Naem Khao Tod (แหนมข้าวทอด) by Spoon Thai Restaurant, Chicago

By on September 26, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Explores, She Interviews, She Rants and Muses, She Thais, She Tosses

 

When I was talking to Khun Wanna, owner of Spoon Thai restaurant in Chicago, my main objective was to get from her the recipe for (Yam) Naem Khao Tod [1] which apparently is a favorite among hard-core Thai food lovers in Chicago many of whom gather virtually to express their love for this restaurant and this dish on LTHForum. Well, that objective was achieved.

But my conversation with Khun Wanna also touched on many issues pertinent to Thai food as found in the US, how a restaurant must walk the delicate line between serving food that we Thais consider good and food that will appeal to the non-Thai palate and ensure profitability, etc. It was very interesting and made me think about things. However, to relay all that to you in this post will only detract from the attention which this great dish so richly deserves. Therefore, I’ll keep all that for a later time.

This post is dedicated to my awesome readers in Chicago.
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Turmeric-Roasted Fish (ปลาอบขมิ้น)

By on September 21, 2011 in She Bakes, She Deglutenizes, She Roasts, She Thais


A friend called to tell me he’d come by to deliver something. Seeing as it was close to dinner time, I asked if he’d care to stay for some food. The invitation was bashfully and promptly declined. He didn’t want to impose. He would, I was assured, drop off a package and, having an important event to attend right after, skedaddle.

Moments later, the door bell rang as dinner was nearing completion. As it turned out, a few whiffs of an herb-laced fish roasting in the oven were all it took to derail someone’s plan. The visitor didn’t leave until this fish you see on the screen was stripped of its succulent flesh down to the bones. Continue Reading →

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Nam-Pla Wan – Thai Sweet and Salty Fruit Dipping Sauce (น้ำปลาหวาน)

By on September 13, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Thais


When it comes to combining sweet and salty, the Thai people are second to none. We’re just really good at it. Watermelon and dried fish? Check. Sweet custard with fried shallots? Check. Garlicky, shrimpy, spicy fruit salad? Yup. Mangoes — apples in this case — with a dipping sauce containing shrimp paste, fish sauce, and dried shrimp? A national favorite.

This sticky fruit dip called nam-pla wan (น้ำปลาหวาน)[1] is most often served with tart green mangoes (sliced lengthwise and thinly to make it easy for you to scoop up the chunky sauce with them). In fact, the name of this sauce is hardly ever invoked in isolation from the word mango, ma-muang (มะม่วง). Continue Reading →

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