December 2013

Cookbook Giveaway: Everyday Thai Cooking

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Alison Ashton — 32 Comments ↓

I’ve got a confession to make: I adore the heat and complexity of Thai food, but I rarely cook it at home. I always seem to be missing some key specialty ingredient, so unless I’ve planned ahead, a home-cooked Thai meal isn’t on the menu. There must be a lot of cooks like me, because Chef Katie Chin has come to our rescue with her new book, Everyday Thai Cooking: Quick and Easy Family-Style Recipes (Tuttle Publishing). And to celebrate, we’re hosting a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a copy (see below for details to enter).

{Chef Katie demonstrates techniques and ingredients featured in Everyday Thai Cooking.}

The book is especially welcome this time of year, when the indulgence that punctuates the season makes me crave light, bright flavors more than ever. Katie’s Steamed Mussels in Lemongrass and Basil made our Christmas Eve celebration. Her Tangy Pumpkin Soup yielded a nourishing, zippy meal to warm up a couple of chilly weeknights.

And while the recipes are mouthwatering, the section that’s perhaps most useful for the Thai cooking newbie is the rundown of signature ingredients. You’ll come away with a solid understanding of the role each plays in building the unique balance of the spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavors that characterize Thai cuisine, as well as helpful tips to make substitutions. Even better, you’ll be inspired to make a field trip to an Asian market to add some ingredients to your pantry and repertoire.

FOR THE GIVEAWAY: To celebrate Katie’s book — and make it easy for you to experience its delicious flavors — we’re giving away one copy of Everyday Thai Cooking to one lucky reader. And it’s easy to enter: Just leave a comment below. We’ll draw a winner at random and announce the lucky winner on the site on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. Good luck!

In the meantime, you can enjoy a taste of Everyday Thai Cooking with Katie’s recipe for Tangy Pumpkin Soup.

UPDATE (12/31/13): We have a winner: Liz Carl Ulloa! Thank you to all who entered. Please check back for future giveaways! And สวัสดีปีใหม่ (Happy New Year!)

Tangy Pumpkin Soup

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Alison Ashton — 6 Comments ↓

This zippy, velvety and comforting pumpkin soup, adapted from Everyday Thai Cooking (Tuttle Publishing) exemplifies Katie Chin’s easy approach to Thai cuisine. It uses ingredients that you can find in many supermarkets, and if you can’t find ’em, Katie has suggestions for simple substitutions. “Thais often use pumpkins to make desserts or delicious savory soups like this one,” Katie says. “The heat from the spices is a great contrast to the sweet pumpkin in this seasonal soup. You may substitute the pumpkin with any kind of winter squash.” I found it works just as beautifully with butternut squash. Check out Katie’s blog, The Sweet and Sour Chronicles.

2 tablespoons coconut oil, Canola or other high-heat cooking oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 fresh hot red or green chiles, preferably Thai chiles, thinly sliced (seeded, if you prefer less heat)
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 cups peeled and diced pumpkin
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup regular or light coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces and bruised (you can substitute grated zest of 1 lemon or lime)
1 teaspoon palm or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir-fry shallot, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chiles and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pumpkin, stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, sugar and salt, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil. Cook until the pumpkin softens, about 8-10 minutes. Quickly stir in fish sauce and lime juice.

Transfer a blender, or using an immersion blender, blend the soup to a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, as desired. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Comforting Brown Rice Porridge with Mushrooms

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Lia Huber — 2 Comments ↓

This brown rice porridge is inspired by Chef Louis Maldonado of Spoonbar here in Healdsburg, and most recently of Top Chef fame. He turned me on to rice porridge. It’s one of the staples on his menu that he changes up with the seasons and the whims of the farmers that supply him. It’s also a traditional dish across a number of different cultures, from Korea to Vietnam, and is often eaten as breakfast (which I can now personally vouch for as being a very good idea). On a recent cold, cold night when my family was dropping sick one by one, I conjured this version up to bring comfort to us all. It takes awhile to cook (you can shave off about half the time if you use a pressure cooker), but it’s one of those dishes that calls to you from the fridge all week long, so make a double batch and consider it time well invested.

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