when I think of Thai food.
My love affair with Thai food began when I was in high school growing up in Minnesota under the tutelage of my famous chef/restaurateur mother, Leeann Chin. I grew up learning the fundamentals of Chinese cuisine: stir-frying, steaming, grilling, deep-frying, creating velvety sauces and intricate dumplings. My culinary worldview was a Cantonese one.
Then one day that all changed. My mother took me to Arun’s Gourmet Thai Restaurant in Chicago when we went to visit my brother, Bill, who was earning his PhD in mathematics and, suddenly, my taste buds exploded with aromatic essences, piquant flavors, and abundant textures from our eight-course meal.
Chinese cuisine has had a major influence on Thai cooking. The threads of Chinese techniques and flavors are ever so delicately woven into Thai dishes that I felt an homage to my Chinese heritage with each bite. I was impassioned by the exciting flavors I was experiencing: my first sip of Tom Yum Soup, the crunch of the roasted rice powder in the Larb, the spike of chilies in the Chicken with Thai Chili and Basil and the sour, sweet tangy satisfaction from my first taste of Pad Thai. Finally, the cooling sensation of a mango shake tempered the thrill of culinary sensations I was encountering for the first time.
After leaving my career as a film and television marketing executive to follow my culinary dreams, I formed Double Happiness Catering and was excited to put my love of bold and exotic Thai flavors to the test in my pan-Asian catering kitchen. Soon I was mincing lemongrass for Thai steamed mussels, simmering large pots of Thai curries and threading pounds of chicken for satays with spicy peanut sauce. My clients went wild and my culinary world view was forever broadened.
Being aware of my love for Thai food, my husband whisked me off to Thailand for our honeymoon. What an amazing guy! We set forth on our culinary odyssey with open hearts, minds, and palates. We strolled around Bangkok sampling all that Thai street food has to offer, from satays and crispy spring rolls to steaming bowls of noodles and Som Yum Salad. We rented a jeep and traveled along the Mae Hong Son Pass from Chiang Mai sampling this region’s famous Burmese style cooking. We traveled over to the Northeastern province of Issan where we sampled melt-in-your-mouth Shaking Beef (page 81) and delicate rice paper summer rolls influenced by the Vietnamese immigrant population. Heading south, we spent the tail end of our trip island hopping to Phuket, Koh Samui, Pi Pi, and Krabi. There, we were treated to seafood that was so fresh it felt like it was jumping onto our plates from the sea—from crispy whole fish topped with spicy garlic-chili sauces to tender clams simmering in a delicious and pungent chili basil sauce. I came back with a full belly, tons of new ideas, and an excited heart eager to take my love of Thai cooking to the next level.
I retired from my catering business to become a mom to twins, Dylan and Becca and stepdaughter Kyla. As a new mother, I related to my friends who lamented about how challenging it is to get dinner on the table. Tired of takeout, all of my friends were begging me for new recipe ideas so I created my blog, The Sweet and Sour Chronicles where I share my knowledge, tips, and recipes for creating everyday Asian dishes.
When I was asked to write Everyday Thai Cooking, I jumped at the chance. I’m excited to arm you with my collection of Thai recipes for real people who are juggling hectic schedules. My book will show you how simple and economical Thai cooking can truly be, and soon, you’ll be weaving your own brilliant Thai tapestries of taste, texture, and aroma. You'll soon develop a love affair with Thai cooking too. Not only will you be the talk of the neighborhood, but you can kiss your take-out menus goodbye.
Basic Cooking Techniques and Tips
Thai cooking is much easier than you think.Yup, it’s true. When I gathered a group of friends for an impromptu Thai cooking class at my house the other day, they couldn’t believe how simple and quick it was to make. “Are you kidding me? It takes longer for take-out to get to my door and the restaurant is less than a mile away.” Thai cooks pride themselves on simplicity of technique. At its very core, Thai cooking is about using the freshest ingredients, with an emphasis on aromatic herbs and spices, to achieve a balance of hot, sweet, sour, and salty flavors in every dish. In fact, the actual cooking time for most Thai dishes is 15 to 30 minutes! With a couple of exceptions, it’s all about fast cooking at high heat levels and using interesting herbs and spices, usually at the beginning and end of cooking. Okay, it’s time to throw out those take-out menus and follow these simple, no-fail rules for healthier, tastier, and easier Thai meals at home. Ready, set, go!
HOW TO PREPARE LEMONGRASS
Preparing lemongrass is important because you will use it all the time when cooking Thai food. It’s easy to understand why this frisky cousin to ginger, with its citrusy aroma and woodsy-lemony flavor, is widely used in Thai cooking—it enhances every dish it touches.
There are two ways to prepare lemongrass: Finely chopped for marinades, stir-fries, salads and curries; and cut into larger pieces for soups and sauces.
HOW TO MINCE LEMONGRASS
1. Remove the first 4–5 tough fibrous outer layers of the lemongrass stalk with your fingers to reveal the softer, yellower part of the stalk that you’ll be using. The remaining layers will still be slightly fibrous.
2. Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice off the bulb (bottom 2 inches/5 cm) and discard.
3. Now, using the back of a knife, oblong pestle, or rolling pin (or a wine bottle if that’s all you have), smash the bottom 6 inches (15 cm) of the lemongrass stalk to release the essential oils and separate the fibers.
4. Next, use a sharp knife and finely chop the bottom ¹⁄³ of the stalk.
HOW TO CHOP LEMONGRASS IN YOUR FOOD PROCESSOR AND FREEZE FOR LATER USE
To save time, I like to prepare a large quantity of lemongrass and freeze it so I can just grab some from the freezer. I usually buy at least 4 pounds and follow these simple steps:
1. Follow steps #1 and #2 from how to Mince Lemongrass. Next, slice off the green, fibrous parts of the stalk at the top with a sharp ser-rated knife. Feed the bulb ends through the food processor blade until sliced. Remove the sliced lemongrass and mince by hand.
2. Place minced lemongrass in a quart-sized resealable plastic food-storage bag, about ½ cup (50 g) per bag, and flatten. Once frozen, break off whatever you need for future recipes and return the rest to the freezer.
HOW TO PREPARE LEMONGRASS FOR SOUPS AND SAUCES
1. Follow steps #1 and #2 from how to Mince Lemongrass. Next, slice off the green, fibrous parts of the stalk at the top with a sharp ser-rated knife. Now, smash the remaining stalk to release the essential oils. Cut the stalk into 1-inch (2.5 cm) or 2-inch (5 cm) pieces depending on the recipes directions.
HOW TO SLICE THAI CHILIES
Thai chilies are among the hottest on the planet (50,000–100,000 on the Scoville heat scale!) so it’s important that you use a latex, rubber glove on one hand while slicing these hot-tempered babies. Remember to slice finely (unless otherwise noted in the recipe), so your guests or family don't place a large piece in their mouth inadvertently. As noted in the recipes, feel free to deseed Thai chilies or use a milder chili if you prefer less heat. If cooking for young children, you can select a milder chili or omit altogether.
DEEP-FRYING TIPS
