Cookbooks 101
Thai Cooking 101
Influenced by Chinese Stir Fries and Indian curries, Thai cuisine is a hodgepodge style of cooking that encourages experimentation, which will come in handy if you have trouble finding some of its more obscure ingredients.
Unfamiliarity with these foreign flavors, let alone figuring out how they relate to each other, is a common beginners’ obstacle, but don’t let that discourage you! We promise this will be quick and relatively painless, and the reward-exposure to a new world of flavors-is well worth the effort.
So the next time you’re planning a meal, resist your hankering for a quick take-out fix; check out our beginners’ guide to Thai cuisine below instead, and find out how a little culinary background info and an adventurous palate can make cooking something you actually look forward to, and healthy! We’ve also compiled a list of several traditional Thai ingredients along with everything you’ll need to know to about them, from cooking techniques to health benefits to tips on where to get them. So get psyched for…
Thai Cooking 101
Unlike westerners who generally eat in several courses, a typical Thai meal has just one and is laid out all at once. Steamed rice is a constant at mealtimes, and is accompanied by a number of (typically wok-fried) dishes-approximately one per guest. Eating together is a communal activity, and all the dishes are shared around the table according to custom.
There is generally a balance between sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavors in a dish or across a meal, and it is believed to restore harmony between the body’s Yin and Yang forces. The Yin represents cold, or soothing energy, e.g. coconut milk, and the Yang represents hot energy that increases the pulse rate, e.g. chili peppers.
This theory has been passed down from generation to generation, and while many swear by it, we encourage you to find out for yourself.
Jasmine Rice
The highly-prized and aromatic jasmine rice is almost exclusively native to Thailand, making it one of the less accessible fundamentals of Thai cuisine Don’t panic just yet, jasmine rice lovers: more health food and specialty stores are stocking jasmine rice in their packaged grain section, and Asian groceries/marketplaces are even more likely to carry it. Another popular Thai rice is short-grain sticky rice which is easier to find at similar markets, and can be substituted by sushi rice if unavailable.
Tip: Store dry Jasmine rice in a cool area away from moisture and open air; cooked rice can be refrigerated for up to seven days, or stored in the freezer for six months.
Lemongrass
An essential ingredient in Thai dishes, Lemongrass is an aromatic (some say minty) herb with a lemony flavor. It grows in long fibrous stalks of which only the juicy white-yellow bulbs are used, and it is customary to bruise them with a knife before cutting and cooking to help bring out their aroma and flavor in a dish.
Lemongrass can be finely minced and added to curries and pastes, but it’s most often used like cinnamon or bay leaves, which are typically removed before serving.
Lemongrass has been used since ancient times to relieve fevers, abdominal pain and cold symptoms. It is slowly becoming a more common sight in health food stores and can almost always be found at Asian groceries. If you’re not lucky enough to have one in your area, a mix of lemon zest (rind) with a small amount of ginger is a common substitute for lemongrass, and lemon leaves are sometimes also used. If fresh lemongrass is unavailable, there are dried and powdered varieties. Two tablespoons of powdered spice is equal to about one fresh stalk, and use an extra 2-3 pieces if cooking with dried lemongrass (when seasoning, bear in mind that dried lemongrass is already salted).
If you want the freshest lemongrass possible, you can grow it yourself, but keep it indoors during the colder months if you live in a cooler climate. Seeds can be bought online or at specialty seed stores, or you can just germinate a bulb from another stalk in a jar of water until it roots, and then transfer it to its own pot.
Tip: Basil is another garden-friendly component of Thai cuisine that flourishes in many climates.
Coconut Milk
A ubiquitous staple in Thai food, Coconut milk is the rich base for many curries, sauces, drinks and sweet dishes and is often used to balance out hot or spicy elements. It can be found in most supermarkets or even made at home!
To prepare coconut milk, mix the grated meat of a ripe coconut with warm water and then squeeze out the juice, but unless you can find fresh coconuts, you’re better off using the canned stuff.
A layer of fat at the top is normal (like with real milk), and this fat lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) while promoting good cholesterol. Coconut milk also boosts immunity and provides valuable fatty acids, putting it at the top of the list of healthy Thai ingredients.
Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is made from the sap of the palm tree and can be found at Asian or Indian specialty food stores. Since it stores well, ordering online is also entirely acceptable. Aside from sweets and desserts, palm sugar can also be used in savory dishes, like fish, to play against their saltiness. The sugar is a golden brown paste, and can be light-colored or dark and gooey. If you can’t get your hands on any, you can substitute with brown sugar.
Fish Sauce
Perhaps the most widespread taste in Thai food is fish sauce, sometimes called the soy sauce of Southeast Asia.
The best fish sauces are usually thin and virtually clear with a salty taste derived from fermented fish (anchovies are the most common).
It has a very pungent aroma and is said to be an acquired taste, but it’s practically used as a salt substitute in many parts of the world. Sugar is sometimes added to highlight its saltiness.
