Fried Rice

There are a few varieties of Fried Rice across Asia; Thai fried rice starts goes in a much different direction than most. In Thailand, Fried Rice is a good lunch dish, served with cucumber and a wedge of lime. The most popular fried rice is crab fried rice. But for me, fried rice is a good way to clean the refrigerator since most any vegetables and meats you have in your fridge will do. For meats, I use everything - bacon, canned crab, ham, tofu hot dogs - your name it. Any vegetables will do too. Have fun! Thai fried rice gets much of its unique flavor from the mix of fish sauce, soy sauce, chili peppers and lime. The cilantro and a dusting of pre-ground white pepper gives the flavors a clean, rounded finish.

2 Servings
3.........tablespoon............vegetable oil

1.........tomato, thinly sliced

2.........teaspoons.............soy sauce - mushroom

...........pinch..............ground pepper

1.........teaspoons...........fish sauce

1.........cup.................cooked rice

3.........Thai chili pepper Optional

1/3......cup.............pork Optional

1/2......onion, chopped Optional

1.............lime Optional

1............green onion Optional
2............cloves .........garlic , minced Optional

2............eggs Optional

When the pan is extremely hot (smoking hot), pour in the oil and follow with meat. Stir quickly. It can get real smoky. If you see that there is juice coming out from your meat and pooling on the bottom and not evaporating, your pan is not hot enough. When the meat is cooked, set it aside or just put it on the side of the pan if you can. Add the egg and scramble the egg until the egg is all cooked. Put the egg aside or just push it aside and make some room on the bottom of the wok. Add the fish sauce and soy sauce and stir. Keep stirring and mixing the rice with ingredients. Add all vegetables. Stir for 1 or 2 more minutes. Sprinkle ground pepper.

Some people like to add a fried egg on top of the fried rice. If you do, add 2 teaspoons of oil, crack the egg and fry until the egg white is crispy. Put the egg on top of fried rice.

Serve hot with a 1/4 wedge of lime and whole green onion.


Tips and substitutions: Making great fried rice requires a number of tricks:
- A wok - it is the best tool for fried rice. If you don't, it can be tricky but still manageable.
- High heat - you want your pan as hot as possible. That's why it frequently tastes so much better at a restaurant. - Dry rice - Making your rice a little drier than normal or using day
-old rice keeps the rice from clumping together and turning into wok-concrete.
- Ground black or white pepper and lime
- You'll be surprised how much flavor the ground pepper and lime can bring to fried rice.


More information www.thaitable.com

Pad Thai

Pad Thai - This Pad Thai recipe is how you actually find it in Bangkok and comes from testing hundreds of different variations from food carts all over the city. Pad Thai is the ultimate street food. While "street food" may sound bad, food cart cooks are in such a competitive situation, with such limited space, ingredients and tools they need to specialize in a dish or two just to stay in business. The best of these cooks have cooked the same dish day-after-day, year-after-year, constantly perfecting it.

Great Pad Thai is dry and light bodied, with a fresh, complex, balanced flavor. I've never actually seen the red, oily pad thai in Thailand that is common in many western Thai restaurants.

The ingredients listed below can be somewhat intimidating but many are optional. If you would like to make authentic

Pad Thai, just like in Thailand, use all the ingredients. Pad Thai is another perfect vegetarian dish, just omit shrimp and substitute soy

sauce for fish sauce. Add more tofu if you like.2-3 Servings

1/2..............lime

1................egg

4................teaspoons..................fish sauce

3................cloves.........................garlic, minced

1/2............teaspoon....................ground dried chili pepper, ground pepper

1.................shallot, minced

2.................tablespoon...............sugar

2.................tablespoon...............tamarind

1/2.............package...................Thai rice noodles

2.................tablespoon................vegetable oil

1/2-1/4........... lb.........................shrimp Optional

1/2.............banana flower Optional

1/3.............cuptofu - extra firm Optional

1-1/2..........cup...................Chinese chives - green Optional

2................tablespoons peanuts Optional

1-1/3..........cup...................bean sprouts Optional

1................tablespoon.......preserved turnipOptional

Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients, for 5-10 minutes. Julienne tofu and cut into 1 inch long matchsticks. When cut, the extra firm tofu should have a mozzarella cheese consistency. Cut up Chinese chives into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside a few fresh chives for a garnish. Rinse the bean sprouts and save half for serving fresh. Mince shallot and garlic together.

Use a wok. If you do not have a wok, any big pot will do. Heat it up on high heat and pour oil in the wok. Fry the peanuts until toasted and remove them from the wok. Add shallot, garlic and tofu and stir them until they start to brown. The noodles should be flexible but not expanded at this point. Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Stir quickly to keep things from sticking. Add tamarind, sugar, fish sauce, chili pepper and preserved turnip. Stir. The heat should remain high. If your wok is not hot enough, you will see a lot of juice in the wok at this point. Turn up the heat, if it is the case. Make room for the egg by pushing all noodles to the side of the wok. Crack the egg onto the wok and scramble it until it is almost all cooked. Fold the egg into the noodles. Add shrimp and stir. Add bean sprouts, chives. Stir a few more times. The noodles should be soft and very tangled.

Pour onto the serving plate and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve hot with the banana flower slice and a wedge of lime on the side and raw Chinese chives and raw bean sprouts on top.

As always, in Thailand, condiments such as sugar, chili pepper, vinegar and fish sauce are available at your table for your personal taste. Some people add more pepper or sugar at this point.

Tips and substitutions: By far, the trickiest part is the soaked noodles. Noodles should be somewhat flexible and solid, not completely expanded and soft. When in doubt, undersoak. You can always add more water in the pan, but you can't take it out.

Shrimp can be substituted or omitted.

In this recipe, pre-ground pepper, particularly pre-ground white pepper is better than fresh ground pepper. For kids, omit the gound dried chilli pepper.

Tamarind adds some flavor and acidity, but you can substitute white vinegar.

The type of extra firm tofu called for this recipe can be found at most oriental groceries in a plastic bag, not in water. Some might be brown from soy sauce, but some white ones are also available. Pick whatever you like.

If you decided to include banana flower, cut lengthwise into sections (like orange sections). Rub any open cut with lime or lemon juice to prevent it from turning dark.

The original Pad Thai recipe calls for crushed roasted peanuts. Many people in Thailand avoid eating peanuts because of its link to cancer.

More information www.thaitable.com

Tom-Yam-Goong

Tom-Yam-Goong (Spicy prawn soup)ต้มยำกุ้งMain Ingredients: prawns, straw mushrooms, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, roasted chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice, fresh chillies


Ingredients:
For 2 servings

5-7 ..........................................prawns

120g. (4 oz.) ..........................straw mushrooms

1-2 .........................................lemongrass

3-4 ........................................kaffir lime leaves

1 tbs. ....................................roasted chilli paste

2 tbs. ...................................fish sauce

3 tbs. ..................................lime juice

3-4 .....................................fresh chillies

4 cups ...............................water

coriander leaves, red chillies and kaffir lime leaves for garnishing


Preparation:

1. Clean and devein the prawns. Cut lengthwise down the center of the prawns, but do not cut all the way through.

2. Rinse the mushrooms and trim the base off. Dry well, and cut in halves.

3. Bring the water to a boil. Add lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves; then add the prawns and mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, season with roasted chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and chillies.

5. Garnish with red chillies, kaffir lime leaves and coriander leaves.
Note : Coconut milk can be substitued with milk to enrich creamy flavour to the soup.