Quite a few readers have written me regarding Thai-style fruit dips saying how they wish there wasn’t any dried fish or fish sauce involved. Actually, the way the comments were worded is a little more interesting, a weird cross between disbelief and curiosity with a tiny, tiny tinge of disgust. I don’t blame them; I [...]
Apple Fritters in the Style of Thai Fried Bananas
This was done out of curiosity, in response to a hypothetical question which I posed to myself one day: had apples been as easy to find and inexpensive as bananas in Thailand, would we batter-fry them like we do bananas? After this experiment, I would say yes. To make these, you can follow either one [...]
Spicy Green Apple Salad (ยำแอบเปิ้ล)
I made this impromptu salad the other day as the topping for a piece of pan-fried halibut. It was nothing special — just a simple salad that is normally made with grated green mangoes. Actually, I think I’ve come to like this version made with tart and crisp Granny Smith apples much more. It’s the [...]
Pad Bai Horapha (ผัดใบโหระพา)
Slivers of red long or bell peppers in this would be nice; I didn’t have any at that time. After the post on Pad Ka-prao went up, my inbox has seen quite a few emails asking why I ‘frown upon’ people making “Pad Ka-Prao” with different kinds of basil other than holy basil. After all, [...]
Apple Cider-Beer Glaze: My Multi-Purpose Glaze for Thanksgiving
Have you ever wanted to put all that is good about the autumn: the flavors, aromas, etc., in a bottle? Make a batch of this flavorful glaze and, right away, you got yourself autumn in a jar. Sweet, tangy, buttery with just a hint of malts and hops, this glaze goes well with just about [...]
Panaeng Curry with Pork and Kabocha Squash
Growing up, I hated all tubers: taro, cassava, potato, yam, etc. And since cooked hard squashes have similar texture to cooked tubers, I avoided them as well. Funny how your taste changes over time. I now love all kinds of tubers and root vegetables including all hard squashes. Kabocha or buttercup squash is my top [...]