Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions [A Cookbook]

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About Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant

Product Description Thai Street Food transports readers straight into the bustling heart of Thailand’s colorful street stalls and markets--from the predawn rounds of monks fanning out along the aisles to the made-to-order stalls ablaze in neon and jammed with hungry locals after dark. Featuring nearly 100 authentic dishes plus lavish photography accompanying every recipe, this stunning cookbook is the definitive guide to Thailand’s culinary street culture. The recipes, such as Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime Sauce, Pork Satay, Roast Duck and Egg Noodle Soup, and Sweet Banana Roti illuminate the beguiling world of food so integral to the Thais.   Scholar and chef David Thompson lives with a singular passion for Thailand’s customs, culture, and people. Although he claims “It’s all about the food,” this ambitious work shares his insights into the rhythms and nuances of Thai daily life along with a fascinating history of its richly diverse street cuisine. This cookbook is a tempting, inspiring, and authoritative account of Thai street food, the vibrant culinary mosaic rich with community. Amazon.com Review Fall into Cooking Featured Recipe from David Thompson's Thai Street Food: Fried Chicken and Squid Rice Noodles When I first ate these krua gai noodles I wasn’t convinced. I had so many other noodle dishes that enticed and pleased, some of which are also in Thai Street Food. Now I am addicted to the winning simplicity of them. In Bangkok’s Chinatown there are many versions, some with prawns, others use pork but mostly squid and chicken is the order of the day. As you walk down the narrow alleys of this quarter, away from the busy main streets, it’s like stepping back in time. It’s still bustling, though, with the air filled with spices, chatter and the scraping clatter of smoking woks. To make the best of this recipe you’ll need to season your wok. It imparts a smoky, slightly metallic tang to the dish: a lingering sign of success is the breath of the wok. All you need to do is prime the wok by burning it, scorching it over a flame and turning it to ensure that every part is charred. Wash out the wok then return it to the heat and it's ready. -- Serves 2 Ingredients 3 oz chicken breast fillet, with or without skin as preferred a drizzle of light soy sauce, plus 2 tablespoons extra 1 garlic clove, peeled pinch of salt 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 oz cured squid (plaa meuk chae) or fresh squid or cuttlefish, scored and finely sliced ground white pepper 1–2 teaspoons preserved Chinese vegetable (dtang chai), rinsed and drained 2 heaped tablespoons chopped spring (green) onions 2 heaped tablespoons chopped Asian celery (optional) 8 oz fresh wide rice noodles 1–2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, to taste good pinch of white sugar 2 eggs, ideally duck eggs 1 cup loosely packed, very coarsely cut Chinese lettuce pinch of deep-fried garlic 1–2 tablespoons chopped coriander sauce Siracha, to serve Slice the chicken and briefly marinate it in a drizzle of light soy sauce. Crush the garlic to a somewhat coarse paste with the salt—either by pounding it using a pestle and mortar or finely chopping it with a knife. Heat the wok then add 2 generous tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken and the cured squid and lightly stir-fry until golden and almost cooked. Stir in the garlic paste, a pinch of white pepper, the preserved Chinese vegetable and 1 tablespoon each of the spring onions and Asian celery (if using). By now most of the oil should have been absorbed; drain off any excess. Pull apart the rice noodle strands and add to the wok, spreading them over the contents of the wok and onto the surface of the wok itself. Leave undisturbed for a moment--up to 30 seconds--then gently begin to stir and shuffle the noodles and the wok. It is important not to break the noodle strands while doing this. Drizzle the noodles with the extra 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, the dark soy sauce and the sugar. Sprinkle them with most of the remaining A