Lemon Basil – Bai Maeng-lak (ใบแมงลัก)

By on August 15, 2011 in She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Uncooks, She Veges


I know I just complained to you in a recent post on Thai spicy basil stir-fry about the scarcity of holy basil (Bai Ka-prao ใบกะเพรา) outside Asia (which has led to all the faux Pad Ka-Praos on the menus of several Thai restaurants in Europe and North America). But may I please have your permission to whine a little more?

It’s so hard to find lemon basil. And nothing can be used in its place. Nothing.

To make matters worse, lemon basil has ridiculously short shelf life. By the time, you discover that some fresh lemon basil has made a rare appearance at your favorite Asian store, it’s already half dead. Continue Reading →

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Spicy Salad of Boiled Pork Sausage (ยำหมูยอ)

By on August 9, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Tosses, She Uncooks

One of my guilty pleasures is a plate of warm jasmine rice topped with slices of Vietnamese-style boiled pork sausage, seared to a crisp on the outside, and a generous drizzling of homemade Thai Sriracha sauce. Not much nutrient; lots of satisfaction, especially when I can get high quality pork sausages.

Not all brands are great; some are truly awful (and it’s not like my standard is that high …). This one you see here, for example, has great texture but absolutely no flavor. The only thing to do is to yam it, i.e. turn it into a spicy Thai salad. You can’t coax any flavor into the sausage itself; it’s a lost cause. You can, however, make the most of the uncooperative sausage by tossing it with fresh summer on-the-vine tomatoes at their peak, sweet Vidalia onions, some crunchy celery, and the Thai refreshing lime-fish sauce-chilli dressing.

Have this as an appetizer with a cold pale ale, or serve it as an entrée with rice. Continue Reading →

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Watermelon with Sweet Dried Fish-Crispy Shallot Dip (Pla Haeng Taeng-Mo ปลาแห้งแตงโม)

By on August 5, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Fries, She Thais


The image of fresh watermelon chunks thoroughly speckled with a sugary dip of dried fish flakes and crispy shallots probably won’t make many people salivate. That’s completely understandable. But for the readers who grew up eating this — one of the most sublime Thai snacks ever invented, in my opinion — I hope they’re at once both salivating and filled with sweet nostalgia like I am.

Dried fish and watermelon? Sweet nostalgia? I know, I know. I wasn’t quite sure myself how to convince the skeptics how well the two go together. But I’m going to try my very best. I may fail miserably. But that won’t hurt me; not trying, on the other hand, definitely will. Continue Reading →

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