Fish sauce can virtually always be found at an Asian marketplace/grocery near you and is also becoming a regular in the aisles of many specialty-foods store.
Chilies
Generally speaking, the smaller the pepper the hotter it is, and the prik kee noo, the smallest and most popular of the Thai chilies, is no exception. Recent studies show that eating hot red peppers like these can help you fight fat all in itself! Chilies can be served in countless forms, from dried pieces (which are hotter than fresh ones) to minced in a sauce.
The pri kee noo is rated the second hottest pepper in the scoville scale, an index of hot peppers, and the seeds are the hottest part. Many cookbooks recommend preparing them with gloves to avoid skin irritation and not to touch your eyes before washing your hands.
If you can’t find Thai peppers, try dried whole Mexican chilies and soften them with a soak in hot water.
Tip: Don’t drink water to relieve chili heat-rice, beer or milk drinks do a better job.
Congratulations! You’ve passed the course and learned the basics of Thai cooking. Hopefully this guideline has made you feel more comfortable about experimenting with eastern cuisine and armed you with all the facts you need to prepare mouthwatering nutritious meals. For healthiest results, use small amounts of oil and opt for steaming instead of frying whenever possible. Now go have some fun, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and combinations. Variety really is the spice of life, and it’s also one of the best ways to get your family excited about eating healthy.
About the Author
Alex Tatarinov-Levin is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a restaurant or more food articles at Yodle Consumer Guide. Thai Cooking 101
101 Autumn Recipes Cookbook
|
|
Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White $67.00 Bread maker, 58-min bread setting… |
|
|
Prepara Chef’s Center Cookbook/iPad Holder, Piano Black $24.98 Prepara’s Chef’s Center Cookbook/iPad Holder is a smart and savvy addition to your kitchen. Thanks to an adjustable backer and non-slip pad, the Chef’s Center can hold any sized cookbook, magazine or even your iPad. The non-slip rubber pad holds your book or iPad in place, and the crystal clear splatter guard protects from drips and splashes. The Chef’s Center Cookbook/iPad holder’s base is 360 -D… |
|
|
Gaiam 53044 GT Xpress 101 Countertop Grill with Recipe Book $8.94 GT Xpress 101 cooks delicious meals fast and without the added fat! With GT Xpress 101, all you do is place food in the preheated cooking wells and close the lid. The dual cooking wells and controlled temperature cook from both top and bottom at once so there?s no turning or burning. GT Xpress?s thermostat controls the temperature so you get perfect results every time – even if you leave it in too… |
|
|
George Benson Cookbook $2.68 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
|
|
Complete Cookbook Sessions $21.28 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
|
|
Ye Olde Space Bande Plays the Classic Rock Hits $11.98 ALL MOOG! ALL CLASSIC ROCK HITS! 10 tracks…. |
|
|
Yogourmet Multi Electric Yogurt Maker with Bonus 101 Things To Do with Yogurt Cookbook $69.90 Limited time offer! Free gift with purchase, 101 Things To Do with Yogurt Cookbook, a $9.95 value. Also includes a FREE yogurt thermometer and yogurt cheese strainer. Will make 2 quarts of yogurt in 4.5 hours. Only yogurt maker available using the “water bath” system to create an even heating wall to make perfect yogurt everytime!… |
|
|
Bookgem Book Holder – iPad Stand, Kindle, Tablet, & eBook Holder $14.95 Why buy a single purpose book holder, or a stand made just for an iPad or Kindle or Nook? The BookGem is the one device that works brilliantly for virtually any paper book or ebook or tablet computer you may have now – or in the future. The BookGem is a revelation to any reader tired of having to constantly hold up their reading material. The patented design is unlike any of the flimsy wire or sim… |
|
|
miBook Healthy Cooking $14.95 miBook? Healthy Cooking Memory CardPre-loaded with 150 healthy recipes from Food Network favorites such as Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger and Quick Fix Meals with Robin MillerRecipes include hearty healthy soups, calorie crunching salads, satisfying meals and sin-less dessertsMove through each recipe step-by-step, seeing how it should look at every turn Meal planner option helps you select re… |
|
|
Rogue Status Anararchist Cookbook White T-Shirt $20.00 Rogue Status The Anarchist Cookbook White T-Shirt… |
|
|
The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks $9.99 |
|
|
