Archive | She Deglutenizes RSS feed for this section

Stir-fried Cabbage with Fish Sauce (กะหล่ำปลีผัดน้ำปลา)

By on June 23, 2012 in She Deglutenizes, She Fries, She Veges

 

I recently got into a healthy habit of dedicating every late afternoon during my visit home to power-walking inside Lumpini Park, the Bangkokian smaller (and hia-infested) equivalent of Central Park, with my best friend T and his girlfriend K. It’s funny how regardless of whatever we discuss while huffing and puffing (mostly on my part), the conversation inevitably slithers into fooddom; I guess that’s bound to happen when people who are deeply interested in food get together. The idea for this post, for example, was generated by K during one of our breathless, sweaty walks.

We had just finished discussing Kaeng Som when T’s eyes wandered towards our favorite young coconut vendor1 just outside the park gate and K brought up something I thought was interesting: fish sauce stir-fries. Continue Reading →

Comments are closed

Fruit Dips, Thai Style

By on June 4, 2012 in Featured Posts, She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Thais, She Uncooks, She Veges


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 know how that feels. When I was invited to my first American thanksgiving dinner, I swallowed hard — and not in a good way — when I saw roasted turkey with gravy sitting between a pile of candied yams with broiled marshmallow topping and a quivering blob of fruit jelly called, “cranberry sauce.” I, of course, grew more accustomed to that combination and even came to like it. But, admittedly, the first encounter was pretty rough.

Our view regarding what should and shouldn’t be is all conditioned by culture. Tart green mangoes and a sticky dip containing fish sauce, palm sugar, and dried shrimp together are to most Thai people what apple pie and vanilla ice cream are to most Americans. In other words, fish and fruits work for us.

But if you don’t like it, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Besides, there are other Thai-style fruit dips that don’t have fish products in them. Please allow me to introduce to you the most common three that go very well with tart fruits. Continue Reading →

Comments are closed

Pan-Fried Chive Cakes (ขนมกุยช่ายแบบสี่เหลี่ยม)

By on May 21, 2012 in She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Fries, She Steams, She Thais, She Veges


One of the most commonly seen street food items in Bangkok is these chive cakes. As opposed to their (almost always) round, filled cousins that are sold in both steamed and steamed-then-pan-fried forms, these square chive cakes are always pan-fried until the exteriors are crispy. Both varieties are often found right next to one another. They’re also served with the same spicy, sweet and sour dipping soy sauce.

My favorite kind of Chinese chive cakes is the round, filled kind. I also like them steamed and not fried. But since I have not been able to perfect a recipe for that type of chive cakes (not much luck with many of the recipes out there including my mother’s), this has got to do for now. Continue Reading →

Comments are closed
Older posts Newer posts