Food and Cooking in Thai TV Dramas, Love Destiny, 17th Century Siam, and Crispy Noodle-Wrapped Pork Dumplings


love destiny and crispy noodle-wrapped pork dumplings
For a country that takes such great pride in its cuisine, Thailand, surprisingly, hasn’t seemed very enthusiastic about spotlighting its food in its cinematic endeavors. If it’s true that art imitates life, then it’s quite perplexing how the magnitude of the love the Thai people have for their food and the enormity of the role food plays in their lives—all obvious to even the most casual observers—haven’t really manifested themselves on silver screen and television. And the few times when food and eating were incorporated into films and dramas, it was rarely done with any perceptible sense of intentionality.

I believe we can do better. Continue Reading →

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A Simple Thai Dipping Sauce


Thai Dipping Sauce
Here’s a simple dipping sauce that I made the other day just as I’ve done hundreds of times in my life. It’s very easy to make; it doesn’t require special ingredients; it is extremely versatile.

How versatile? Let me count the ways. Continue Reading →

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Northern Thai Rice Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs, Dried Cotton Flowers, and Tomatoes (Khanom Jin Nam Ngiao)


northern thai rice noodle soup with pork ribs dried cotton flowers and tomatoes - khanom jin nam ngiao
Now that you know how to make prepare rice vermicelli (khanom jin) from dried noodles, let’s embark on a project. This northern Thai classic dish, khanom jin nam ngiao (ขนมจีนน้ำเงี้ยว) is probably better suited for a weekend than a weeknight, however. It’s not hard to make by any means (the paste is easy and much less complicated than, say, a central red curry). However, you’re dealing with spareribs which take a while to cook.

For more information about the recipe and tips on what you can omit or substitute with products that are easier to find, head over to Dill Magazine, a new publication that takes you on a journey deep into the cuisines of Asia—a smart, no-nonsense quarterly I’m so very proud to contribute to. [They have published my recipe as part of their premium content, so you need to create a free account to view it.]

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