Thai Green Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Cashews (ยำมะม่วงกุ้งย่าง)

By on February 9, 2011 in She Grills, She Thais, She Tosses

Thai Green Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp by SheSimmers.com

For this batch, I grilled my shrimp with the shells on; this explains the absence of grill marks.

This is just something I threw together for lunch the other day. The ingredients are so perfect together. Having said that, there’s lots of room to play around with this no-recipe recipe. Grilled scallops or cuttlefish would make a great substitute for the shrimp. I can also see small pieces of white fish, lightly-battered and deep-fried, in this in lieu of the grilled seafood (the end result would closely mimic the much-loved yam pla-duk fu). Cashew is the best nut for this salad, but peanut would be nice also.

Just for kicks, add a tablespoon of nam prik pao to it. Continue Reading →

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Easy Vegetable Carving: Lotus Bowl Centerpiece

By on February 6, 2011 in She Rants and Muses, She Uncooks, She Veges

easy vegetable carving

An edible mini lotus pond is a perfect centerpiece for your dinner party, especially if you serve Thai food.

I’m both amused and terrified every time someone writes me asking for advice on how to carve fruits and vegetables “like the Thai people do.” When that happens, I’d search the archives looking for something—anything—that might lead them to think I actually have that kind of talent. Of course, I’ve found nothing, and am left wondering where folks get that idea.

I can’t carve, at least not like this. And that’s just one of the many, many artistic things I can’t do. Continue Reading →

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Nam Prik Pao (น้ำพริกเผา): Thai Chilli Jam – Secret Ingredient in Thai Spicy Stir-Fries, Salads, Etc.

By on January 21, 2011 in She Deglutenizes, She Drizzles and Smears, She Fries, She Stocks a Thai Pantry, She Thais


Nam Prik Pao (RTGS: nam phrik phao), น้ำพริกเผา, is one of the most — if not the most — versatile composite ingredients in Thai cooking that I can think of. It is intense and complex, but not in an in-your-face kind of way; it also features pretty much all of the tastes associated with traditional Thai food sans the usual herbs. Each spoonful packs so much flavor, and a little goes a long way.

Believe me when I say that I hate telling people what to do or what not to do. But in this case, I consider familiarity with Nam Prik Pao and how to use it to be necessary for, you see, this condiment permeates modern Thai cuisine. If you’re a Thai food enthusiast, or on your way to becoming one, and you haven’t made an acquaintance with this ingredient, please allow me the pleasure of introducing to you Nam Prik Pao, the “secret arsenal” of Thai restaurants worldwide, a pantry staple in Thai households, and your new best friend. Continue Reading →

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