off bottom. Cut pineapple
into about 5 or 6 wedges and then cut each of those into 1/4 inch
slices. Arrange fruit on platter.

Mound meat mixture onto fruit, and decorate with other garnishes. Serve
at room temperature, or chilled.

Yellow Curry Chicken

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1 lb bnls, skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces
2-3 c fresh veggies: mushrooms, asparagus, onions, zuccini, ...
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in pieces, pre-cooked
1-2 carrots, cut in bite-size pieces, pre-cooked
1/2 c or so frozen peas

1-2 T veg. oil
1 T red curry paste
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
3-4 T fish sauce
dash salt
1-2 T sugar
1 T yellow curry powder
1/2 c water or chicken stock
1/2 bay leaf


1A. Pre-cook potatoes and carrots. Don't cook them too done, since
they will simmer with the main dish later.

1. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-size pieces.

2. Wash and cut fresh vegetables into bite-size pieces.

3. In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, heat the veg. oil, red curry paste,
and about one third of the coconut milk. Heat 5-10 minutes, stirring,
until it forms a thin gravy.

4. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken, and cook until the chicken is
half cooked, maybe five minutes.

5. Add the fish sauce, sugar, salt, and rest of the coconut milk, and
mix well.

6. Stir in the curry powder, potatoes, carrots, and water/stock. If
desired, add 1/s bay leaf. Let simmer just a minute or two.

7. Add the fresh vegetables and the frozen peas, and let simmer for
3 to 5 minutes, until fresh veggies are just done.

8. Serve (with jasmine rice...).

Tom Kha Gai

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2 boneless chicken breast - cut up bit sized
2-3 stalks of lemon grass - cut up into 2" pieces and separated
6 pieces of dried galangal
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried crushed red chilis (optional)
7 cups water

Place the chicken, lemon grass and galangal in a soup pot. Add the water and
cook over medium for about 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and
simmer for 20 minutes. You may need to adjust the salt, sugar and
water as I find the taste varies with the brand of coconut milk used.
Serve with extra chilis and white rice.

Thai chicken and coconut milk soup

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1 12-ounce can coconut milk
1/4 pound chicken breast, cut into small chunks
The juice and grated peel of 1 lime
1 4" piece of lemon grass, cut into very thin (1/16") slices on the
diagonal
3 or 4 slices of galanga (fresh ginger may be substituted)
Hot chile peppers to taste -- preferably Thai birds, with serranos
an acceptable substitute, cut into thin circles
Cilantro for garnish

Pour the lime juice on the chicken and let stand while you prepare
the rest of the soup. In a medium saucepan, place the coconut milk,
lemon grass, grated lime peel, galanga or ginger, and (optionally)
chiles. (The optional part is that if you don't want the whole dish
to taste spicy, add the chiles later; the earlier you add them, the
hotter the resulting dish.) Bring the coconut milk to a simmer.

When the soup is simmering, add the lime-soaked chicken pieces and
stir to distribute them. Reduce the heat so the soup stays just
below a boil and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or till the chicken
pieces are finished cooking. Remove from heat and serve immediately
with fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.

Now, the *best* way I ever had this soup was with pieces of fresh
grouper instead of chicken. I also added slices of kumquats instead
of the ginger, and used the sweet Fresno chiles instead of Thai birds.
We also served it over Vietnamese rice noodles. If you can't find
grouper, it'd be good with any tender, delicate white fish -- sole,
maybe, or a very fresh sea bass, or maybe little chunks of monkfish.
I believe I've had this with shrimp as well

Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken

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1/2 lb boneless chicken breast (or 1/2 lb mixed vegetables, see note below)
2 to 6 small red chile peppers
1/2 stalk fresh lemon grass
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 T oil
1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 4 T fish sauce, based on personal taste (omit for veggie version)
10 to 15 basil leaves
1 c chopped cabbage

Thinly cut chicken into 2-inch strips. (If doing veggie version, cut
vegetables into thin strips.) Grind together red chili peppers, lemon grass,
and kaffir lime leaves in a food processor or pound in a mortar. Heat oil to
medium-high and saute pepper mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and
cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken (or vegetables) and cook for 5 minutes or
until cooked (same time for veggies). Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in
fish sauce (if using), salt, and basil. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Note: For mixed vegetables, choose from among bell peppers, string beans,
water chestnuts, tomatoes (small cherry tomatoes are best), bamboo shoots,
miniature corn, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, and
mushrooms. I particularly like string beans or asparagus, a few cherry
tomatoes, shredded (rather than sliced) bamboo shoots, miniature corn, and
some straw mushrooms or slender (Japanese) eggplant.