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How to Grow Coriander for the Roots to Use in Thai Cooking

By on July 16, 2011 in She Rants and Muses, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Uncooks


It seems silly to be growing herbs primarily in order to harvest their roots instead of berries, leaves, blossoms, or shoots. But if you’re a serious Thai cook who lives in the United States (or a chef in charge of the Thai menu at one of the world’s hardest restaurants to get into), you know why: supermarket cilantro/coriander comes emasculated. It has been decided on our behalf and without our consent that the roots — the part that we desire as much as the others — are not to be kept. Whatever the reason(s) might be, this is sad and frustrating.

If you’re one of those who live in the areas where cilantro roots are available to you any time, we rejoice with you. Not only do you have at your disposal one of the essential ingredients in Thai cooking, you also enjoy the fact that your cilantro — with all the roots attached — stay fresh longer in the refrigerator.

Not being so fortunate, some of us have to take matters into our own hands. Continue Reading →

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Pad Thai Recipe (ผัดไทย) – Part Three: The Notable Ingredients and Garnishes

By on June 25, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Fries, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Thais


I have proposed in the first part of the Pad Thai series that the best pan to use to make Pad Thai is a wide, flat-bottomed pan with a nonstick surface, short rims, and great heat retention ability. In the second part of the series, I have proposed that the best rice noodles to use in Pad Thai is flat rice noodles between 2 to 5 millimeters in width (measured before soaking). In the same post on the noodles, I’ve also cautioned you against blanching or par-cooking the noodles prior to stir-frying for that is the surest way to get your noodles to clump up and your Pad Thai completely ruined.

In this post, I will be making comments and suggestions on the ingredients and garnishes that help make your homemade Pad Thai that much closer to the most common version found on the streets of Bangkok. You may not have seen some of these ingredients before in all the versions of Pad Thai which you have had outside Thailand. But I can assure you that none of these ingredients is foreign to most Pad Thai enthusiasts in the motherland. And this is undoubtedly a yawn-inducing post to them for, you see, Pad Thai is such an ordinary food that is found everywhere in Bangkok, and these common ingredients are found right along with it. Everywhere. Every day. Almost all the time. Continue Reading →

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Thai Sour Curry (Kaeng Som – แกงส้ม)

By on June 12, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Rants and Muses, She Simmers, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Thais


If those who follow me on Twitter have wondered why it took me so long to finally publish this post on Thai Sour Curry or Kaeng Som (แกงส้ม) after I’d announced it nearly two months ago, check out the length of this post. There’s so much to say about this curry, so many possible angles from which to approach the subject. When you see how much information I’ve been forced to relegate to the footnotes to keep the length of this post reasonable – and it looks like I’ve failed miserably – you’ll understand the procrastination.

After all, it’s kaeng som[1], one of the grande dames of Thai curries, we’re talking about. It’s the curry that captures so very well the flavors associated with traditional Thai food. A short, quick post would be disrespectful.

We loved kaeng som in our family. We loved it so much that it was served at least twice a week, or more if you count the leftover meals. And on the days when I didn’t have kaeng som at home, it would be served at school. If Brillat-Savarin is right, then I am nothing but a big bowl of kaeng som. Continue Reading →

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