Kraft Foods: 4 Cookbooks in 1 $9.99 Kraft Foods 4 Cookbooks in 1 is a collection of more than 150 quick and easy recipes that feature these Kraft brands: Jell-O, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Nabisco, and Velveeta. From appetizers and casseroles to cheesecakes and no-bake desserts, the collection offers dishes to please your family every day of the week. Here is a sampling of recipes: Frosty Orange Dream Squares; Easy Pudding Milk Shakes; S’mores Cheesecake Squares; Mexican Layered Dip; Tuscan Chicken Simmer; Chinatown Chicken Wings; Hot Broccoli Dip; Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes; Tuscan Vegetable and Sausage Casserole. Kraft Foods 4 Cookbooks in 1 is spiral-bound and lies flat when open for easy use. The recipe collection features section dividers and a recipe index for at-a-glance convenience. |
|
|
Antique Trader Collectible Cookbooks Price Guide $21.99 Whether your collection features a hefty helping of grandmas worn, but cherished cookbooks from years past, or a few recipe-rich treasures of your own, this fact and photo-filled guide will feed any cookbook fascination. This reference, written by the owners of OldCookbooks.com serves up 1,500 American cookbooks and recipe booklets from the 20th century, complete with interesting details and historical notes about each, plus estimated values. |
|
|
Cookies, Cakes, Brownies, Cupcakes (4 Cookbooks in 1) $8.99 Indulge your cravings for decadent desserts with 4 Cookbooks in 1: Cookies, Cakes, Brownies, Cupcakes. The collection covers baking basics and presents more than 185 recipes selected by the editors of Favorite Brand Name recipes. The cookbook is spiral-bound and lies flat when open for easy use. It features handy section dividers, a recipe index for at-a-glance convenience, and a metric conversion chart. |
|
|
Hershey’s Classic Recipes (Classics Cookbooks) $5.99 Hershey’s Kitchens have been creating recipes for mouth-watering desserts and other sweet treats featuring Hershey’s ingredients since the 1920s. This attractive hardcover cookbook, the second in a series of two, is a collection of all-time favorite Hershey’s recipes, in addition to new recipes tested and approved in the Hershey s Kitchens. These decadent recipes, all made with Hershey’s ingredients, are among more than 100 recipes in the cookbook: Reese’s Peanut Butter & Hershey’s Kisses Pie; Toffee-Topped Pineapple Upside-Down Cake; Creamy Chocolate Tarts; Viennese Chocolate Torte; Cinnamon Chip Applesauce Coffeecake. |
|
|
The Complete Best of Bridge Cookbooks (Vol.1) $9.99 Now available for the first time in one collectible and comprehensive volume, all the recipes from the first two books originally published, The Best of Bridge and Enjoy! These popular and treasured recipes have been enjoyed for the last 25 years and can now be enjoyed by a whole new generation of cooks who want simple recipes with gourmet results. So whether you are looking to complete your Bridge cookbook collection or simply want to include tried and true recipes in your cooking repertoire, you’ll find all this and more in this new volume. |
|
|
101 DinoPets $9.95 Over 101 Dinos to Adopt and Love!  |
|
|
Hagen mpeller 101 $11.45 Hagen mpeller 101 |
|
|
Hagen aquaclear powerhead 101 $21.16 Hagen aquaclear powerhead 101 |
|
|
101 Tips for Graduates $35 101 Tips for Graduates |
|
|
101 Dolphin Pets (Mac) $9.95 Over 101 Dolphins to Adopt and Love! |
|
|
101 Penguin Pets (Mac) $5.95 Over 101 Penguins to Adopt and Love! |
|
|
101 Seal Pets (Mac) $5.95 Over 101 Seals to Adopt and Love! |
|
|
101 Otter Pets (Mac) $5.95 Over 101 Otters to Adopt and Love! |
|
|
101 Shark Pets (Mac) $5.95 Over 101 Sharks to Adopt and Love! |
|
|
Chicken, Hamburger, Pasta, Side Dishes (4 Cookbooks in 1) $8.99 4 Cookbooks in 1: Chicken, Hamburger, Pasta, Side Dishes presents more than 260 favorite recipes selected by the editors of Favorite Brand Name Recipes. The collection is spiral-bound and lies flat when open for easy use. It features handy section dividers, a recipe index for at-a-glance convenience, and a metric conversion chart. |
|
|
Depression 101 $16.95 This new book in New Harbinger’s 101 series, Depression 101 , offers practical and proven tools for overcoming depression in a concise and accessible format. |
|
|
3 Country Cooking Cookbooks in 1: One Dish; Sunday Suppers; Baking $6.99 Gather family and friends around the table for hearty and delicious meals! With three cookbooks in one, Country Cookin’ One Dish, Sunday Suppers and Baking, you’ll discover more than 160 mouthwatering recipes for sensational skillet, casserole and slow cooker meals, home-cooked suppers with all the trimmings and delightful desserts to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. They will rave about these fantastic recipes long after the dishes are cleared. |
|
|
ECO 101 $180 ECO 101 Eyeglasses for Men are available at BestBuyEyeglasses.com in the following colors: Blue, Brown, Gold, Gray/Gunmetal, Silver. The style is Oval and the frame material is Metal. ECO 101 Recycled or Green. These frames accept prescription lenses. |
|
|
Chinook 101 $120 Chinook 101 Eyeglasses for Unisex are available at BestBuyEyeglasses.com in the following colors: Black. The style is Rectangle and the frame material is Plastic. Chinook 101 Plastic. These frames accept prescription lenses. |